Ex-F1 Team Boss Pinpoints Max Verstappen Factor Amid Red Bull Struggles
Former F1 team boss Otmar Szafnauer revealed the Max Verstappen problem that Red Bull currently faces.
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Christian Horner and Max Verstappen (via F1)
Max Verstappen dominated Formula 1 at the start of the ground effect era. The Dutch driver has performed in a league of his with four world consecutive world titles to his name. However, this has created a unique problem for Red Bull Racing. Former F1 team boss Otmar Szafnauer highlighted that Verstappen was the one making the difference on-track.
Since Daniel Ricciardo‘s Red Bull exit in 2018, Milton Keynes has tried five different drivers to pair Max Verstappen. Sergio Perez lasted the longest, between 2021 and 2024. However, the Mexican would only show glimpses of brilliance on rare occasions. Now, the mantle lies on Yuki Tsunoda, who replaced Liam Lawson two races into this season.
Otmar Szafnauer expressed his views over the situation as an outside observer. The former Alpine boss highlighted that Tsunoda remains a capable driver who is racing alongside Verstappen in equal machinery. Yet, the Japanese driver is nowhere close to the reigning world champion in performance. This is what Szafnauer believes is the Max Verstappen factor at Milton Keynes.
I don’t have all the data they do, where I used to [have]. I’m only speaking from an external viewpoint, from a macro viewpoint of what’s happening. For me, Yuki Tsunoda is a very competent driver. He has the same car and equipment Max does. One qualifies on pole, and the other one is 10th, seven-tenths of a second behind. There is a ‘Max factor’ there, from just that perspective.
Otmar Szafnauer told RacingNews365
Verstappen has managed to extract pace out of Red Bull machinery ever since he was promoted to the Austrian team in 2016. Unfortunately, his teammates struggle to be even in the same ballpark.
Max Verstappen and Red Bull fail where McLaren excels
The issue highlighted by Otmar Szafnauer is really only faced by Red Bull. Milton Keynes’ biggest rival right now, McLaren does not have a similar problem. Rather, Szafnauer claimed that Woking was excelling in this department with both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris being right on pace at every race.
The Romanian-American didn’t know the exact reason for such disparity between the two teams. However, he asserted that in a complex sport like Formula 1, there can be a variety of factors that create such vastly different situations.
Look at McLaren. They have the best car and look where those two drivers qualify – within a tenth of each other. That too, tells you something. That’s where McLaren really excel, on long run pace, more so than over one lap. There could be numerous amounts of reasons for that, including car design, development, setup. Tire management, for example, would be another one.
Otmar Szafnauer explained
Red Bull cannot fully rely on Max Verstappen as its sole driver upfront. The Dutchman is undoubtedly bringing results for the Austrian team. However, the 27-year-old is already rumored to be considering his options for next season. The reigning world champion is likely going to make a decision in the summer break. If Verstappen does decide to leave Milton Keynes, it would completely thrash the team’s plans as it would have no certainty on its performance the following year.
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