Max Verstappen claims Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen are ‘doomed’ at Haas

Max Verstappen is extremely adept when it comes to managing his tires during a grand prix.

Max Verstappen claims Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen are ‘doomed’ at Haas

Kevin Magnussen, Nico Hulkenberg and Max Verstappen [in circle] (Via IMAGO)

Max Verstappen has been doing his trade at the pinnacle of motor racing since 2015. He is one of the best drivers to have ever stepped foot into the sport and is also considered extremely adept when it comes to managing the wear and tear on his tires during a full-fledged F1 grand prix.

While Max Verstappen cruised at the front end of the grid with his RB19 last year, the Haas duo of Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg were seen struggling at the extreme south for a plethora of reasons. Haas’s one of the main Achilles heel during the 2023 campaign was tire degradation.

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Verstappen was recently asked why Red Bull does a great job at managing its tires and while responding, he gave the Haas example and added, as reported by Auto motor sport;

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You definitely need a car that handles the tires carefully. Otherwise, you are lost. You can see it in Haas. I don't think Nico and Kevin are idiots. If the car overloads the tires, there's not much you can do. First of all, you need the foundation – and that is the car. As a driver, you can find a tenth or two of a second per lap by paying better attention to the tires.

Looking at the reaction of the 3-time F1 world champion, it seems that on one end, he is grateful to have had solid cars underneath him at Red Bull, but on the other, feels that Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg have got one of their hands tied at Haas because of the American outfit’s tire deg issue.

Would Max Verstappen dominate the 2024 F1 campaign?

While Max Verstappen has admitted that Haas has big issues to deal with going into the 2024 season of the pinnacle of motor racing, on his side of things, he is being seen as one of the favorites to dominate again. Verstappen managed a brilliant nineteen Grand Prix wins last year.

Christian Horner and Max Verstappen
Christian Horner and Max Verstappen. (Image via IMAGO)

The Milton-Keynes-based Red Bull F1 team produced a beast of a car last year with its RB19, and the rest, was taken care of by Verstappen quite comfortably on the track. Had the Dutchman not been in the kind of form he was last year, Red Bull could have found it difficult to win the title.

Max Verstappen has over the years, witnessed a massive rise in his stature as an F1 driver, and today, he has become the highest-paid driver in the sport. He has got everything going for him and considering everything, several eyes will once again be on his exploits during the upcoming campaign.

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