“On a different level”: Max Verstappen picked by F1 legend as his go-to choice for his own team

Red Bull star Max Verstappen has won the last four F1 championships, sometimes in a dominant car, and others in a car inferior to his championship rivals. However, the Dutchman has always managed to come out on top. Two-time F1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi has picked Verstappen as his first choice for his F1 team.

Verstappen made a name for himself in his debut F1 season, and soon replaced Daniil Kvyat at Red Bull midway through the 2016 season. The Dutchman then went on to become the No. 1 driver at Red Bull despite having a driver as talented as Daniel Ricciardo as his teammate. Since then, none of his teammates have been able to get close to his performance, let alone match it.

Verstappen overcame the adversity of having a slower car than Mercedes and won the 2021 title by beating seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton, albeit in a controversial way. 2022 was a relatively dominant year, with 2023 being the Dutchman's most dominant season, winning 19 out of the 22 races.

The Red Bull driver's winning run was threatened by Lando Norris and McLaren in 2024, but Max Verstappen made his early-season lead count and defended it to take home his fourth consecutive title. While 2025 has been a struggle for the four-time champion, Verstappen has still managed to take a couple of wins.

F1 Grand Prix of Austria - Practice - Source: Getty

F1 legend Emerson Fittipaldi sat with Motorsports for an exclusive interview and was questioned about Verstappen's performances. The Brazilian hailed the Dutchman, suggesting that the Dutch driver would be the first choice for his F1 team.

“If I had a Formula 1 team and if I had the option to hire anybody, then I would hire Max. Max would be my first guy to hire.I think Max is on a different level as a racing driver. Even when the car is not good, he just carries the car on his back,” said Emerson Fittipaldi.

Fittipaldi also praised Gabriel Bortoleto amid the excellent performance in his rookie season.

New Red Bull boss impressed by Max Verstappen's “commitment and love for the sport”

Long-time Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was sacked by the team on July 9, 2025, with immediate effect, as Laurent Mekies took over as his replacement. While Mekies has been with the Red Bull family as the VCARB TP, he only had a closer look at Max Verstappen's dedication routine once he arrived at Red Bull.

Hailing the four-time F2 champion on the Inside Track podcast, Mekies said, via RacingNews365:

“We know the on-track level and how unique that is, and then suddenly you discover Max off-track, and you discover completely off the chart level of commitment [and] love for the sport, simplicity and a direct approach to the good moments and the bad moments, and suddenly, it's becomes very clear that the combination of the two makes it untouchable and unique.”

Max Verstappen sits P3 in the F1 standings, but is unlikely to challenge for the title, given McLaren's performance advantage and teams shifting focus to the 2026 regulations.