Max Verstappen finally ADMITS Red Bull have built a ‘rocketship’ of a car
Max Verstappen has talked about the prowess of his Red Bull car as the team have now become 2023 F1 Constructors' Champions.
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Max Verstappen (Via IMAGO)
All those who thought Red Bull‘s underperformance at Marina Bay was an omen of their downfall–were in for a surprise from Suzuka. Max Verstappen, charging to the finish line with thunderous speed, captured victory at the Japanese GP and gave a befitting reply to his critics. But this win in Japan, the home to Red Bull’s engine supplier Honda, was more special for Max’s team. They are now a second-time World Constructors’ Champion in a row–a feat that Red Bull have achieved before with Sebastian Vettel.
As Max ended his race with the top spot on the grid, celebrations broke out at the Red Bull garage. The Milton-Keynes outfit has hundreds of personnel working in the background for the two RB-19s of Max and his teammate Sergio Perez to get the best results. Even though Perez had an unfortunate DNF at Suzuka, Red Bull still managed to win the Constructors’ Championship, largely due to their Dutch superstar’s consecutive victories at ten races earlier this season.
All through 2023, there has been an ongoing debate about how much of the credit for Max’s wins should go to him. Many people claimed that the Red Bull RB-19 is in itself a powerhouse and that Max Verstappen just happens to be lucky enough to be with Red Bull in this era. Yet, Christian Horner, the Red Bull boss, has maintained that there is nothing special about the RB-19 and it is all about Max’s skills. But the Dutch two-time World Champion just admitted it while celebrating Red Bull’s F1 title win. He said, “Unbelievable guys. Everyone here and at the factory. You have built a rocket ship of a car, well done.”
Max Verstappen’s closest foe might be one of his best friends from F1
Max Verstappen and Lando Norris are very close as the two have vacationed together at times. Lando was even invited at the birthday party of Max’s girlfriend Kelly Piquet’s daughter Penelope. But when it comes to duels on the race track, both of them are not ready to leave even an inch for each other. While Max got the win at the Japanese GP, he was followed by Lando Norris in his McLaren.
While Lando had started in P3, he gained on his own teammate Oscar Piastri and went up to the second spot on the grid. Then, Lando Norris came dangerously close to overtaking Max Verstappen at turn 1. He talked about the incident in the post-race interview, “My start was very good, I almost got Max but Max was Max, he was away at turn 2. We weren’t close to Max but we weren’t miles away either. I’m very proud of the team and the steps we are making.”
But the Japanese GP scripted poor luck for Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso. The Oviedo had frequently appeared on the podium for the first half of the season, but now he seems restricted to the last few places in the top 10. Meanwhile, Nando’s teammate Lance Stroll made a comeback after a scary crash last week at the Singapore GP. Yet, he could not finish his race as he retired midway.
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Riddhi Mondal
(1821 Articles Published)