Andretti praises Verstappen: 'we're witnessing a piece of history here'

Mario Andretti (83) belongs to an exclusive club of champions in Formula 1. The American was the best in 1978. 45 years later, he saw Max Verstappen win the most coveted title in motorsport for the third time. In an exclusive interview with GPblog, Andretti - who also made a big name for himself in IndyCar, the World Sportscars Championship and NASCAR - speaks full of admiration for the Dutchman.

Immediately a smile appears on his face. Of course, Andretti has seen how dominant Verstappen is this season with Red Bull Racing. What especially resonates? "How fantastic he has been all the way," Andretti told GPblog. "Totally a mistake-free season for him, taking advantage of every opportunity. Taking every ounce out of the car and just being in control. I just love his attitude. He's very confident in himself and the team, and all of that is producing these fantastic results."

"So we're witnessing another piece of history here in Formula 1 to see this dominance. You can personally only appreciate it, quite honestly. Then you look forward to seeing who's going to be annoying him? Now we see the McLarens, both drivers, and Ferrari taking advantage of some moments of weakness as we've seen in Singapore. But nevertheless, the interest is there every weekend. Personally, I can't hardly wait for the next race."

'Young drivers are all looking up to Max'

Andretti himself is a living legend. Only Phil Hill, another American, also managed to become champion in Formula 1, but Andretti won more Grands Prix (12). When asked what specific quality of Verstappen he would have liked to have as a racer himself, Andretti said: "I would like to be like him. Whenever you're in this business, like throughout my career, there's always somebody better than you. And you can always learn from someone like that. Then you dream, ‘I want to be like that’. That's what makes you better."

"I think that's what's happening with the young drivers that are coming on, they're all looking up to him. Every decade, there's somebody that's really special. He is that guy. He has everything going for him. The team is really functioning. Again, I can only admire him. He's just not making any mistakes. That's all there is to it," Andretti says.

Verstappen the best ever?

Basically, Verstappen still has a long career ahead of him and yet the Dutchman already has three world titles under his belt. In fact, if the Red Bull driver wins the US Grand Prix in Austin next weekend, it will be his 50th Grand Prix victory. It is already being said by some that Verstappen is the greatest driver of all time, or otherwise is going to be the GOAT.

"Time will tell," Andretti responds. "Let's not jump too far ahead. So far, he has obviously already set some records. And give him a chance. He's only 26 years old. There's a lot of life ahead of him. But in a relatively short period of time, what he has accomplished already, three consecutive world championships, that's to be admired. I'm sure that he feels confident. Whenever you're in that position, you have everything on your side, so you're happy with what you're doing, so you keep doing it. Why not? You don't have to be motivated, is what I'm saying."