Anthony Davidson admits some Formula 1 pundits are ‘jealous’ of Max Verstappen’s talent

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Anthony Davidson says Max Verstappen’s talent has generated ‘huge’ jealousy in driving circles since he broke into Formula 1 in 2015.

Davidson called Verstappen one of the greatest drivers of all time after he won his first world championship in 2021. That initially seemed like a bold take.

Now, though, it’s almost universally accepted. Verstappen has gone on to win four world championships and is on course to break all of the biggest records if he stays in F1 long-term.

Only Lewis Hamilton (105) and Michael Schumacher (91) have won more races than Verstappen (71). The Dutchman came within two points of a fifth straight title last year after a remarkable comeback against Lando Norris and McLaren.

Anthony Davidson says there’s ‘a huge amount of envy’ around Max Verstappen

Despite his achievements, Verstappen has been heavily criticised by some F1 pundits during his career.

1996 world champion Damon Hill has previously hit out at Verstappen’s driving style. The Dutchman has been one of the most prolific collectors of penalty points as he pushes the limits of the regulations.

Johnny Herbert has called Verstappen’s mindset ‘horrible’, a comment that contributed to him losing his place on the F1 stewarding panel.

You get to chat to one F1 driver for an hour, who do you choose?

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But speaking during F1 testing, Davidson said Verstappen’s greatness is undeniable, even for those who may not approve of his approach.

“Any driver could see it, with a huge amount of envy in our eyes, watching what he was capable of in a car, and jealousy,” the former Minardi, BAR and Super Aguri driver said.

“It was there for everyone to see, whether you were a fan of his or not, whether you agreed with his tactics or not. I just couldn’t just look past the truth of the skill that I could see.”

F1 insiders have already made damning comment about Isack Hadjar vs Max Verstappen

Verstappen has crushed five successive teammates since Daniel Ricciardo left Red Bull at the end of 2018. Isack Hadjar is next to face arguably the toughest challenge in F1.

Hadjar says he feels ‘comfortable’ at Red Bull because team staff share his commitment to winning. But F1 paddock insiders are already seeing a clear deficit to Verstappen.

They find Red Bull a much more intimidating opponent when Verstappen is at the wheel.

Davidson said: “After speaking to a few people in the paddock, when I’m asking, ‘What about Red Bull, how do they look?’, they would say, ‘Well, in the hands of Max Verstappen, very good.’

When colleague David Croft suggested that might be ‘unfair’ to Hadjar, Davidson replied: “They’re only looking at data.”