Verstappen has consistently been the best driver, says Former F1 driver Karun Chandhok

Former Indian F1 driver and TV pundit Karun Chandhok praised the reigning champion’s consistency as he inches close to a fourth consecutive title.

FILE PHOTO: Karun Chandhok (IND) and Max Verstappen (NED) Red Bull Racing at Formula One World Championship, Rd16, Malaysian Grand Prix, Preparations, Sepang, Malaysia, Thursday 29 September 2016. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The final sprint of the three races to close out the 2024 Formula One season gets underway this weekend in Las Vegas, with the drivers’ and constructors’ titles still in play.

Max Verstappen leads the driver’s championship, and former Indian F1 driver and TV pundit Karun Chandhok praised the reigning champion’s consistency as he inches close to a fourth consecutive title.

The Dutchman leads McLaren’s Lando Norris by 62 points and will feel he has one hand on the crown with just 86 points left to play.

“I think, ultimately, Max has stood head and shoulders above everybody else.

And he’s, you know, if you look at consistency across, we’ve had 21 weekends so far, he’s been consistently the best driver, and that’s why he’s leading the championship,” said Chandhok to Sportstar recently.

The former Indian racer added that Verstappen has made a difference in his fight against Norris and pointed out the gulf between the three-time champion and his teammate Sergio Perez.

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“If you look at where Perez is in the championship, he’s so far behind. 393 versus 151 as we sit here today. That’s a huge gap. And so, yeah, I think there’s no doubt about it. You know, Red Bull have really depended on Max’s talent and ability to get them over the line this year.”

Chandhok also termed Red Bull’s slump after winning seven of the first 10 races as a key for the championship becoming interesting. “It’s surprising, really, you know, how much they have struggled. We had races in the middle of the year where Max was struggling to qualify in the top four. McLaren, we knew, was strong last year and coming on stronger. So yeah, what’s been more surprising is how much Red Bull has dropped away.”

While it is a matter of if not when Verstappen will seal the title, the constructors’ battle is set to go down to the wire. McLaren (593) leads Ferrari (557), and Red Bull (544) is not far off. Ferrari has had a strong last few races, reducing the deficit, but Chandhok backed McLaren to prevail.

“I think McLaren will get it over the line. They have a 36-point buffer, but all it takes is one bad weekend. If they have a weekend where both cars have a non-finish, or something happens and a race like Vegas, especially, you know, street track, night race, cold temperatures, something weird can happen. It can turn very quickly. I think it’s between McLaren and Ferrari. I think Red Bull are a little bit too far away,” Chandhok said.

FanCode is the official broadcaster for F1 in India.