It has certainly been an interesting start to the 2022 season for the world champion Max Verstappen. The Red Bull driver has won every single race that he has finished in. Out of the first 5 races, he has won 3 of them majestically. His start to his championship offense has impressed many, including former world champion Mika Hakkinen.

Red Bull and Ferrari have been neck and neck at the start of the season, with both teams sharing podiums and wins so far. But it looks like, with the new upgrade package, the Austrian team has slightly moved ahead of their Italian rivals.

Hakkinen, too, noticed this difference and stated that Red Bull currently has a faster package than Ferrari. The upgrade had played into the hands of Verstappen when he held off the challenge of Leclerc in Miami.

Former F1 world champion impressed by Max Verstappen

The Finnish driver mentioned that having a superior straight-line speed has worked in the favor of the Red Bull team. This has not only helped overstepped in attacking Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc but also defending against him while protecting the lead.

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“It was another big win for Max and when you consider he has won every race, he has finished this season. We can say that Red Bull definitely have a faster package than Ferrari,” said the former world champion.

“The Red Bull had a straight-line speed advantage over the Ferrari, which meant that even when Charles had the benefit of DRS, he still could not get back on Max. Charles really pushed hard, but Max was able to defend and pull away. He was totally in control,” said Mika.

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Ferrari will bring their first upgrade of the season at the Spanish Grand Prix next weekend. It is expected that this upgrade package will not only make them on the same level as Red Bull but also take them ahead of their rivals.

However, Red Bull still has the most important contributing factor, Max Verstappen. It will be interesting to see how the world champion approaches the new challenge that Ferrari & Leclerc bring to the table.