Max Verstappen has a driving style that invites divisive opinions. Depending on which side of the spectrum they are on, people either label his racing style dangerous or just aggressive. However, a veteran driver believes had it not been for increased safety in modern F1 cars, many of his incidents could have proven fatal.

Verstappen, who is also referred to as ‘Mad Max’, is known for pushing not just his limits on an F1 track, but also his opponents’. He often lunges aggressively from behind in his bid to overtake. He also makes some late maneuvers sometimes that give stewards much to deliberate upon.

How far would Max Verstappen have gone had he competed in the era of greats like Juan Manuel Fangio?

Well, according to the former racing driver from Italy, Bruno Giacomelli, not too far. Giacomelli competed in Formula 1 during the late 70s, a time when F1 cars weren’t as safe as they are now. That was an era when drivers’ deaths on the track were common.

“Looking at the results, Schumacher has won seven world championships,” Giacomelli told Motorsport Italy in 2020. “Fangio won five, but Fangio won them with different cars and at a time when people were dying, you know what I mean?”

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“Do you know what it means to die? It means that [Max] Verstappen, if he had driven the 80s cars that I drove, would have died at least three or four times.”

“Nowadays drivers are no longer afraid in a Formula 1 car, because they are very safe.”

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F1 drivers, including Lewis Hamilton, have often criticized Max for his overly aggressive driving. Hamilton had a horrific crash with Verstappen in Monza last year. The Dutchman’s car landed on top of Hamilton’s helmet and, had it not been for the halo, things could have gone very wrong.

How differently do Lewis Hamilton and Christian Horner define Max Verstappen’s racing style?

GQ did a story on their Athlete of the Year, Max Verstappen last month. The two-time champion talked about his rise to the top and deriving inspiration from the likes of Michael Jordan in the interview. The article also quoted Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull team principal Christian Horner on his driving style.

Horner simply said, “Max’s best form of defense is attack.”

Needless to say, Lewis’s opinion was a lot different. “Max is kind of do-or-die. It’s like you’re either crashing or you’re not going by,” he explained.

“I think he pushes it to the limit and probably beyond.”

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Whether Max’s racing style is aggressive or dangerous, we are not to judge. We are just happy the sport is a lot safer than it once was.