Opinions aren't facts, but Jenson Button is convinced that Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen is simply the fastest driver ever to race in Formula 1!
Verstappen shattered the record for the youngest driver on the grid when he made his F1 debut with Toro Rosso at just 17.
At 18 years and 227 days, the Dutchman then became Grand Prix racing's youngest victor when he conquered his maiden win in Barcelona in 2016 in his first race with Red Bull.
Former Ferrari driver Eddie Irvine recently said that, in his view, Scuderia charger Charles Leclerc is so much better than Verstappen, but in Button's book, Max has the edge over everyone who has ever raced at the pinnacle of motorsport in terms of pure speed.
"I think he is the fastest driver that has ever driven an F1 car. I really do," Button told talkSPORT radio. "I think he is unbelievably fast."
The 2009 world champion, who was on air on Thursday to promote his new book 'How to be an F1 driver', is convinced Verstappen is a unique talent.
"Previously to this year he has made some mistakes as you would expect from a young driver, but now he's doing such a fantastic job. I really do think he is something special."
©RedBull
Verstappen's track record of 7 Grand Prix wins is still in its infancy compared Lewis Hamilton's 82 wins and five world titles.
For that reason alone, most pundits put the Briton near the top of F1's historic pyramid where he sits second only to Michael Schumacher in terms of outright victories in the sport.
Button ranked his former McLaren teammate among the best of his generation but also underscored the fantastic dominance of Mercedes in F1
"He’s very good," said Button. "We were team-mates for three years so I could see first hand how good he is. His natural ability is fantastic.
"He’s been in a team that has dominated Formula 1.
"I have loved watching F1 this year because Ferrari and Red Bull have had chances to win races and it’s been awesome to watch, but over a season the Mercedes team has been so dominant.
"He’s done a fantastic job as a driver, he’s done what’s been asked of him, but you can’t compare him to drivers of a different era. It was a different sport, even, back then."
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