Max Verstappen has dominated F1 since the ground-effect regulations came into effect in 2022, and fans of the sport have often complained about how boring races have become. Former team boss Paul Stoddart agrees and has an interesting solution to counter the same, something that Verstappen won’t appreciate.
In an interview with Motorsport Netherlands, the former Minardi boss spoke about Verstappen’s dominance in F1. Admitting that the reason behind this dominance is others’ inability to match the Dutch driver, he has a proposition that involves a bizarre weight penalty.
“I myself would support, for example, a 5-kilogram penalty weight for the reigning world champion,” said Stoddart. “That should be enough to bring it back to the same level, while the good drivers could still win.”
The 68-year-old knows that the winning drivers won’t be a fan of this idea but when it comes to the “purity of racing”, it becomes a difficult decision according to him. He goes on to say that when Bernie Ecclestone was the F1 boss during his Minardi tenure, regulations and rules changed very frequently.
This is because Ecclestone made it a point to shake things up, which made it difficult for top teams to stay on top. Currently, Red Bull is on top, and until the next regulation changes (2026) come into effect, it is hard to see that change.
Will Max Verstappen continue his dominance in 2024?
The 2023 season was dominated by Max Verstappen from start to finish. Out of the 22 races, Red Bull won 21 with Verstappen winning 19 of those. Heading into the 2024 campaign, many expected him or Red Bull to bag them all.
Those dreams, however, were crushed by Carlos Sainz in the third round itself. The Spaniard won the Australian GP, on a weekend when Verstappen had a brake issue that forced him to retire.
However, it is still too early to conclude whether Ferrari have caught up with Red Bull or not. There are plenty of races to go, with some tracks that suit Red Bull a lot more. Regardless, Max Verstappen and Co. will be hoping to make things difficult for their opponents and start a winning run from next week’s Japanese GP onwards.
