Red Bull Racing has dominated the 2023 Formula One season by winning all the races held so far. Their top driver, Max Verstappen, claimed a hattrick of wins by winning the recently concluded Miami Grand Prix. His teammate is not much behind with two wins. Hence, the competition is likely to get spiced up in the Red Bull paddock as the season progresses.
The main reason for Red Bull’s success in recent years is the astonishing pace of its machinery. Last year, they had the Ferraris chasing them down for most of the season. Still, the drink-based team managed to hold off the gap. However, this year, Red Bulls have leveled up. The brand-new RB19 has generated an unmatchable pace as the rival teams have fallen behind by 10 odd seconds. Despite the success, Max Verstappen is not satisfied with the overall construction of the car under new regulations.
Max Verstappen Not Enjoying Racing In RB19
In the world of Formula One, Max Verstappen remains one of the sport’s most promising and talented drivers. Verstappen’s partnership with Red Bull Racing has been a successful one, with the team providing him with a competitive car capable of challenging for race wins and championships. He even won two consecutive driver’s championships with the machinery. However, he has recently shown hints of difficulty with his Red Bull car. The Dutchman has sounded an alert to not just the RB19 but also all the cars that are running on the tracks currently.
According to Max Verstappen, under new DRS and other regulations, the cars have become much more stable and heavy, making it difficult to move around with ease. He said there is a lack of oversteer or understeer in high speed or low speed, which makes it highly impossible to overtake the car ahead even under the DRS range. Max compared the current pieces of machinery to that of the decade-old ones. The Dutchman feels those generation car models were not that stiff to move and created a lot of opportunities for overtaking. But with these new cars, the thrill of racing has just doused.
Christian Horner Not Threatened By Max Verstappen’s Retirement Rumors
Max Verstappen is one of the most successful drivers in Formula One at the moment. At the age of 25, he is scaling new heights with each race win. However, all the glory and success seem less appealing to the Dutchman, who has repeatedly threatened to quit the sport after the introduction of sprint races. He is very much against the sprint formats and said that if FIA continues to bring any more changes, he would consider retiring at the end of his current contract with Red Bull.
However, Red Bull Racing’s team principal Christian Horner is not concerned at present. Horner said Verstappen’s contract does not end until 2028, and hence he does not see his threat as an imminent risk. But, he respects the Dutchman’s opinion and will accept whatever the driver decides after 2028. However, the team principal also thinks that 2028 is still a long way, and nothing is certain for now. There is a possibility that Max Verstappen might change his mind and decide to continue for a little longer. Horner even cited the examples of Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, who are actively racing despite being in their late 30s or early 40s.
