Max Verstappen’s Partner in Crime Hailed as the Biggest “Problem” for Lewis Hamilton & Co. by Red Bull Legend Amid Heated Dominance Debate

In the past 13 seasons, Formula 1 has seen three periods of domination, two of which are credited to Red Bull. Before Max Verstappen came along, Red Bull’s golden boy was Sebastian Vettel, who helped the team to its first championship in 2010. He didn’t stop there, though. He won four consecutive titles, becoming one of the most dominant drivers in history. But he wasn’t alone. Red Bull wouldn’t have been able to achieve the championship-double four years in a row without Mark Webber, Vettel’s teammate. This means that Webber is no stranger to Red Bull domination and knows exactly what is making the Max Verstappen-Red Bull pairing tick right now.

The Vettel-Webber rivalry was an explosive one, but it was dominant nevertheless. While it’s difficult to compare that era to Max Verstappen’s dominance, Webber claims that one element gives this era the edge over not just Vettel’s domination but also Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes’ domination. And this element, combined with Verstappen, is proving a significant problem for Hamilton & Co. What is it? Or rather, who is it? Adrian Newey.

Red Bull’s Chief Technical Officer, Adrian Newey, has been with the Milton-Keynes outfit for 18 years. And in those 18 years, he’s proved what an asset he is in terms of his car designs. One thing the F1 community can be sure of is that when there’s any regulation change that requires changes in the car, Adrian Newey will make the best of it. And Mark Webber has first-hand experience working with him. While talking about Verstappen’s dominance, as quoted by motorsport.nextgen-auto.com, he said, “When you put Max Verstappen and Adrian Newey together, we have a problem.” [translated via Google]

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He continued, “Adrian Newey has won over 200 Grand Prix victories as a designer. Was he not there, the championship would be very tight.” Newey is no stranger to winning, and neither is Verstappen. And as per Webber, they make an unbeatable duo causing problems for everyone on the grid. Webber isn’t the only one to realize the quality Red Bull has right now. Sebastian Vettel also gave Max and the team all the credit they deserve.

Sebastian Vettel appreciates Red Bull and Max Verstappen

Apart from being one of the most dominant drivers of his time, Vettel is also one of the nicest people affiliated with F1. And as the saying goes, game recognizes game. While comparing his era with Verstappen’s domination directly isn’t possible due to the difference in car design and regulations—among other things—the Red Bull legend gave credit where credit was due and praised Verstappen and Red Bull for how they’ve been performing lately.

 In an interview at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, he said, “Max deserves all the credit because he is simply doing an excellent job. He is a great talent, and he hardly makes mistakes.” He was as appreciative of Red Bull, too, saying, “The perfection, consistency, and quality the team delivers week in and week out is exceptional.” 

After Adrian Newey’s recent contract extension, the Verstappen-Newey pairing will stay in F1 until 2028. How many more titles do you think they can win together?

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