Former F1 driver claims only ‘radical measures’ can get rivals to catch Red Bull

Gerhard Berger highlighted the need for drastic steps from rival teams to challenge Red Bull's dominance.

Former F1 driver claims only ‘radical measures’ can get rivals to catch Red Bull

Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc (via IMAGO)

The 2023 season saw an unprecedented performance from Red Bull. Rival teams rarely matched the pace and performance of Milton Keynes in the majority of occasions. Hence, multiple people talked about the monotony of race winners during the season and how it could affect the sport.

Gerhard Berger, a former Ferrari driver has broken his silence over Red Bull’s domination and advised measures to ensure such a situation doesn’t arise again. Berger claimed that reality was always different from what was imagined in F1. Additionally, Red Bull set the bar too high and it would be difficult to surpass this bar if Red Bull held onto their drivers’ lineup.

In Formula 1, things are always different from what you think. The bar is very high. If Red Bull keeps his troops together like this, it will be difficult to reach them.
Berger told Auto Motor und Sport.
YouTube video

However, if other teams want to seriously challenge Milton Keynes, they would need to resort to ‘radical measures’ according to the Austrian. Additionally, the former Ferrari driver added that Maranello was one such constructor that could challenge the top-spot holders in the following season for the constructors’ championship. This comment was made in the wake that Ferrari had great performances throughout the season and the problems were within the strategies and not the performance itself.

FS Video

It can only work if others take radical measures. Ferrari is still the one who trusts the most.

Gerhard Berger reckons Lewis Hamilton could pose a threat to Red Bull

During the 2023 season, Mercedes had a rollercoaster of a performance. Brackley didn’t comfortably secure the runner-up spot, although the team managed an overall P2 finish in the Constructors’ championship. Ferrari challenged the team until the last race, where some unfortunate events for the Maranello sealed the P2 finish for Mercedes.

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen (Credits: Sporting News)

Regardless, Berger explained that even Mercedes could pose a challenge to Red Bull. The driver-team pairup between Lewis Hamilton and Brackley did not need to be underestimated. The former F1 driver mentioned McLaren as a team that could potentially challenge Milton Keynes for the top spot.

However, Red Bull prepares meticulously for the challenges in the upcoming season. The team has talked about the difficulty of replicating such a performance in the 2024 season. Regardless, Milton Keynes will put forth their best results down the season and potentially have a smooth sailing season much like 2023.

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