Max Verstappen, the Dutch driver for Red Bull Racing, was praised by the team’s Technical Director, Pierre Wache, for his exceptional ability to quickly adapt to Formula 1 tracks. Wache believes that Verstappen’s seamless transition to new circuits gives him a significant advantage over his competitors. This advantage has been evident in the team’s recent success, with Verstappen securing 36 victories in the last 47 races. The partnership between Verstappen and Red Bull has become one of the most formidable in the sport since the introduction of ground effect cars in 2022. Despite facing little opposition in the last season and winning almost every race, Verstappen finished an impressive 290 points ahead of his teammate, Sergio Perez. Although Verstappen suffered a retirement at the Australian Grand Prix, his previous wins in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia put him at the top of the Drivers’ Championship standings. Wache attributes Verstappen’s success to his love for racing, exceptional talent, and ability to push the car to the limit. The Dutch driver’s relentless pursuit of improvements and desire for more victories set him apart from the other drivers on the grid.
Verstappen’s true dominance began at the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix, when rumors of a mid-season adjustment to the floor edges that could harm Red Bull were proven false. The F1 three-time champion secured pole position with a six-tenths advantage and triumphed in the race with a comfortable lead of 17.8 seconds, despite starting in 14th place due to a grid penalty.
When asked about Verstappen’s exceptional performance at his second home circuit on the F1 calendar, Wache commented: “Max displays impressive speed at Spa-Francorchamps. Additionally, the RB18 was ideally suited for this track. These two factors made all the difference in Belgium.”
The presence of several bouncing cars also played a role, as it highlighted a possible issue with the current generation of cars. “In fact, we gained an advantage over our competitors due to stricter regulations,” explained Wache. “This marked a turning point during that weekend. It’s worth noting that Ferrari initially had the fastest car on the grid at the beginning of 2022.”
He added: “We were able to extract the full potential of our car at Spa, despite the FIA’s stricter rules regarding the underside of the car. This modification provided us with an even greater advantage over our rivals. We were already experiencing less oscillation, and from that moment on, the gap between us and Ferrari widened.”
Verstappen would win all but two of the remaining races of that season, setting a remarkable record of 15 victories in a single campaign. He surpassed this achievement with 19 wins the following year.
