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Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso are two of the most gifted talents on the grid, and a former F1 driver believes one driver who usually finds himself in the midfield deserves to be in the same conversation as them.
Even if he didn’t manage to secure a fifth consecutive world title last year, Max Verstappen showed that he was still a cut above his F1 rivals by putting up a late charge for the championship after Red Bull gave him the tools to do so.
Verstappen’s genius setup call at Monza proved he was one of the smartest drivers on the grid after he assured Red Bull engineers that he could make the RB21 work despite asking them to fit a package that made the car more difficult to drive.
Fernando Alonso’s intelligence has also been hailed in the past. Legendary engineer Pat Symonds, who now works as a consultant for the new Cadillac F1 outfit, pinpointed how ‘remarkably intelligent’ the Spaniard was during his highly successful period in the mid-2010s.
Who would you say has the highest IQ on the F1 grid? 🧠
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Jan Lammers thinks Carlos Sainz is ‘intellectually gifted’ like Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso
During a recent interview with RacingNews365, former F1 driver Jan Lammers was asked who the new F1 regulations that have recently come into effect will benefit upon the beginning of the season.
Verstappen has been widely regarded as someone who will benefit the most, with Helmut Marko previously highlighting the Dutchman’s prowess in energy management as a key trait to have due to the 50/50 split in the new hybrid engines.
Lammers shares a similar opinion, highlighting Carlos Sainz as another driver who is as “intellectually” gifted as the four-time world champion.
He said, “Well, I think it’s definitely an advantage for people who were already intellectually gifted anyway. Of course, we’ve seen some very strong driving from Max.
“But also from drivers like Carlos Sainz. They are the good, intelligent drivers and, of course, the men with experience, such as Alonso and so on.
“I think they will be very strong. But I actually expect, and I must say that I am also very curious to see if that is the case.”
1996 world champion Damon Hill has praised Sainz’s intelligence in the past. Following the Spaniard’s win at the 2024 Australian GP, the Briton noted that Sainz is a valuable asset to any team because of the initiative he shows during the heat of battle.
- READ MORE: Carlos Sainz explains why he didn’t want F1’s regulations to change ahead of the 2026 season
What changes would you make to our F1 dream team?
Jan Lammers also believes Mercedes have the perfect driver dynamic for the upcoming season
With the new regulations understood to be more focused on the skill of the drivers at the wheel of them rather than the engineers who create the machines, Lammers believes that Mercedes have an optimal driver line-up to tackle them.
Continuing in his interview with the Dutch publication, Lammers said, “I’ve always said that in a team like the current one, you really need one experienced driver and one very young driver.
“Russell is quite experienced, of course, but still reasonably young. But yes, I just noticed that with those young riders, they just pick up new things and new techniques so incredibly quickly.
“Also, the interpretation of things, like learning to steer. For all those highly motivated drivers, you really only have to tell them once, and they all process it very quickly.
“They also come up with interesting ideas, so they can very quickly immerse themselves in that world of electrical engineering.”
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