...By Henry George for TDPel Media.
Red Bull Racing’s team principal Christian Horner has drawn comparisons between Max Verstappen and heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Horner said that Verstappen’s killer instinct reminded him of Fury, who has set the benchmark for the heavyweight boxing division with three successful defences of the WBC belt won against Deontay Wilder in 2020.
Verstappen has already won all three grands prix to date in 2023 and holds a comfortable lead in this season’s drivers’ championship.
Despite Verstappen’s early dominance in the season, Horner said it was premature to speculate that Verstappen could go on to become the greatest F1 driver of all time.
He noted that Verstappen was only 25 years old and a double world champion.
However, Horner acknowledged that Verstappen was the standout of the current generation of outstanding driver talent.
Horner also spoke about Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez, who won the second race in Saudi Arabia.
He said that Perez was the first teammate capable of dealing with Verstappen.
Horner acknowledged that it was tough having Verstappen as both a rival and teammate and that Perez had the experience and roundedness to deal with Verstappen’s talent.
He said that Perez had to focus on himself to get close to Verstappen and challenge him consistently over 23 races.
Analysis and commentaries:
The comparison between Max Verstappen and Tyson Fury is interesting, given Fury’s dominance in the heavyweight boxing division and Verstappen’s early dominance in the F1 season.
Both athletes have a killer instinct that sets them apart from their competitors.
Verstappen has shown that he has the talent to be a dominant force in F1, but it remains to be seen if he can sustain this level of performance throughout the season.
Horner’s comments about Perez also highlight the importance of having a strong teammate in F1, especially when competing against a driver like Verstappen.
The season is still long, and anything can happen in F1, so it will be interesting to see how the season unfolds and if Verstappen can continue his early dominance.
