Max Verstappen has responded to Adrian Newey’s strong praise after the renowned Formula 1 car designer described him as an all-time great.
Statistically, Verstappen is currently enjoying the most dominant streak in F1 history as last time out at the Italian Grand Prix, he won his 10th consecutive race - setting a new record for the sport.
The Dutchman is en route to his third F1 title as he boasts a mammoth lead over his rivals in the Drivers’ Championship.
While he equals and exceeds the achievements of drivers who are considered F1 legends, Verstappen insists that he is not focused on besting their records.
“Everyone has their own opinion about these kind of things,” he told media including RacingNews365.com.
“For me, I was never in F1 to try and prove that I belong in between other people's names or the greats in the sport.
“I’m just here to try and do the best I can, and try to win as much as I can when I have the opportunity.”
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‘Automatic pilot’
Newey, who has worked with several all-time greats such as Alain Prost, Mika Hakkinen and Sebastian Vettel, claimed that Verstappen can drive “on automatic”.
The RB19 car has been clear of the field, but Verstappen has consistently outperformed teammate Sergio Perez this year.
“It’s a very enjoyable time to be driving the car,” Verstappen admitted.
“But every single weekend, there are always other things that come up, and you have to optimise.
“It’s never a straightforward weekend. In a way, it's almost like automatic pilot, but it's also a thing as you gain a lot more experience.
“I always think I had this kind of thing where you're driving the car, but you also think about a lot of other processes. It's not something new suddenly to me.”
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