Red Bull ace Max Verstappen has been familiar with winning the fastest lap in recent times. The credit goes to the fastest car on the grid. Red Bull has been brilliant in providing the drivers with the RB19 car. Its unique feature is the design, thanks to Adrian Newey, that helps the drivers gain immense speed whenever they want.
That’s what the Dutchman has been using to his own advantage so brilliantly. Moreover, Max Verstappen has won multiple fastest-lap points this season. However, he could not get that in the Italian Grand Prix. The current double-time champion came pretty close but could not get it because his team asked him to slow down.
Why Max Verstappen Couldn’t Win The Fastest Lap In The Italian GP?
According to the Milton Keynes team, they had major concerns over the rising temperature, which led them to ask Max to slow down. Verstappen was enjoying a healthy lead as the drivers reached the fag end of the race on Sunday. He battled Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz for a long time. Eventually, he got the lead over Sainz Jr. Suddenly, the Red Bull team told Max Verstappen over the radio to back off and not close in on a gaggle of backmarkers just a few laps before the chequered flag. They did not specify the reason to Max, but he had to slow down. He could not get ahead of Pierre Gasly. Later, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko clarified what happened.
Marko said they needed to keep some of the temperature within the window. Anyway, Max Verstappen was 12 seconds faster, and hence, there was no point in taking any risks. Moreover, the Dutchman had to manage some temperature issues, and the team just did not want the reigning champion to take any risk. But Marko feels there is a positive side to it as Max’s idea of the fastest lap could not come up. Red Bull team took the last few laps easier because it was a stinking hot day, and they did not want to run in dirty air.
Can Red Bull Win All The Remaining Races This Season And Stay Unbeaten?
The unique RB19 car with engines from Honda has been unbeaten so far this season. They have won all 14 races up till the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. The Red Bull’s winning streak stretches back to the last race of the previous season. Hence, the Austrian team has won 15 races at a stretch. It has been a unique kind of dominance that Red Bull has enjoyed since last season. They won 17 races last year. Moreover, they want to win even more this year.
Perhaps all of the 22 Grands Prix of the current season. No team has ever won all races in a season. However, Red Bull has a good chance to achieve that feat. Moreover, Max Verstappen has been unstoppable. He won 15 races last year. In 2023, Verstappen has already won 12 Grands Prix. He is on his way to break his own record. On the other hand, Max Verstappen has broken Sebastian Vettel’s record for most consecutive race wins. The Italian GP victory was Max’s 10th win in a row this season.
