One of the age-old questions in Formula 1 is how much of the effort is down to the car versus the driver? In the case of Max Verstappen, was it the successful RB18 that enabled him to dominate the field in 2022? Former F1 driver David Coulthard believes it is down to the driver to execute the race wins. Verstappen ended the 2022 season with 15 race wins, the most on record for any driver in a single season. In an interview with Dutch Formula 1 Magazine, Coulthard stated that anyone who claims Verstappen's success is solely down to the car is "an idiot." "Just as Lewis doesn't need nine world titles for me to consider him one of the greatest drivers in the sport, Max doesn't need three to be considered one of the best," Coulthard explained. "Max is already one of the greats. You would also have to be a f**king idiot to say that he only achieved this because he was in a good car."
Max already one of the greats
Coulthard also points to Verstappen's history against his teammates, having only finished behind Daniel Ricciardo in 2017 since his debut in 2015. He added: "After all, none of his teammates have been able to measure up to him. "Max is a beast on the track, a winning machine who doesn't care what we have to say or what anyone else has to say. He is incredible."
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