At the Festival dello Sport in Trento, Jacques Villeneuve and Mika Hakkinen discussed the key qualities that make Max Verstappen stand out from the rest of the Formula 1 grid. The two world champions highlighted what separates the Red Bull driver from his rivals, shedding light on why he continues to dominate in such a competitive era.
After securing back-to-back victories at Monza and Baku, Max Verstappen is once again reigniting the fight for the World Championship title. Only a few races ago, the battle for first place seemed to be an exclusive contest between McLaren’s young talents, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. However, the Dutchman’s recent double success has significantly reduced the gap. At present, Max Verstappen trails championship leader Oscar Piastri by 63 points. With six rounds remaining, many fans are wondering: can the Red Bull driver claim his fifth consecutive world title?
Jacques Villeneuve, speaking alongside Mika Hakkinen during the event in Trento, made it clear that he believes Max Verstappen has all the right qualities to overcome both McLaren drivers before the season concludes.
The recognition of a champion
Former Formula 1 driver Mika Hakkinen openly expressed his deep admiration for Max Verstappen, emphasizing his complete driving ability. “Max is a fantastic driver, without a doubt, a truly complete racer,” Hakkinen said. “It doesn’t matter what kind of corner it is—low-speed, medium-speed, or high-speed—he can handle them all. Together with his engineers, he always finds the best solutions to make progress and improve the car as quickly as possible.”
The Finnish two-time world champion then added: “I also think there’s another reason why he’s so brilliant: he’s completely on his own within the team—he doesn’t really have a teammate. And that’s a very important factor. Normally, having a strong teammate is essential because you can develop the car together, influence each other, and gain a tenth of a second here or there through collaboration. But Max does all that by himself. It’s incredible because others do it as a pair, while he manages everything on his own. I think he’s the most complete driver on the grid right now.”
Villeneuve’s blunt answer
Jacques Villeneuve focused precisely on that point when asked why other drivers seem unable to handle the Red Bull car in the same way as Max Verstappen. The 1997 Formula 1 World Champion gave a characteristically sharp and unexpected answer, leaving no room for interpretation: “Because they’re not good.”
Villeneuve’s direct remark sparked laughter from the audience, but his tone suggested he meant it seriously. The Canadian often highlights how Verstappen’s driving style is uniquely aggressive yet perfectly controlled—something that demands a combination of precision, consistency, and raw instinct that few others possess.
According to Villeneuve, Red Bull’s RB21 (and its predecessors) are finely tuned to Verstappen’s driving preferences. The car’s behavior under braking, the way it rotates mid-corner, and its sensitivity to steering input all seem to align perfectly with the Dutch driver’s natural style. This makes the car extremely fast in his hands, but difficult for others to extract the same level of performance from.
“It’s not just about being fast,” Villeneuve has often explained when discussing Verstappen. “It’s about how you understand what the car needs and how you can adapt your driving to that. Verstappen has an incredible feeling for that balance. The car responds to him because it’s practically built around him.”
These remarks echo what many insiders have said throughout the season—that Verstappen’s dominance is not simply a result of having the best machinery, but rather the perfect harmony between driver and car. It’s a relationship that brings to mind great combinations from F1 history, such as Schumacher and Ferrari, or Senna and McLaren.
Villeneuve and Hakkinen both agreed that while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have made enormous progress this year, they still lack the refined racecraft and adaptability that come only with experience and a naturally instinctive connection to the car. Verstappen, on the other hand, has reached a level of control that allows him to push the limits without ever appearing to be out of control.
As the championship heads into its decisive phase, Max Verstappen’s ability to perform flawlessly under pressure will once again be tested. Whether he can close the 63-point gap to Piastri remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: his rivals, including McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes, recognize that beating him requires near perfection.
Villeneuve’s provocative comment may sound harsh, but it reflects a sentiment shared by many former drivers—that Verstappen’s consistency, mental strength, and deep understanding of his car have elevated him to a level few others can reach. And for now, at least according to two former world champions, that makes him the undisputed benchmark of Formula 1.
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