Max Verstappen has dominated the Formula 1 season, securing his third world championship early on at the Qatar Grand Prix. However, Verstappen’s advantage this season has made some races rather uneventful, with Red Bull’s F1 car seemingly in a class of its own compared to the competition. Recently, Verstappen himself admitted as much, stating that his victories this year are owed entirely to the RB-19, an incredibly fast racing machine.
Verstappen commented, “This year’s car is unbelievable to drive and very dominant. I am able to extract the maximum from it. The car has been performing fantastically well and has been leading the way, and I’ve been trying my best to drive it well.”
The Red Bull F1 car seems to have had an exceptional speed advantage this season, often allowing Verstappen to lead the second-placed driver by over 20 seconds. As a result, Verstappen himself has admitted on more than one occasion that the races have been somewhat dull. After winning the Sprint race at the US Grand Prix, he said, “For me, winning the Sprint doesn’t give much satisfaction. You cross the finish line and think, okay, tomorrow is the real race. That’s it.”
While a Sprint race victory is a significant achievement for most drivers, it has become a routine affair for Verstappen. This situation has undoubtedly left other teams envious. It seems that the FIA might need to introduce rule changes to rein in Red Bull’s pace in Formula 1.