The era of Max Verstappen started in 2021 when he beat Lewis Hamilton to his maiden F1 title in an arguably inferior car. In 2022, Red Bull undoubtedly produced the most dominant car on the grid and the Dutchman took full advantage of it. He scored a record 15 race wins over the course of the season while his teammate Sergio Perez only managed 2. That got many wondering if Red Bull developed the car more to Verstappen’s liking than Perez’s. After all, the Mexican Minister of Defence is no rookie himself. A former Milton Keynes engineer has debunked that myth while describing the reigning champion’s fierce nature.

Come to think of it, the rumors about there being a Verstappen bias in the Austrian team is not an unfound theory. Just recently, when Perez beat him to the finish line in Baku, many interpreted Christian Horner’s radio message to be a clear indication of his preference for Max. Also, his getting away with frequently defying team orders has fanned the narrative even more.

Former Red Bull engineer reveals the dynamic Max Verstappen has with the team

Experts often highlight Verstappen’s preference for cars with a bit of an oversteer. On the other hand, they analyze Perez’s driving style to suit better to an understeering car. The RB18 and its successor, the RB19, definitely have more of an oversteering quality. However, Blake Hinsey revealed that they never developed the car to Verstappen’s liking alone during his time at Red Bull.

Speaking on a recent episode of the Sky F1 podcast, Hinsey told, “There was the whole narrative of ‘oh they developed the whole car for Max’. But having developed all the way from 2015 to ‘21 cars and ‘22 cars in the simulator, I don’t ever remember seeing those things where you’re pushing to help develop the car for the lead driver.”

Hinsey revealed that they actually worked more to address the issues that Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly had during their respective Red Bull stints.

“So, I think Checo’s got as good a shot as any year, and Max is a very difficult measuring stick to go up against. He’s a very tough teammate and the only person you’ve got to beat is your teammate,” he added.

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The observation is starkly different from Perez’s who openly spoke about the team’s preference for Verstappen ahead of the Australian GP earlier this year.

Christian Horner shuts down Perez on Verstappen bias comment

Speaking ahead of the race in Melbourne, the Mexican driver spoke about there historically being a Verstappen bias at Red Bull. He went as far as saying that the team fielded two cars only because it has to. Team boss Christian Horner took exception to the comments and ruled out any such opportunity.

GP Fans quoted him as saying, “As a team we’ve always strived to give both drivers the best opportunity and the best equipment we can.”

“And then it’s down to what they do on track and that’s whether it’s Max and Checo, or Daniel and Max or Daniel and Seb, Mark and Seb or even going back David Coulthard and Mark Weber.”

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Do you think Red Bull actually treats both its drivers equally? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Also, don’t forget to drop in your predictions for the upcoming Miami GP.