“Our Next Upgrade Will Be…”: Max Verstappen Rubs Salt in Lewis Hamilton’s Wounds by Hilariously Exposing Mercedes’ Naive Mistake

While the entire paddock still plays around with the sidepod concept, only Red Bull seems to have got it spot on. Red Bull’s dominating performance this season has already been a source of annoyance for Mercedes. And to make matters worse for Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen’s recent witty comments have added fuel to the fire.

The recently concluded Spanish GP saw another Verstappen masterclass. A substantial share of that performance is also credited to the RB19. And to make quick gains in the championship, other teams are finding it easier to copy than to create. Commenting on the same, the Dutchman took a cheeky dig at Hamilton’s W14. He said, as quoted by Motorsport-Total.com, “I think our next upgrade will be without sidepods!” 

Though it was all in good fun, the Mercedes garage ought to take some offense. Reverting to being serious, Verstappen also elaborated on Red Bull’s developments. He said, “I think we’ve learned a lot over the years, and now, with the new rules [since 2022], we were immediately quick and understood what it was all about. But we are never satisfied from our side either, we always want more.”

Red Bull’s Chief engineer Paul Monaghan, too, is undisturbed by the chatter surrounding the sidepod. He said, “If you don’t understand [the concept], you can copy it, but it doesn’t get any faster.”

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With Red Bull confident enough to not be bothered by their rivals, the 2-time champion has free will to extend his lead in the WDC and break records while doing so.

Max Verstappen En Route to Shatter Historic Records

7 races into the season, Max Verstappen has won 5 of them and placed P2 in the other 2. At this rate, he is on his way to breaking not only his records but all-time records as well.

The 2-time champion already has two records in his pocket – Most wins (15) in a season, and Most points scored (454) in a season. Already having 4 pole positions this season, one record that Verstappen could break would be ‘Most Pole positions in a season’. Currently, Sebastian Vettel holds that record, with 15 Poles in the 2011 season.

Vettel also holds the record for ‘Biggest championship-winning margin’. He won the 2013 WDC, scoring 155 points more than Fernando Alonso. Verstappen is already 53 points ahead of his teammate Sergio Perez, in the WDC. If his dominance continues, fans might see him easily shattering this record as well.

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With the Canadian GP in sight, Red Bull looks poised to extend their lead in the Constructors’. If all goes smoothly for them, Verstappen might extend his lead and Perez could be looking at a possible comeback.