Verstappen is 'an exceptional human' says Coulthard

David Coulthard has a lot of respect for the way Max Verstappen beat Lewis Hamilton last season. While the Brit has dominated Formula 1 for years, Verstappen managed to break through and disrupt the Mercedes dominance. According to Coulthard, 2021 showed how good Verstappen is.

The Dutchman has been in a Red Bull Racing car since the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix. Verstappen was keen to compete for the world title straight away, but for seasons the Austrian racing stable failed to put a car on the track that could compete with Mercedes. That changed this season, as the first race in Bahrain made it clear that Verstappen would have a chance.

Coulthard has respect for Verstappen

Although Coulthard said Verstappen had an inferior car to Hamilton in the second half of the season, the Dutch driver still managed to stay competitive with Hamilton. It made for an exciting final race in Abu Dhabi, with both men on an equal number of points. On the final lap, Verstappen managed to overtake the Mercedes driver, securing his first world title.

"He’s an exceptional human, an exceptional athlete. He’s brilliant and divisive," Coulthard talked about Verstappen with admiration in conversation with Channel 4. "Against the might of Mercedes and Lewis, Max has had to arguably come with a different approach. His approach is: whenever there is a door partially open, he'll go for it."