{"id":61603,"date":"2025-08-12T04:00:10","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T04:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/61603\/"},"modified":"2025-08-12T04:00:10","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T04:00:10","slug":"if-i-had-an-f1-team-and-could-hire-anyone-id-hire-verstappen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/61603\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018If I had an F1 team and could hire anyone, I\u2019d hire Verstappen\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Reigning four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen<\/a> might just be the most highly-rated current driver \u2013 and Emerson Fittipaldi clearly won\u2019t disagree.<\/p>\n

Double world champion Fittipaldi was asked by Motorsport.com Autosport about the Red Bull driver\u2019s current performance in an exclusive interview, and the Brazilian readily singled him out as the best driver on the grid in his opinion.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I had a Formula 1 team and if I had the option to hire anybody, then I would hire Max,\u201d Fittipaldi said. \u201cMax would be my first guy to hire.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Max is on a different level as a racing driver. Even when the car is not good, he just carries the car on his back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Verstappen\u2019s title-winning streak is set to end in 2025, but he\u2019s still having a remarkably impressive campaign, sitting third in the championship and having scored 187 of Red Bull\u2019s 194 points alongside successive team-mates Liam Lawson<\/a> and Yuki Tsunoda<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Fittipaldi has also expressed its appreciation for Brazilian rookie Gabriel Bortoleto<\/a>, with the South American country one of the most successful in F1 history but Bortoleto its first full-time driver since Felipe Massa<\/a>\u2019s retirement at the end of the 2017 season.<\/p>\n

\"Gabriel <\/p>\n

Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber<\/p>\n

Photo by: Guido De Bortoli \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Lately, Sauber<\/a> driver Bortoleto has been a match for veteran team-mate Nico Hulkenberg<\/a>, whom he has outqualified 5-0 in the latest five qualifying sessions<\/a> (sprint included). After a point-less first 10 grands prix, Bortoleto scored points in the last four rounds, with sixth position in Hungary his best result so far.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think everybody is surprised, to be honest,\u201d Fittipaldi said. \u201cYou know, the last race was amazing, if you see where he was running with that Sauber. I think he did a fantastic performance, in both qualifying and the race. It\u2019s very impressive to see.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know him since he started racing in karting. He has always been a very good driver, but I think in Formula 1, he’s at the next level now.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd also, we shouldn’t forget Nico Hulkenberg. He is very quick; I think it helps Gabriel a lot to have a good reference.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read Also:<\/p>\n

In this article<\/p>\n

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