Derek Daly: Max has a unique ability

      Derek Daly competed in Formula 1 in the late 1970s and early 1980s for teams such as Ensign, Tyrrell, March, Theodore Racing and Williams, but he still keeps a close eye on what is happening in the World Championship.

      The 72-year-old Irishman believes nature has endowed Max with a unique gift, and it has been a long time since there were talents like his in Formula 1. It is enough to recall that over the last ten rounds of last season the Dutch Red Bull Racing driver regularly finished on the podium, winning six times, which allowed him to make up 104 points and finish the championship second in the drivers' standings.

      Many, Daly included, consider him the true hero of 2025.

      “Max has a unique ability to calculate what is happening around his car, and he does it much better than any other driver in the championship,” the Irish veteran told RacingNews365. “He can instantly think through what is happening on track and make decisions, including at the start and into the first corner. That’s why he is better than others at ending up in a favorable position, which allows him to succeed.

      He handles the car at the limit with ease, and his second ability is that when the starting lights go out he manages to remain emotionally neutral. In other words, having taken a favorable position into Turn 1, he begins to control the race.

      He operates better than any other driver I’ve seen over several decades. As long as he performs at this level, he’s very difficult to beat — especially if Red Bull can once again give him a good car.

      The 2025 season was one of the most interesting in Formula 1 history, and everything points to next season being even more exciting thanks to the switch to the new technical regulations.”