Kyle Larson Is Embarrassed Over Misunderstood ‘Better Than Max Verstappen’ Comment

2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson shares his thoughts on misunderstanding and best racer in the world tag.

Kyle Larson Is Embarrassed Over Misunderstood ‘Better Than Max Verstappen’ Comment

Kyle Larson and Max Verstappen (Via IMAGO)

Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson is one of the best NASCAR drivers of hie generation and in his own worlds among the most versatile racers in the world. In 2024, during his Indy 500-Coke 600 double duty buzz, the Chevy driver found himself in hot water for claiming he is more versatile than the reigning F1 champion and now he has explained how he was misunderstood.

The three times race winner in the 2025 season, sat down with seven times Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson in the latest episode of the Never Settle podcast and was asked about how he was misunderstood. The question Kyle Larson was asked was about racing being in Olympics, to which he highlighted how he is a better all-round racer while answering.

The question was about, do I believe that racing should be in the Olympics? Which, my answer to that was no, because I feel like in all Olympic sports, it’s purely the athlete’s talent and ability that shines. Where in racing, you have this other element of equipment, and I said, I don’t need to have an Olympics to feel like I’m a better all-around driver than Max Verstappen.

Kyle Larson said via Never Settle podcast.

But many fans, especially the haters of Kyle Larson and toxic F1 fans saw this as the veteran claiming he is a better racer in Formula One than Max Verstappen. This caused a lot of backlashes and uncalled for abuse from the different part of the world regarding the same. This made the veteran feel embarrassed nowadays, with the greatest in the world tag.

I race a lot of different types of cars, and I think when you think of a best athlete, it’s who can do the most different types of sports and be great at it. People took that as I said, I’m a better Formula One driver than Max Verstappen, which was wild, but it’s a bit embarrassing now, ever since then, that everybody thinks that I just said I’m the greatest in the world.

Kyle Larson said added.

Will Kyle Larson ever attempt the Indy 500-Coke 600 double again?

Just like in 2024, Kyle Larson attempted the double duty in the 2025 season, and it went as bad as the previous year with an early race wreck. This has sparked discussion about the veteran attempting the double duty again and Larson has settled this discussion for good.

Kyle Larson
Kyle Larson at Darlington (Via IMAGO)

In a latest interview, he asserted that he will never attempt the double duty again as it is logistically too tough to pull off for any drivers. He has previously pointed out that he might race in the Indy 500 once he is doing with his full-time NASCAR career.

Feel like I’ve made it known that I wouldn’t do the double again. I get asked about it all the time, so no. I mean, it’s just like it’s just logistically too tough.

Kyle Larson said via Frontstretch.

The veteran asserted that he won’t regret not winning the Indy 500, but will likes to attempt one more to win the event, but definitely not double. It’s the logistic and not being competitive enough in both the events the reason for his decision to not try it again.  

I don’t have FOMO from running Indy 500. But hopefully, someday I can run that again, but I don’t have any desire to do the double again. It’s just it didn’t go well the last two years and crashing aside like you know this year, like we weren’t gona be able to get it both in. It’s just too tight.

Kyle Larson added.

The comments from Kyle Larson shows he is taking a rational approach towards racing in the IndyCar event. The veteran has the skill to win the IMS event, if he is given enough time to prepare and is in a stress-free atmosphere with very limited racing ventures in his schedule or he can take a page out of Jimmie Johnson’s book and race full-time in IndyCar after his NASCAR days.

Also Read: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Reveals How “Biggest D***Heads” Joey Logano and Ross Chastain Thrives in Next-Gen Era