With 21 race wins off the 22-week calendar, Red Bull Racing established a never-before-seen dominance in F1 last year. Out of these 21 wins, 19 were claimed by Dutch driver and reigning F1 world champion Max Verstappen. He consistently outperformed his teammate Sergio Perez throughout the year.
Not only that, Max Verstappen drove around in a different league, finishing 20-25 seconds ahead of his rivals. However, despite his three back-to-back title wins and record race wins last year, former F1 champion Alain Prost diminished his achievements, citing a lack of competition on the grid.
Why Alain Prost Diminished Max Verstappen’s Championship Value?
For the longest time, every generation of F1 has witnessed an era of dominance. From Ayrton Senna to Michael Schumacher to Lewis Hamilton and now Max Verstappen, these drivers have dominated the sport with a record number of wins in the past. However, what makes Verstappen special is his machinery. Red Bull’s 2023 season challenger, RB19, was 25-30 seconds quicker than its peers on track. That diminished any room for competitors to even think of fighting with Max. However, for that very reason, former F1 champion Alain Prost devalued Max’s achievement. While talking to Sports Illustrated, Prost admitted that the reigning world champion is undoubtedly the best driver on the grid. However, despite numerous achievements, the general perception disregards his skills due to Red Bull’s machinery.
The lack of competition on the grid undoubtedly devalues Max Verstappen’s achievements, feels Prost. “If you look at the perception that people can have – he’s winning because of this car, which is a shame,” said Prost. He further explained that Schumacher, Senna, and Hamilton were referred to as the GOATs because they fought tooth and nail on the track to achieve race wins. But perhaps Max Verstappen had it easy not only because Red Bull managed to build robust machinery but also because Ferrari and Mercedes witnessed a drop in competitiveness. Prost also suggests that Ferrari and Mercedes should organize their number one driver in order to stage a better fight with the invincible Verstappen in the future. That being said, it’s nearly impossible for either Ferrari or Mercedes to catch up to Red Bull until the 2026 engine regulation changes come into effect, to say the least.
F1 Presenter Left Broken By Max Verstappen-Sergio Perez’s 1-2 Finish In Japan!
It was a field day for Red Bull in Japan as both drivers, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, finished on the podium. While Verstappen clocked his third win of the year, Checo saw the checkered flag behind his teammate. However, F1 presenter Martin Brundle wasn’t pleased with the results and revealed how it broke his heart.
“It broke my heart a little bit really, because I thought it might be a bit closer at the front,” said Brundle. Red Bull, who arrived with their first upgrade package of the year in Japan, won the race comfortably whilst maintaining a sizeable gap to its rivals and extending their lead in the constructors championship.
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