Sebastian Vettel has praised Max Verstappen, suggesting no one can do what the Dutchman can at high speed. The German retired from Formula One this year after 15 full seasons in the sport and appeared on TV alongside the Dutchman, Christian Horner and Helmut Marko to discuss his career and look towards what the future could hold for the sport.
Vettel is statistically one of the most successful drivers in Formula One history having won four world titles and 53 races in his career. He was at his peak during a four-year spell for Red Bull between 2010 and 2013 as he and the team put together one of the most dominant eras the sport has ever seen winning both the drivers and constructors championships in consecutive seasons.
The 35-year-old left the energy drink giant in 2015 to join Ferrari with Verstappen eventually taking his place as team leader and becoming the first driver to win the title for Red Bull since Vettel in 2021 before defending it in 2022.
Speaking on German channel Servus TV the Aston Martin driver was full of praise for Verstappen following his retirement, suggesting he regularly left him baffled by how he pulled off moves.
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He said: “Often it is the case that you see things from others and copy each other and think: ‘Yes I’ll try that’ or ‘yes, I can do that too’ and ‘yes that should be possible’.
“But with Max, it’s really rare in my time in these 15 years, that someone comes along and is a bit cheeky in the beginning but that’s absolutely okay!”
The smiling Dutchman took this as his cue to come in, reminiscing about the 2016 Mexican Grand Prix where he had overtaken Vettel off track, cueing an expletive-laden message from the German that descended into a war of words.
“Yes exactly!” Vettel exclaimed while laughing. “But yes those one or two actions or just the things he manages to do with the car that just makes you think: ‘Wow. Now I don’t know if I could do that.’ Then there are maneuvers especially in terms of overtaking or under certain track conditions where you sit in your car afterwards and think: ‘Wow, I don’t know.’
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“He just has an incredible feeling for the vehicle, incredible control and he reads situations extremely fast. To think about it over and over and then try it is one thing but to recognize it right in the moment and to try it immediately and so quickly as well. You can only bow to that with a little envy and wish that all this continues for him and above all that he has fun.”
Verstappen looked notably taken back by Vettel’s kind words, with the pair sharing a hug after the show was over. The Dutchman will once again be seeking to display his talent when the new season of Formula One gets underway in 2023 starting in Bahrain on March 5.
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https://formulaone.news/red-bull/they-have-been-beaten-below-value
