Ex-Mercedes F1 CEO claims Max Verstappen would beat his rivals even in a “S**tbox”

Max Verstappen raced in a league of his own in 2023 in a record-breaking campaign.

Ex-Mercedes F1 CEO claims Max Verstappen would beat his rivals even in a “S**tbox”

Max Verstappen at the Dutch Grand Prix (via IMAGO)

Max Verstappen has established himself as an all-time F1 great. The Dutch driver shattered multiple records in 2023 as he clinched a third consecutive world title. Critics have argued that Verstappen’s dominance has relied heavily on Red Bull’s pace advantage. Subsequently, some claim that the 26-year-old wouldn’t be as quick if he was given equal machinery compared to his peers. Now, former Mercedes F1 CEO Nick Fry has countered this argument with a bold claim.

Nick Fry was part of the Brawn GP team in 2009 before it was acquired by the Silver Arrows the following year. Fry stayed with the Brackley-based team till 2013. The former Mercedes chief recalled Johnny Herbert‘s suggestion of a race where all F1 drivers compete in equal machinery as a good but impractical idea.

Johnny Herbert’s idea of having a one-off race where everybody drives the same car would be a good one if it was practical!
Nick Fry told OLBG
YouTube video

Fry reckoned that Max Verstappen has proved himself as the best driver on the current F1 grid. The 26-year-old has managed to adapt to any situation and car to achieve decent results for his team. As such, this kind of race wouldn’t matter considering the Dutchman’s recent dominance. Moreover, the Briton claimed that even if Verstappen was given a ‘s**tbox’ to race against his peers in F1, the three-time world champion would still emerge victorious.

FS Video
 I don’t think it would matter if you put Max in a s***box or a Red Bull car, he’d probably still beat the rest of them. He’s very adaptable. I don’t think it would change much, sadly.

Max Verstappen set for a fourth F1 title in 2024

The Dutch driver has managed to deliver some incredible drives in recent years. Max Verstappen was in a league of his own last season as he annihilated the rest of the competition behind the Red Bull RB-19. Certainly, fans expect the 26-year-old to once again claim the F1 world title.

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton (via IMAGO).

Red Bull has worked extensively on its 2024 challenger for several months. So much so, that the Austrian team has already begun working on the 2025 car even before the upcoming season commences. This could give Verstappen a massive pace advantage for 2024 as he aims to win his fourth championship.

Certainly, Max Verstappen could face some stiff competition from the likes of Ferrari and McLaren in 2024. However, the Dutch driver remains the favorite to clinch the world title this year. Fans would be looking forward to seeing Verstappen push his rivals to the limit in what could be an exciting campaign this season.

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