Kyle Larson vs Max Verstappen is one of motorsport’s great ‘what ifs’.
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NASCAR champion Kyle Larson has declared that he is a “better all-around driver” than F1 pace-setter Max Verstappen.
Larson, the 2021 Cup champion, is regarded as one of the best drivers in motorsport outside of grand prix racing and one of the most naturally talented drivers to ever race in NASCAR.
Outside of his Hendrick Motorsports Cup commitments, Larson can often be found sprint racing, and recently claimed his third Knoxville Nationals title, having also driven in the Indy 500 in May, the first active Cup driver to attempt ‘double duty’ with the Coca-Coca 600 since 2014.
Verstappen has taken Lewis Hamilton’s mantle as ‘the man to beat’ in F1 since 2021, setting numerous new records, including 19 wins from 22 races in the ’23 season as he has become a three-time world champion.
But Larson feels he is more than a match for Verstappen, in the right equipment.
“Not really. I know in my mind I am better than him as an all-around driver,” Larson told FloRacing when asked if he had to beat Verstappen to be considered the best driver in the world.
“There’s no way Verstappen can get into a Sprint Car and win the Knoxville Nationals. There’s no way he can go win the Chili Bowl. There’s no way he can go win a Cup race at Bristol.
“There’s probably no way I can go win a Formula 1 race at Monaco, but I think I’d have a better shot doing what he does than him doing what I do just because of the car element.
“That’s what gives me ease and confidence that, like, I know I’m better than him.
“Maybe not in an open-wheel IndyCar or Formula 1 car, but that’s one discipline. I think I would beat him in everything else. You can quote that.”
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Larson vs Verstappen
With Larson unlikely to head to F1 or Verstappen in the opposite direction anytime soon, options for the two to meet on the track are limited.
One such arena that has been discussed would be if motorsport was handed a place at the Summer Olympic Games.
It was not included at the recent Paris games, nor will it be featured on the roster of Los Angeles in 2028, but motorsport has been touted as being on the bill for the Brisbane 2032 games, but Larson feels that motorsport does not fit the Olympic bill.
“I just don’t foresee it being in the Olympics; racing being in the Olympics because they are solely 100% about the athlete,” he said.
“Like, 100% pure athleticism is why you win, whereas racing, there’s always the machine aspect of it. And the car, it’s not quite 100%
“Even if you had two cars sitting right here and if you said they are identical, they are not identical. That’s why I don’t think racing will be in the Olympics. But I also want it to be in the Olympics because I would go do it.
“I’d love the opportunity to do that and maybe I’d have a different opinion if I had the opportunity to do that.
“Right now, I don’t know. I just don’t think it could be an Olympic sport.
“But I’d love the opportunity to go for an Olympic gold medal, or hell, any medal racing against Max Verstappen or guys from different countries and all that.
“That’d be pretty awesome.”
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In the latest episode of the RacingNews365 podcast, Nick, Sam and Ian look back on the first half of the 2024 F1 season. Their favourite moments are discussed, as is Lewis Hamilton’s recent return to form. Max Verstappen and Lando Norris’ title fight is also assessed.
