Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Ari Luyendyk says that he would love to see fellow Dutchman and four-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen test his skills in the IndyCar Series.
Luyendyk, one of the most celebrated names in IndyCar racing, praised Verstappen’s composure, intelligence, and racecraft during an interview with The RACER Channel.
The 71-year-old, whose glittering career also includes sportscar wins at Sebring and Daytona alongside his two Indy 500 victories, believes Verstappen’s skill set would translate beautifully to oval racing – if only he were interested.
Luyendyk: “He’s got it in one nanosecond”
Luyendyk recounted watching Verstappen during a wet-weather race in Brazil and being struck by the contrast in radio communication between the Red Bull driver and his rivals.
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"I was watching the Brazilian race on Netflix, and there's the radio communication. And then you hear Lando [Norris] on the radio, and then you hear Max, and it's like you're listening to a 12-year-old Lando and you're listening to a 30-year-old veteran Max," Luyendyk said.
"So calm, so calculated. Like, 'Yeah, I can last another five minutes in this weather,' you know, and Lando was saying, 'Oh, we're all going to die,' or something like that."
For Luyendyk, Verstappen’s ability to remain composed under pressure and process information at lightning speed is what sets him apart.
"He can do so much at the same time. He's a multitask kind of guy. And I think it stems from all the racing he did as a kid in go-karting.
"But then the sim racing, that helps him a lot too in that – like he was following Lando somewhere, and he said he didn't slow down enough when there was a yellow out, and Lando got a penalty for that.
"He just sees it – the whole picture – he's got it in one nanosecond."
Luyendyk summed up his admiration: “Yeah, he’s an amazing talent. And on top of that, he’s a nice guy. To me, he is.”
Discussing Verstappen’s broad passion for motorsport, Luyendyk speculated that his countryman likely follows NASCAR and IndyCar as a fan – and went a step further.
"I would love to see him in an IndyCar," he said.
Such a move would create headlines across the motorsport world and add intrigue to Verstappen’s already legendary career. However, the man himself has no such plans.
Verstappen: “It’s just not worth it anymore”
Despite Luyendyk’s enthusiasm, Verstappen has made it clear that IndyCar – and in particular, oval racing – is not part of his future.
"I have no ambition to chase the Triple Crown, at least not in IndyCar," Verstappen once made clear to reporters.
"It's actually crazy what those drivers do. I have a lot of respect for what they do, but especially now that I've been in F1 for a long time, I don't need to risk my life or get injured, for example, with my legs. It's just not worth it anymore, let's put it that way."
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While the 26-year-old has expressed interest in other forms of motorsport – especially endurance racing – he has ruled out any pursuit of the Triple Crown, which would require a victory at the Indianapolis 500.
"Maybe I can do Le Mans. I love endurance races, so hopefully I can do a few,” he added. “But other than that, I'm not really focused on it. I just try to be as good as I can in F1 and in everything I do, but I'm not interested in the Triple Crown."
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