Verstappen the best driver this year, analyst says as he snubs McLaren duo

16:09, 12 Aug

Updated: 20:38, 12 Aug

byEstéban den Toom

With Formula 1’s summer break now underway, it’s the perfect moment to reflect on the first half of the season. For analyst Olav Mol, one driver has stood head and shoulders above the rest: Max Verstappen.

According to the 63-year-old, Verstappen has been the standout performer on the entire grid so far — a choice he describes to Ziggo Sport as a “no-brainer.”

"By far, really by far,” Mol said. “With what he has, and with what he does, I still find — if you are purely talking about, and that is a nice English word, 'raw speed'. That simply means: what equipment am I given, and what can I do with it? In that regard, he can do things that others can't. In my opinion, that makes him simply the best driver."

Verstappen's 2025 Formula 1 season

Max Verstappen currently sits third in the world championship standings this season. The Dutchman is effectively ‘best of the rest,’ with the McLaren proving unbeatable at the moment.

Championship leader Oscar Piastri and teammate Lando Norris are considerably ahead the points battle, leaving Verstappen’s hopes of adding a fifth consecutive Formula 1 title looking increasingly unlikely.

Speaking after the Hungarian Grand Prix, Mol reflected on Verstappen’s performance and expressed hope that the race at the Hungaroring marked the absolute low point of Red Bull’s season.

"You hope that this is really the low point,” Mol said. “And then you hear Helmut Marko, who then says: 'We have an idea what it is', but what else should Helmut Marko say. If he shouts: 'We still don't know', then you gain nothing.”