Is Verstappen the Picasso of Formula 1? 'It's an art form'

Nico Hulkenberg is an admirer of Max Verstappen. The Sauber driver - soon to be Audi - also sees how Verstappen dispatches one teammate after another, with Liam Lawson being the latest 'victim' earlier this season.

Hulkenberg thinks he knows why all of the Dutchman's teammates have such a hard time.

"The cars are the same, but Max is exceptionally good. What he does is pure class, almost a form of art. People sometimes underestimate how good he is," believes Hulkenberg, who has managed to collect six points this season.

Those were bonus points for a team in construction, a totally different mindset than at Red Bull. There, the world championship is the only goal. If you fail to achieve that, there's trouble. "Red Bull is simply an environment where you must perform immediately. If that doesn't happen, it affects your self-confidence."

"Especially if your teammate is Max Verstappen. The culture there is very tough," concludes The Hulk in a conversation with Nu.nl.

Therefore, Hulkenberg primarily competes in the midfield, but even without the possibility to attain victories, F1 motivates him thoroughly. "I love the competition, the racing, working together with the team. I could have been sitting in an office. I have one of the most beautiful jobs. If that's not motivation enough, I don't know what is."