"He showed he is a World Champion" - Max Verstappen deserves both 2021 and 2022 F1 titles, says 2-time champion

Two-time world champion Emerson Fittipaldi believes Max Verstappen deserves both his F1 world titles, despite the Abu Dhabi and cost cap sagas. The Brazilian believes the various dramas Verstappen's team has gotten into cannot tarnish the Dutchman's talent in the sport.

The 25-year-old recently joined Fittipaldi as a two-time world champion, breezing his way to a second title victory at the 2022 F1 Japanese GP. Much like his first title win, however, his title-winning charge this season was not without controversy as it was overshadowed by news of Red Bull's cost cap breach from 2021. Fittipaldi believes none of the controversies the Dutchman has found himself in can tarnish his reputation of being one of the best drivers on the grid.

Speaking to Vegas Insider about Max Verstappen, Fittipaldi said:

“In my opinion, he really deserved it last year and he really deserved it this year. He won most of the races in the last championship and this year he was fantastic on his way to the championship. What happened in Abu Dhabi had nothing to do with Max’s talent and he deserved to be World Champion. And this year is exactly the same.”

With a potential penalty expected to be heading Red Bull's way for the 2021 cost cap breach, however, it is still uncertain whether Verstappen will hold onto his first title win.

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Former F1 driver lauds Max Verstappen as a generational talent

Former driver and F1 TV pundit Karun Chandhok lauded Max Verstappen as a generational talent. The former compared the Red Bull champion to the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, and Ayrton Senna. The Dutchman is the 2022 F1 world champion, having secured his second consecutive title in the sport at the Japanese GP earlier this month.

There is no denying Verstappen's raw pace and composed driving. Following his title defense, the Red Bull driver has placed himself alongside stalwarts such as Fernando Alonso, Mika Hakkinen, and Jim Clark. Chandhok acknowledged Verstappen's dominance in 2022, claiming that his drives at Spa and Monza were highly impressive.

He said:

“I think we’ve seen a different Max. Think those drives we saw at places like Spa and Monza where he was considerate, he didn’t go for those half gaps that we saw him go for in the past for example, and he just picked his way through the field.”

He added:

“And listen, he is a once-in-a-generation talent like Lewis, like Fernando, like Michael, like Senna.”

With four races to go, Max Verstappen has the opportunity to break Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel's record for the most number of race wins – 13 – in a single season.