Max Verstappen is ruthless in wheel-to-wheel combat and has won four world championships partly due to being so decisive.
The Red Bull driver was particularly brutal as he battled for his first world championship in 2021 against Lewis Hamilton, taking the title in controversial circumstances.
Verstappen snatched the lead from Hamilton at Turn 1 at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix and in Spain, in late-braking moves.
He had the confidence to race against Hamilton despite the seven-time world champion having significantly more experience under his belt.
This created an aura around the Dutchman that made him very difficult to overtake in combat as he pushed the guidelines to the limits.
Despite being ruthless, Justin Bell explained there is one driver that Verstappen did give a little bit of space to in wheel-to-wheel combat, which is a rarity.
Kevin Magnussen ‘doesn’t give a damn who you are’ in Formula 1
Kevin Magnussen is leaving Formula 1 after his third stint in the world championship when Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon joined Haas for 2025.
The Danish driver was brutal on the track right from the outset of his career when he took a podium on his debut for McLaren at the Australian Grand Prix in 2014.
READ MORE: George Russell told he should have copied Kevin Magnussen in approach to Max Verstappen feud
Magnussen’s decisiveness on the track allowed him to compete effectively in the ultra-competitive midfield across his career.
Bell explained on the Drive to Wynn YouTube channel that it doesn’t make a difference to Magnussen what position he’s in when it comes to combat.
He said: “I have enjoyed his Formula 1 career so much. I don’t know if I’d ever wanted to have raced against him because he is so tough.
“He’s one of the few drivers that Max will give space to when he goes to overtake because Kevin doesn’t give a damn who you are, where you are, and what position you’re in. He will race you to every moment of the corner. He’ll race you to the apex like no one else. And now he’s a BMW factory driver.”
It is very difficult to race Verstappen, and McLaren team principal Zak Brown urged his drivers to battle Verstappen aggressively.
There are very few characters like Kevin Magnussen on the grid
During his time in Formula 1, Magnussen was one of the few drivers that was aggressive despite battling further down the field for much of his career.
Verstappen is similarly uncompromising in wheel-to-wheel combat, but Nico Rosberg feels there should be a rule change about combat around tightening up those guidelines.
Magnussen did have his altercations with other drivers, such as Nico Hulkenberg, at the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2017 before they eventually became teammates at Haas.
The Danish driver is now moving to endurance racing and the World Endurance Championship with BMW as a factory driver.
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