The Kyle Larson vs Max Verstappen debate has fired up both sides of the motorsport community, either side of the Atlantic Ocean this year.
Both are champions in their respective disciplines, but only one of them has achieved that feat multiple times – and consecutively too.
Verstappen is in the middle of an intense title fight with Lando Norris, which will probably go down to the wire in Abu Dhabi.
Larson on the other hand, dropped from first to fourth in the NASCAR Cup Series standings last weekend after suffering a puncture at Kansas.
Tom Coronel calls Kyle Larson ‘slower than Zhou’ in F1 debate
It’s impossible to decipher who is better between the drivers without having them both in a neutral environment in equal machinery.
That’s unlikely to ever happen, so fans will probably continue to butt heads about who they think is better between the two.
However, speaking to RacingNews365, Tom Coronel believes that Larson isn’t better than any of the 20 drivers on the Formula 1 grid currently.
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“Yes I think so [Larson wouldn’t beat any F1 driver]. That just has to do with the whole upbringing. American racing is very different from Formula 1.
“Formula 1 so sharp. Zhou maybe [he beats], but that is not just something [guaranteed], they are in a less good car that drives at the back, but he does have good experience.
“No, I dare say he doesn’t take one [beat any driver]. He is even slower than Zhou.”
Who is more likely to win a championship in 2024?
As it stands, both Larson and Verstappen are probably considered slim favourites to win their respective championships.
Both have the most victories in each of their series this year and should be in the frame to win at each of the last six rounds (yes both series have six races left).
The problem for the Dutchman is that he faces an uphill battle against the fastest car, who has relentlessly been chasing down for months.
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Larson is on more of a level playing field, but one retirement could see him fall out of the playoffs and out of contention for the NASCAR crown straight away.
It’s probably fair to say that it depends on which version of both drivers turns up over the rest of the year to decide if either of them lifts any silverware this year.