Ex-Mercedes CEO makes Max Verstappen ‘sh*tbox’ claim in equal F1 car debate
Max Verstappen has been backed for success regardless of what he is driving.
Ex-Mercedes CEO Nick Fry believes Max Verstappen would still win in a “sh*tbox” as the drivers in equal machinery debate rages on.
It is not just Nico Rosberg who brings up equal machinery, with plenty of pundits and former drivers often debating who would be best were all the cars identical.
But while that is never likely to happen, Fry believes that even if it did, the outcome would still be the same.
Former Mercedes chief backs Max Verstappen in equal machinery debate
Having been part of the Brawn team, Fry stayed on at Mercedes until 2013 and although he never experienced Verstappen on the grid in that time, he has seen enough of the Dutchman to make a prediction.
“Johnny Herbert’s idea of having a one-off race where everybody drives the same car would be a good one if it was practical!” Fry told OLBG.
“Those kinds of ideas have been toyed with in the past, but the issues lie in the sponsorships, which are so closely tied to drivers and cars. That’s where it gets difficult.
“Unfortunately, I would have to say that Verstappen is showing that he is the best driver at the moment, and I don’t think it would matter much. It could even play into his hands, because he’s shown he’s good enough to be very adaptable and would probably drive any of the cars better than his competitors.”
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Fry also remembered a quote he once heard and suggested that even if the Red Bull was a “sh*tbox” it would still be VER at the top of the leaderboard.
He added: “I heard someone say once ‘If you can drive, you can drive anything’. I don’t think it would matter if you put Max in a s***box or a Red Bull car, he’d probably still beat the rest of them. He’s very adaptable. I don’t think it would change much, sadly.
“If you started Max at the back of the grid, he’d still do better than most, but perhaps he wouldn’t win. A lot of it is due to the car. Red Bull has the best driver and the best car.”
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