Kyle Larson Breaks Silence on Much Disputed “Greatest Driver in the World” Tag

Kyle Larson finally responded to the 'greatest driver in the world' label given to him by NASCAR fans.

Kyle Larson Breaks Silence on Much Disputed “Greatest Driver in the World” Tag

Kyle Larson (Via IMAGO)

Kyle Larson is one of the biggest names in NASCAR right now. The HMS star has delivered some incredible performances over the years and gained a massive fanbase. Fans have labeled Larson as the ‘greatest driver in the world’ over his success in stock car racing. Now, the 32-year-old has spoken up on this tag.

Larson knows that he is one of the best drivers in the racing world at the moment. Last year, the 2021 Cup Series champion claimed that he was better than reigning F1 world champion Max Verstappen as an all-around driver. Though, he later clarified that he didn’t mean to say that he was the greatest racing driver.

While Kyle Larson‘s comparison with Verstappen remains a controversial topic, fans do not shy away from calling the HMS star the greatest. However, the former Cup Series champion insisted that he didn’t fully share this view. Larson recalled that he is often compared to NASCAR legends such as Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart, which does boost his morale.

Well, I, although the public thinks that I think that, I don’t necessarily think that I’m the greatest in the world. But, no, I’ve heard the accolades and the comments and all that for a long, long time, and being compared to Jeff [Gordon] or Tony [Stewart] or even sometimes Mario [Andretti] and AJ Foyt, guys like that, and it makes me feel really good.

Kyle Larson told Prime Video.

The 32-year-old pointed out that he still has plenty of time left in his career. Kyle Larson declared that he wanted to prove himself worthy of this tag by gaining more success in motorsport. He acknowledged that he will try to live up to the ‘hype’ amongst fans.

But I’m still, I’m only 32 and I’ve got a lot of racing left to do, and I hope I can accomplish a lot more to really feel like I’m deserving of that credit, but I do appreciate it and it just makes me kind of have more drive to try and live up to that hype, I guess.

Kyle Larson stated.

Kyle Larson pinpoints ‘biggest challenge’ in Mexico City

The NASCAR Cup Series made its debut in Mexico City the past weekend. The Next-Gen cars raced at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez for the first time, a track situated over 7,500 feet above sea level. This was always going to be a challenge for drivers, as the circuit is quite complex with a long straight and sharp corners.

Kyle Larson (via McLaren)
Kyle Larson (via McLaren)

After the race, Kyle Larson revealed the big challenge the drivers faced in Mexico City. The HMS star had an underwhelming race due to a multi-car wreck with Kyle Busch. Larson pointed out that downforce was a major problem as drivers struggled to manage their cars. This made it quite difficult for drivers to get the braking point correct. The 32-year-old reckoned that this issue was under-predicted in the simulator.

I think you can see a lot of drivers kind of struggling with that yesterday. I think the sim kind of under-predicted that. So all the brake zones, we had to work to kind of back up, and then so you don’t lock up your rear tires and your front tires and whatnot. So yeah, that’s been the most challenging piece I think for most everybody.

Kyle Larson said during Mexico press conference.

Certainly, Mexico was a tough outing for all NASCAR teams. The track conditions were far different than what the garage is used to in the US. However, the race was a success as it allows NASCAR to be exposed to the massive Mexican market, and get close to fans. The sport can potentially gain a huge viewer base in the country if it continues to race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

Read More: Denny Hamlin Spills the Beans on ‘Dale Earnhardt Jr. Inspired’ Retirement plans