Max Verstappen is the current world champion. And the title is his to defend through the current season. Max definitely has the qualities to be a world-beater. And the Dutchman has often shown his pace on the track. Max’s powerful presence on the grid made a former Ferrari driver, Eddie Irvine, compare him to a certain former world champion.

Eddie is a former Formula 1 driver and four-time Grand Prix winner. He drew comparisons between Max and his former Ferrari teammate, Michael Schumacher.

Max Verstappen, the fastest man on the grid?

Eddie thinks Max is the fastest driver on the grid and nobody can beat him. At least the ones with the same car. Having shared the paddock with the legendary Michael Schumacher, he compared the qualities of Max and Michael. Eddie thinks Max is the fastest on the grid. Faster than Lewis and Charles Leclerc, a quality showcased last season as he became the world champion.

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Eddie, however, feels the Red Bull man makes a lot of mistakes, especially because of his aggression. “I don’t think anyone is faster than Verstappen, but still he makes a lot of mistakes; Leclerc doesn’t. Max reminds me of Michael Schumacher. He can maintain great race pace and no one who drives the same car comes close to him.” said Eddie.

He also shares his opinion about Charles Leclerc. The Ferrari man according to Eddie is a lot more mature than Max. Charles is currently leading the world championship race, and it’s down to his intelligence and maturity. These qualities are what differentiate Charles and Max. Meanwhile, Verstappen gets swayed by his aggression, believes Eddie.

No one is a favorite for the 2022 season

Irvine also believes there is no clear winner or even a favorite for the season. Leclerc and Ferrari may be ahead after the first three races. But Irvine believes Adrian Newey and Max with Red Bull are capable of anything. And are capable of turning the whole thing around.

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Adrian Newey is the CTO of Red Bull Racing, and Irvine believes he can give Max a car capable enough to become the world champion again. “It’s too early to tell and every year that goes by it gets more difficult. You have to compete against Red Bull, Verstappen and Adrian Newey. That’s very difficult,” concluded Irvine.

The driver is only as good as his car. So let’s see if Adrian Newey can actually give Max a car capable enough to turn the tables around.