Max Verstappen backed to 'kick everyone's ass' in WEC

Logan Sargeant believes Max Verstappen would dominate the World Endurance Championship (WEC) if he joins Ford's upcoming Hypercar programme.

The American driver, who competes for Ford in WEC's LMGT3 class and will step up to Hypercar next year, was asked about the possibility of partnering with the four-time F1 drivers' champion.

"Well, if he is driving, I hope he's in my car!" Sargeant told Motorsport.com. "That's for sure. In my opinion, Max is the best to ever do it. So if I could share a car with him, that would be a huge privilege and a huge advantage."

Ford's global director of racing, Mark Rushbrook, recently confirmed the manufacturer holds "regular discussions" with Verstappen about opportunities in sports cars, including the American marque's WEC Hypercar entry launching in 2027.

Ford, which is in a power unit partnership with Red Bull in F1, will return to endurance's premier class in 2027, creating opportunities for high-profile guest drivers.

Verstappen has repeatedly expressed interest in competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, that championship's showcase event.

The Red Bull driver regularly competes in GT3 machinery and will embark on his 24-hour race debut at the Nurburgring this weekend.

Plug and play

Sargeant, who raced for Williams in F1 for a season-and-a-half, was direct when asked what advantages Verstappen would bring to a Hypercar programme.

"Well, he's the quickest driver in the world," the 25-year-old said. "He's going to most likely kick everyone's ass. I'd rather that be in my car than the other.

"It goes so much beyond just driving style, seeing what he's doing with the tools, lap in, lap out, how he's making adjustments," he added.

Given Verstappen's experience in F1, Sargeant believes the 71-time grand prix winner would be able to seamlessly transition into a more extensive endurance programme, as he has already shown with his GT3 exploits.

"Obviously, he has so much experience from Formula 1," he said. "For him, it would just be like plug and play. There's so much you can learn from someone like that.

"You don't win four world championships without the speed he has. You see it, even when he's not in the best car, he still finds a way to make it work. That can't be said for everyone."