'I'm a better racing driver than Max Verstappen - here's my message to the haters'
Max Verstappen has a rival racing in another series altogether.
Kyle Larson raised eyebrows when he declared that he is a ‘better all-round driver than Max Verstappen’ last year, but the one-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and sprint car racing icon has now doubled down on his claims. The 32-year-old sent a message to his detractors ahead of his second Indianapolis 500 attempt on Sunday.
Larson’s pedigree across the pond is undisputed. The 32-year-old has 32 Cup Series victories under his belt as well as a championship title in 2021, and is generally competitive no matter what he steps behind the wheel of. This was proven at the Indy 500 last year, when he qualified fifth on debut and ran in the top end of the field before a speeding penalty took him out of contention. Larson will attempt ‘the double’ again in 2025, racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway before jetting over to Charlotte to run the Coca-Cola 600 later on Sunday night.
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All involved in NASCAR and IndyCar appreciate Larson’s talent, and he is not short of confidence himself. After recording his third Knoxville Nationals victory in four years, he declared: “I know in my mind I am better than him [Verstappen] as an all-around driver.
“There’s no way he 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.”
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This claim reverberated around the motorsport community with fans and pundits taking turns to weigh in on the debate. Since then, Larson’s mistakes have been met with sarcastic social media comments from haters and detractors, calling out his self-anointed ‘best driver in the world’ moniker.
However, ahead of his second Indy 500 attempt, Larson moved to set the record straight with a message to his haters. “People act like I’m the one who said I am the greatest race car driver in the world,” he told The Athletic. “I never said that. I just said I’m a better all-around driver than Max Verstappen.
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“And they took that as I said 'I’m the greatest in the world’. Because, for some reason, Max is considered the greatest in the world. So it’s funny. I mean, I expect it when I have a crash or something. But it’s fine.”
If Larson is to cap off his second Indy 500 attempt with a trip to the Winner’s Circle, the stock car racing sensation will need to fight through the field. He will line up 21st on the grid for the 109th running of the legendary race with team-mate Pato O’Ward on the front row, along with Christian Lundgaard in eighth and Nolan Siegel in 26th.
