The old Formula One horses, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, have performed well this season, but Red Bull star Max Verstappen has been unstoppable. On the other hand, his teammate Sergio Perez is struggling to keep up with the pace of Alonso as well as Hamilton. And fans are curious as to why one driver is able to achieve heights while the other is drowning even in the same car!
In the Brazilian Grand Prix, Checo had a thrilling fight against the Spaniard. However, Alonso ended up winning the race and on the podium. On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton has a good chance of beating Sergio Perez for a P2 finish this season. Now, the question can come up: what would happen if the old horses had the same car as Max Verstappen? The Brazilian driver, Felipe Massa, answers that question, saying that no matter what, Verstappen would beat the old horses anyway.
Felipe Massa Says Neither Hamilton Nor Alonso Could Beat Max Verstappen Even Driving The Same Car
Moreover, the prediction of the former F1 racer is mainly because of the incredible form Max Verstappen is in. According to FormulaPassion, Felipe Massa mentioned even if either Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso drives the Red Bull car, the result won’t be a lot different. It might change a little, but Max would win anyway. Nonetheless, the former Brazilian racer showed full support for Sergio Perez. Throughout the season, Checo had to worry because the media circulated the news regarding Red Bull looking for his replacement.
17 WINS IN A SINGLE SEASON!
— RBR News 🇳🇱🇲🇽 (@redbulletin) November 5, 2023
With two races to go, Max Verstappen now holds the record for highest win percentage in an F1 season (77%).
PURE DOMINANCE 🌟🌟🌟#F1 #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/L13Pdip2gB
In the meantime, Massa suggests the Red Bull team hold on to their winning formula and that Checo has been incredibly helpful for the Austrian team in their success journey. As per Helmut Marko and Christian Horner, Checo might drive for Red Bull next year as well. But the replacements are waiting in the sister team, Alpha Tauri. Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo are waiting to get their chance for the Red Bull seat. However, it won’t be the first time the Aussie was part of the Austrian team. Ricciardo and Red Bull have a long history, and most likely, he will replace Checo in 2025.
The Dichotomy Of The Red Bull Drivers
Moreover, the Dutchman had been through the most dominating run since last season for an F1 driver in history. Last season, the Red Bull star won 15 races, breaking the old record of Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher of 13 wins in a season. On the other hand, this season, Verstappen went on to taste a further success. He won 17 races so far, with two races remaining in 2023. Hence, the Dutchman can finish with 19 wins this season. That will be a record very hard to beat for any driver, even in the future.
Clearly, Red Bull has provided Max with the fastest car on the grid at present, and the Dutchman is making full use of it. But the dynamic between Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen has clearly proved that only having the fastest car is not enough. The Mexican driver has been a disappointment this season for Red Bull. He started pretty well, winning two races out of the first four Grand Prix. But from the Miami Grand Prix this season, Checo started fading away.
