Red Bull star Max Verstappen initially had a tough competition with his teammate in the 2023 season. His teammate Sergio Perez had won a couple of Grand Prix after the first four races. But things changed in Verstappen’s favor since the Miami Grand Prix. Hence, after 16 races, the Dutchman has won 13 races again.
As a result, some fans are claiming that the sport has become a bit boring because of the hegemony of Red Bull and Max Verstappen. Perhaps the truth is Sergio Perez did not have what it takes to win a title or challenge his star teammate like Nico Rosberg did in 2016. And recently, Max Verstappen told the media that how things changed in his favor since the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
How Things Changed For Max Verstappen In The Azerbaijan Grand Prix?
He had a much better understanding of the RB19 car since the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. But he declined to give any detailed answer to what was the turning point in the race in Baku. However, the current double-time champion mentioned he tried different tools in the car and implemented the findings he thought were quite interesting. Moreover, Max Verstappen mentioned in terms of looking after the tires, he took a nice step forward from the Baku race. From the Miami Grand Prix, Verstappen started feeling more and more confident about which corners to attack and the feedback he would get from the RB19 car. He got more confident regarding the car’s balance as well. Moreover, Max says that his team has a lot of ideas that they can’t implement before the next season.
Hence, it is a bit annoying. But it gives them a lot of time to fully understand the car and work on improving the car, especially for tracks in Singapore. On the other hand, Sergio Perez has not won a single race since the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Checo was going so strong that he became the first driver to win two races in Baku, Azerbaijan. But the fans still wonder why Checo has faded away since the Miami Grand Prix. It is such a shame because the fans could see an intense rivalry within the Red Bull team. The Mercedes team had an epic internal rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. The German driver actually won the title in 2016, breaking Hamilton’s two consecutive title-winning streak. But it just was not meant to be.
Christian Horner Shares His Fear That The Dutchman Can Retire Early
Nevertheless, Red Bull is afraid of Max Verstappen suddenly calling it “Quit” and hanging his helmet. The current double-time champion frequently says he has no intention to hang on for 15-20 years like Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso in F1. Verstappen is more passionate about virtual sim racing. That’s why recently, Christian Horner said the dream for Max winning eight titles is too far-fetched. Not many drivers have won more than three titles in F1 besides Sebastian Vettel, Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher, and Lewis Hamilton, to name a few. Horner added that Max is forward-looking and doesn’t care about records or rewards.
On the other hand, Max Verstappen is winning almost every Grand Prix. He can even end up winning 19 races this season, as six races are still remaining. But Red Bull must be wary of the progress of Ferrari and McLaren. Albeit, the RB19 is clearly the fastest car on the grid. It’s highly unlikely that MCL60 or SF-23 can beat Red Bull again. But never say never, as Ferrari did beat Red Bull in Singapore. However, Max Verstappen made a strong comeback in the Japanese Grand Prix as he helped Red Bull clinch the 2023 constructor championship.
