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Max Verstappen's triumph over Lewis Hamilton in the 2021 F1 drivers' world championship fight has been hailed as remarkable by departing FIA President, Jean Todt.
Todt, who rose to prominence in F1 during his duration of dominance with Michael Schumacher and Ferrari, felt Verstappen was the deserving winner of the championship despite Hamilton and Mercedes' combined excellence.
Speaking at the annual FIA Gala, where Verstappen was formally crowned the 2021 drivers world champion, Todt was all praise for the Dutchman.
While Todt did accept that luck had a role in Verstappen's mad dash to the finish line on the final lap in Abu Dhabi, the Frenchman also pointed out that Verstappen had also had his share of misfortune this season.
"It's true that he was lucky on the last lap. But was he lucky in Silverstone? In Baku? In Budapest? Not really! It's like Max often says, 'It is what it is'," Todt said.
Todt then went on to add:
"Lewis is an outstanding champion and never makes a mistake. It's a combination of the best car and the best team. He (Max Verstappen) won 10 Grands Prix and we have to find that remarkable."
Todt was equally impressed by Mercedes' utter dominance of the Turbo Hybrid era, which they capped off with their eighth consecutive constructors' championship.
"Mercedes should be praised a lot because they have captured eight world titles," he said.
Max Verstappen sets record for most podium finishes in a season
With 10 race wins in 2021, Verstappen equalled his tally of wins in F1 since the start of his career, taking his overall number to 20.
Verstappen also had 18 podium finishes in 2021, setting a new F1 record with this feat, beating Michael Schumacher, Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, who were all tied on 17. Interestingly, Verstappen didn't have a single third-place finish this season.
When one considers his age, the adversary at hand, his experience and the tools at his disposal, Verstappen's 2021 season will go down as one of the greatest by a maiden F1 world champion.
