Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Arie Luyendyk has high praise for Max Verstappen. In a conversation with Paul Tracy for The RACER, he refers to his compatriot as a complete driver. The former IndyCar driver also couldn’t resist taking a swipe at Lando Norris, who he believes comes across as ‘juvenile’ on the team radio.
Luyendyk reviewed the 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix, paying particular attention to the communication between drivers and their teams. “You hear Lando on the radio, and then you hear Max. It’s like listening to a twelve-year-old Lando and a thirty-year-old veteran Max,” he said. The IndyCar legend chuckled at Norris’s panicked tone when the rain started pouring at Interlagos. “Lando was shouting something like, ‘We’re all going to die!’ while Max calmly said, ‘I can handle these conditions for another five minutes.’ So calm, so calculated.”
According to Luyendyk, Verstappen’s maturity is partly due to his extensive experience in karting and sim racing. “He processes information at lightning speed. He’s a real multitasker. He learned that as a child, and he still trains with sim racing.” He recalled a moment from the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix, where Verstappen immediately noticed that Norris didn’t slow down enough for a yellow flag. “Lando got a penalty, and Max had already seen it. He sees the whole picture in a nanosecond.”
Although Verstappen dismisses any notion of switching to IndyCar, Luyendyk secretly hopes for an American adventure: “I would love to see him drive an IndyCar.”
