“Hard for a Lot of Drivers”: Factors That Help Max Verstappen & Increase the List of Red Bull Drivers Faltering Against the Dutchman

Max Verstappen made his Formula 1 debut back in 2015, and since then, the Dutchman has mastered every single Formula 1 track. At just 25, he has already won two championships and displayed some breathtaking speed on the racetrack, which has caused several of his teammates to struggle against him.

We are all aware of the Dutchman’s distinctive and unique driving mannerisms. With the rear instability and front-end sensitivity on turn-in, the 25-year-old may adjust and prosper. Yet many drivers can’t have that same quality. Since joining Red Bull, Verstappen has competed in races with Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, and Sergio Perez, all of these drivers have experienced the heat of the Dutchman’s searing pace. However, seeing such talented drivers suffering against Verstappen, one question arises in mind as to why other drivers can’t  adjust to the Red Bull car?

To find out the answer, we must turn to a Players Tribune column in which Alex Albon, Verstappen’s former teammate, looked back on his two years with Red Bull. He also discussed how Red Bull configures the vehicle in a way that solely benefits Max Verstappen. He said, ” This isn’t to throw shade at anyone at Red Bull Racing or Max or anything, honestly. But the car is set up in a unique way that is built around the lead driver, and that’s Max. And, look, I totally get why. I mean, when all is said and done, he might be the greatest driver of all time.”

Adding further the British Thai driver said, “But he has a very distinct style of driving, and he likes the car set up a certain way that’s hard for a lot of drivers to sync up with. “Of course, you can tinker and tweak your own car, but just the Red Bull in general is suited to Max’s style.” With Albon’s statement, it might have been clear as to why drivers always falter against the double champion.

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In the same article, Albon also recalls how being called up in the middle of the season to replace more experienced Pierre Gasly, had given him a tough summer where he only thought about why Red Bull replaced Gasly with him.

Alex Albon explains why Pierre Gasly didn’t succeed while working with Max Verstappen

The Williams driver, who made his racing debut in 2019 with Toro Rosso, was promoted to the senior squad in the middle of the season to take Pierre Gasly’s spot. At the time, he was unaware of Red Bull’s decision to replace him with a more experienced driver like Gasly. However, soon after being outperformed by Verstappen, Albon understood, why Red Bull made the switch and why Gasly didn’t fare well in the Red Bull camp.

He wrote, “ It was quite a position to be in. It wasn’t lost on me what a privilege it was. But I was also trying to be wise to it, you know? Like I knew how good Pierre was. I’ve seen it for years. He’s mega-talented. He had more experience under his belt than me, too. And for whatever reason it wasn’t working for him at Red Bull Racing, so they made the switch with me. But why? I thought about that for the whole summer break.”

Albon rapidly discovered the cause of Gasly’s RB15 struggles, which included 12 races without a podium finish while Verstappen claimed two victories. He added, “ When I got in the car and had a few sessions under my belt, I thought of Pierre. ‘I get it. I get it, mate’.

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In light of the aforementioned? Do you believe the Verstappen-Perez duo will bring the team its second constructor’s trophy in the upcoming season?