“Not Good for Our Car”: Max Verstappen Points Red Bull’s Deficit Against Ferrari at Las Vegas GP

“Not Good for Our Car”: Max Verstappen Points Red Bull’s Deficit Against Ferrari at Las Vegas GP

With the 2023 Las Vegas GP set to take place on Sunday, both, Red Bull and Ferrari have been locked in a battle, throughout the weekend. And with how qualifying unfolded earlier, it can go either way. However, Max Verstappen believes that one inherent deficiency with the RB19 might decide this bout in favor of Ferrari, per FormulaPassion.

Verstappen told Sky Sports F1 (as quoted by FormulaPassion), “Today we were a little behind on the flying lap and we tried to make the most of everything. The track, with that type of corners, is not good for our car.” 

The gap between Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen was about 3-and-a-half tenths of a second. On paper, that gap over a single lap looks promising for Ferrari. Verstappen agrees because he spotted an uncanny similarity between Vegas and the only other track where they have lagged.

He continued, “The same happened in Singapore and here. Low-speed corners and heavy braking are not suitable for our car, just as dips and potholes are not for us. This is why we are behind on the flying lap.” Despite a visible advantage, tomorrow’s Grand Prix isn’t going to be a cakewalk for Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, either.

Despite qualifying advantage over Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc is not optimistic

The SF-23 suffers from an acute tire degradation problem. And Leclerc admits that while refuting Verstappen’s Singapore comments. He said, “In Singapore, you can drive 1.5 to two seconds slower in some places and the cars behind you still can’t pass. It’s different here, and pace will have a much more important role in the race.”

The Vegas circuit is littered with endless straights and countless opportunities for drivers to make a move at the end of them. Hence, the tire degradation problem could be the perfect ticket for Verstappen to pounce on the Scuderia in the race.

Naturally, Leclerc cannot rely on his defensive driving skills and will have to push from the get go. But with RB19 lacking some obvious pace, the 2023 Las Vegas GP is going to be an exciting prospect for the fans who could see Red Bull lose for a second time this season.

Post Edited By: Somin Bhattacharjee
Charles Leclerc ferrari Las Vegas GP Max Verstappen Red Bull

About the author

Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

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