$10M worth F1 driver pays tribute to Max Verstappen: "Almost an art form"

$10M worth(celebrity net worth) Nico Hulkenberg has paid tribute to what Max Verstappen does in an F1 car by terming what he does as an art form. The Dutch driver has been part of the sport since 2015.

He made his debut with the Red Bull sister team Toro Rosso as a teenager and had Carlos Sainz as his teammate. The driver impressed in his first season, where he was comfortably the faster driver compared to the Spaniard, even though he was a few years younger.

So much so that the driver was promoted to the senior Red Bull in just his second season. The driver made an immediate impact by winning his first ever race and, within a few years, took over as the team's lead driver from Daniel Ricciardo.

Since winning his first F1 title in 2021 against Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen has put himself in a category where he is the best driver on the grid. This has also led to issues in the second Red Bull cockpit, where no teammate has found it easy to keep up with the Dutch driver.

Talking to nu.nl, Nico Hulkenberg paid tribute to the kind of job Max Verstappen does in a car and said that the driver makes things look easy and hence people underestimate the work he is able to accomplish in the car. He said,

"The cars are the same, but Max is exceptionally good. What he does is pure class, almost an art form. People sometimes underestimate how good he is. Red Bull is an environment where you have to perform immediately. If you don't succeed, it affects your self-confidence. Especially if your teammate is Max Verstappen. The culture there is very tough,"

Franz Tost on Max Verstappen's adaptability

In a recent interview with F1 Insider, Franz Tost talked about the kind of phenomenon Max Verstappen is as he shared how the Dutch driver's test of a Ferrari GT car saw him being two seconds quicker than everyone else.

According to the Austrian, the Dutch driver has the innate ability to be fast in anything he drives, and it's no surprise that he would be quick in any F1 car. He said,

"Last year, Max did a test with a Ferrari GT racing car. He was immediately two seconds faster than the rest. Max has a feel for speed, an incredible overview, unbelievable vehicle control, and an incredible feel for a car – no matter which one. He would therefore get to grips with any Formula 1 car straight away. Of course, he will then fine-tune the car to best suit his driving style.”

This season, Max Verstappen is in a battle against the odds as the Red Bull is not as fast as the McLaren of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. It would be interesting to see if he can keep up and make it a challenge against the duo.