Who is the best car racer right now
Max Verstappen is the best car racer right now, based on sustained, era-defining dominance in Formula 1 from 2021 through 2024, unmatched speed and consistency, and the quality of competition he regularly defeats; that said, greatness is multidimensional, and stars in IndyCar, NASCAR, endurance racing, and Formula E also have compelling cases within their disciplines.
Contents
Why Max Verstappen leads the conversation
Verstappen’s case rests on both results and the manner in which he achieves them. He has rewritten modern F1 benchmarks with relentless pace, tire management, and error-free execution in changing conditions. Across 2021–2024, he collected consecutive world titles, shattered single-season win records in 2023, and clinched the 2024 crown with races to spare, all while facing elite rivals from Mercedes, Ferrari, and a resurgent McLaren.
Dominance across multiple seasons
In 2023, Verstappen won 19 of 22 Grands Prix—a modern record—amassing unprecedented points and a streak of consecutive victories never before seen in F1. In 2024, despite stronger pressure from McLaren and Ferrari at various venues, he still closed out the championship early. The sustained nature of that superiority—over regulation shifts, circuit types, and weather—sets him apart.
Execution under pressure
Verstappen’s strengths stack up across the board: qualifying precision, race pace, tire management, strategic awareness, and wet-weather mastery. He rarely makes unforced errors, converts pole positions at a high rate, and can win from non-ideal grid spots through incisive racecraft and under/overcut strategy windows. His ability to adapt to evolving car characteristics and track conditions is a decisive advantage.
Quality of opposition and machinery
Red Bull has given Verstappen front-running machinery, but he’s also beaten equally well-prepared teams and drivers with regularity. From Lewis Hamilton’s title-caliber challenges to the 2024 surge of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at McLaren and a sharper Ferrari, Verstappen has consistently found margins on Sundays that others could not.
The best of the rest across major series
“Best” can also be assessed within each top series, where different skill sets—oval discipline, energy management, endurance pacing, traffic management—define excellence. The drivers below are widely regarded as the standard-bearers in their championships and, by some criteria, could claim the mantle within their domains.
- Alex Palou (IndyCar): A two-time champion (2021, 2023) and the benchmark for consistency and adaptability on road, street, and oval circuits. He has been a persistent front-runner into 2024, pairing tire stewardship with strategic clarity that mirrors the best in global open-wheel racing.
- Kyle Larson (NASCAR Cup Series): The 2021 champion is a perennial title threat and arguably America’s most versatile active racer, winning across NASCAR, sprint cars, and late models. His car control and racecraft in traffic make him the reference on many oval and intermediate tracks.
- Nick Cassidy (Formula E): The 2024 Formula E world champion with Jaguar TCS Racing, Cassidy excels at energy management, qualifying acuity, and tight-pack racecraft—skills unique to FE’s street-circuit, spec-aero, energy-constrained format.
- Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, Nicklas Nielsen (WEC/Le Mans): The Ferrari AF Corse trio won the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans overall, showcasing the endurance racing hallmarks of traffic navigation, stint consistency, and night-and-weather adaptability in the hyper-competitive Hypercar era.
Taken together, these names underscore that “best” depends on context: IndyCar prizes versatility across track types, NASCAR rewards wheel-to-wheel craft in dense packs, Formula E emphasizes precision energy strategy, and endurance racing elevates reliability, teamwork, and pace over 24 hours.
How to judge “best” across series
Comparing drivers from different championships demands clear, consistent criteria. Below are the core factors most analysts weigh when ranking active racers across disciplines.
- Peak performance: Raw speed, qualifying dominance, and ability to extract maximum lap time.
- Sustained excellence: Titles, win rates, podium consistency, and points-per-event over multiple seasons.
- Quality of opposition: Depth and form of rivals and teams in a given era.
- Adaptability: Performance across track types, weather conditions, tire compounds, and changing regulations.
- Racecraft and decision-making: Overtaking, defensive driving, strategy calls, and error rate under pressure.
- Team impact: Development feedback, leadership, and how a driver elevates the overall program.
By these measures, Verstappen currently grades highest overall, with Palou, Larson, Cassidy, and leading WEC pilots setting the standard within their specific competitive contexts.
What could change the answer soon
Driver moves and team dynamics are in flux. Lewis Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari for 2025 could reshape the F1 pecking order, especially with Ferrari’s late-2024 momentum. McLaren’s rise with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri already pressured Red Bull in 2024, and Adrian Newey’s announced departure from Red Bull in 2025 adds intrigue to future car development paths. In IndyCar, the maturing hybrid package introduced in 2024 continues to evolve, while in NASCAR ongoing rules refinements can shuffle competitive edges. Any of these shifts could narrow—or redefine—the gap at the top.
Bottom line
Right now, Max Verstappen is the sport’s most complete and consistently dominant car racer, backed by results, execution under pressure, and sustained supremacy at motorsport’s most scrutinized level. Within their own arenas, Alex Palou, Kyle Larson, Nick Cassidy, and leading WEC champions are peerless, but the cross-disciplinary consensus still tilts toward Verstappen as the standard for peak performance today.
Summary
Max Verstappen stands as the current best car racer, anchored by consecutive F1 titles through 2024 and record-setting performance that spans conditions, circuits, and seasons. In other series, Alex Palou (IndyCar), Kyle Larson (NASCAR), Nick Cassidy (Formula E), and Ferrari’s 2024 Le Mans-winning trio exemplify elite excellence. Depending on criteria and future shifts—Hamilton’s Ferrari move, McLaren’s rise, Red Bull’s evolution—the debate could tighten, but for now Verstappen holds the top spot.
Who is the world’s best car racer?
The 10 best Formula 1 drivers ever: Hamilton, Schumacher & more
- Lewis Hamilton – 105 wins. First race: 2007 Australian Grand Prix.
- Michael Schumacher – 91 wins.
- Max Verstappen – 65 wins.
- Sebastian Vettel – 53 wins.
- Alain Prost – 51 wins.
- Ayrton Senna – 41 wins.
- Fernando Alonso – 32 wins.
- Nigel Mansell – 31 wins.
Who is the best racing driver in the world right now?
Verstappen is the best driver in the world’s top form of motorsport, which certainly says a lot. Even making it to F1 is the sign of an elite talent, and dominating there puts a driver into rare air.
Who is the #1 NASCAR driver?
Ross Lee Chastain (born December 4, 1992) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 1 Chevrolet ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing, part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No.
Who is the best racer in NASCAR right now?
DRIVER
| DRIVER | POINTS | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ryan Blaney #12 | 3084 |
| 2 | William Byron #24 | 3082 |
| 3 | Kyle Larson #5 | 3076 |
| 4 | Christopher Bell #20 | 3064 |
