F1 vs NASCAR: Is Kyle Larson a better all-around racer than Max Verstappen?

What racing driver is the greatest of all time? Who’s the greatest of our generation? If you’re a Formula 1 fan, you might just say it’s Max Verstappen — but NASCAR driver Kyle Larson has made the argument that he’s a better all-around racer than the three-time World Drivers’ Champion.

Larson didn’t stutter in offering his perspective on the question after taking home yet another win at the Knoxville Nationals. Is he better than Verstappen? For Larson, it’s an easy answer: Yes.

Kyle Larson: “I am better than [Verstappen]”

Speaking to media after cruising to a third Knoxville Nationals title in four years, Kyle Larson was asked if he feels like he’d need to beat Max Verstappen in a race in order to crown himself the best driver in the world.

“Not really,” Larson answered, as reported in FloRacing . “I know in my mind I am better than him as an all-around driver.”

European motorsport fans are likely bristling at those words, and they may have already tuned out what Larson would say next — but the American stock car driver offered some insight into what makes him so confident.

“There’s no way [Verstappen] can get into a Sprint Car and win the Knoxville Nationals. There’s no way he can go win the Chili Bowl. There’s no way he can go win a Cup race at Bristol,” Larson said.

“There’s probably no way I can go win a Formula 1 race at Monaco, but I think I’d have a better shot at him just because of the car element.

“That’s what gives me ease and confidence that, like, I know I’m better than him. Maybe not in an open-wheel IndyCar or Formula 1 car, but that’s one discipline.

“I think I would beat him in everything else.

“You can quote that.”

What NASCAR and F1 can learn from each other:

👉 F1 v NASCAR: How US racing is finally discovering the magic of rain

👉 F1 v NASCAR: Top speeds, engines, formats, calendars and safety measures all compared

It’s a bold statement, but Larson does have a point. Larson is a NASCAR Cup Series champion. He’s won seven NASCAR road course races in 24 starts. He’s won the 24 Hours of Daytona driving for Chip Ganassi Racing. He took home Rookie of the Year honors at the 2024 Indianapolis 500.

But he’s also an ace in the dirt track racing scene, taking wins at the Knoxville Nationals, the Chili Bowl Nationals, and the Kings Royal.

Does that make Kyle Larson the best driver ever? Maybe not. But it does give him a greater shot at the title of best all-around racing driver than Max Verstappen.

Yes, Verstappen is a phenom in the Formula 1 world, and he has many iRacing successes under his belt, but his racing career hasn’t been packed with the same kind of diversity or versatility as Larson’s. However, that’s also largely the fault of restrictive F1 contracts that prevent drivers from jetting off around the world to take part in tons of other disciplines.

Does that make one driver better than the other? Kyle Larson seems to think so — but it would perhaps be more accurate to say both Larson and Verstappen are masters of their respective domains.

Read next: How to follow an oval race: An IndyCar and NASCAR guide for F1 fans