Max Verstappen is heralded as one of the best, if not the best racing driver on the planet currently, after his run of three consecutive Formula 1 titles.
It’s fairly certain that the streak will extend to four in a matter of weeks, and the Dutchman is driving at a higher level than any of his rivals currently.
He has been in the sport for 10 full-time seasons now but has shown some interest in other categories during that period – particularly with his iRacing exploits.
One series that he has shown very little interest towards is Formula E – the electric counterpart to Formula 1 which is about to head into its 11th season.
Phil Charles picks Daniil Kvyat over Max Verstappen
Verstappen is confident in his abilities, and he believes he can turn up and be on pace immediately with any car that he drives.
Deputy team boss of Formula E’s DS Penske team, Phil Charles, who has worked in Formula 1 before, prefers to work with another high-calibre driver.
“Clearly, Max is an incredible talent, he’s an easy driver to say, Fernando is another easy driver to say, but I’ll say Daniil Kvyat,” he told SoyMotor.
“Why? Because he was a great talent, who didn’t perform as well as he could have in Formula 1, but he liked a car that moved a lot under braking.
“We went to Sochi one year and the asphalt was very new, all the cars were moving and he flew. These Formula E cars move a lot under braking and you have to put the car into the corner and play with it. He would be very good at that.”
Kvyat and Verstappen’s ironic history
Although the two have gone on to enjoy careers on different ends of the Formula 1 spectrum, the two have gone in very different directions since being at the centre of attention in 2016.
Verstappen famously replaced Kvyat at Red Bull after the Russian ran into Sebastian Vettel twice in two corners at his home race.
The Dutchman went on to win the following race in Spain, while Kvyat raced with Toro Rosso, then AlphaTauri for a few seasons before falling off the grid completely.
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Kvyat now competes in WEC with Lamborghini but has even competed in NASCAR since leaving the Formula 1 paddock.
We aren’t likely to find out who is quicker in a Formula E car, but it would be nice to see Kvyat return to single-seater racing one day, given the talent he showed in glimpses between 2014 and 2016.