Toto Wolff names the driver ‘karting people’ call the ‘greatest of all time’

Follow us on Google Discover

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has named the driver whom ‘karting people’ regard as the ‘greatest of all time’. 

Over the years, Formula 1 fans have been engaging in a debate about which driver is the greatest in the sport’s rich history.

Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher are often the popular choices, having won seven world titles each.

Meanwhile, the likes of Ayrton Senna, Fernando Alonso, Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel are also firmly in the conversation.

Toto Wolff names the driver ‘karting people’ call the ‘greatest of all time’

Although Wolff picked Hamilton as his F1 GOAT, the Mercedes team boss has revealed that ‘karting people’ would name Verstappen as the ‘greatest of all time’. 

Speaking to Sky Sports reporter Rachel Brookes in her new book, ‘F1 Racing Drive’, Wolff claimed that Verstappen has something that is ‘not easy to replicate’, which makes him stand out from a lot of ‘very solid’ drivers. 

Brookes wrote: “Toto Wolff said: ‘Max is a case of where nature meets nurture, and that’s not easy to replicate. He has the genes of two racing parents.

“‘His mother is one of the very few who raced competitively at a very high level, and his father, too, obviously.

“‘But then he was nurtured through the years in just the right way. You talk to karting people today, and they say he was the greatest of all time.

“‘Some who make it to Formula 1 are very solid, there are some who had a great nature but never nurtured themselves, and they could have been multiple world champions. But only managed it once. Nature and nurture.’”

Ralf Schumacher has had enough of Max Verstappen’s complaints… Have you?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Brookes added: “Former F1 driver and Red Bull ambassador David Coulthard concurs: “It’s all credit to his mother and father for how they raised him. 

“‘They have created an exceptional Formula 1 world champion, who, if he gets the car, will continue to win world titles.”

READ MORE: Kimi Raikkonen recalls the exact moment he realised Max Verstappen was a ‘star’

Verstappen, 28, is for sure one of the best drivers in the sport’s history, having already won four world titles and broken countless records.

However, as things stand, the Dutchman’s future in F1 remains uncertain due to the sport’s brand new regulations, which have been labelled as ‘anti-driving’ by Verstappen.

After finishing third at last weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, Verstappen said the rules are not ‘mentally doable’ for him. 

He said: “If it stays like this, it’s going to be a long year next year that I don’t want. It’s just mentally not doable for me to stay like this. It’s really not. There’s a lot of other fun things out there.”