Lammers full of praise for champion Verstappen: 'THIS is what exceptional drivers do'

In his long motorsport career, Jan Lammers has seen many drivers come and go; some better than others. Max Verstappen belongs to the 'exceptional' category. The former F1 driver from Zandvoort is - not for the first time - extremely praising his compatriot after the third title.

Naturally, Jan Lammers was glued to the tube on Saturday night. Although the Dutch GP's sporting director did not see Verstappen win the sprint race (that honour went to Oscar Piastri), he undoubtedly saw how the Red Bull driver cleverly worked his way back to the front after a difficult start. It is a trait of a true champion.

Lammers no longer surprised by Verstappen

Asked by GPblog whether Lammers is surprised by the way Verstappen was heading towards his third world title, he says: "Even before Max came into Formula 1 , you could see how good he was. Then things like this don't surprise me. THIS is what an exceptionally good driver does. He doesn't know the word 'give up'. He is just always there, Singapore perhaps aside. Every training session he delivers maximum output. That is the most impressive thing. It's not just the peak performance he manages to put down, it's also the breadth of performance."

Verstappen himself commented after the sprint race that the third world title was probably his best. To Lammers the same question: "I always say comparison is the end of entertainment. You shouldn't. His very first GP victory was very special. And then the last one, plus everything in between. All the races were very special."

'Verstappen lives in the moment'

According to Lammers, Verstappen is actually not someone who likes looking back either. "Max is someone who lives in the moment. He doesn't look at turn three when he's busy with turn two, and he doesn't have turn one in his head either. You have to live in the moment in this business. Of course it's great to look back from time to time, because by golly, it's gradually becoming quite a list. But again, you don't define that list by looking back with nostalgia. I don't think Max looks back either. The next race is always the best," Lammers said.