With the 2023 season over, F1 drivers had one last chance to drive this season’s car for the post-season tire testing. With 25 drivers present for the testing, Max Verstappen decided to opt out of the session. However, Red Bull did not suffer and instead further maximized the capabilities of its resources for the next season.
Total Laps Led in 2023:
Max Verstappen – 1003
*Everyone else: 322 pic.twitter.com/A5u2JhkqqE
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) November 28, 2023
Given that not much will change around the tire regulations in 2024, Motorsport.com reported Verstappen thought it best to not take part in the session. Hence, Formula E champion Jake Dennis filled in the vacant spot alongside Sergio Perez. Furthermore, the Austrian team decided to put more work into the simulator and make it even better, as opposed to spending more time out on the track.
Per the norms of the session, one permanent and one junior driver from each team was to take part in the session, but Dennis worked only on the simulator. After the session, the British driver explained the day’s data, and his input will help the team improve the correlation between simulation and reality. He added there was still room for improvement in the tire model, “as did the way in which the feeling of speed – with vibrations and the like,” passed to the drivers.
Why was Max Verstappen not a part of the session?
The tire testing session was originally meant to be done without the tire warmers. However, the team principals rejected the idea back in Spa-Francorchamps, and thus, the session continued as normal. Hence, with there being no change in the testing, Red Bull thought it best not to ask Verstappen to drive. Meanwhile, Sergio Perez contradicted the opinion and highlighted the importance of the testing so he could feel more comfortable in the Red Bull car heading into the next season.
With no major changes in the regulations for next year, Red Bull will take the best bits out of the RB19 and further churn the best out of them in the RB20. As such, the popular opinion is that Verstappen will continue dominating the field as he did in 2023. However, the progress made by Ferrari and McLaren in the second half of the season might make for some intense battles on the tracks once racing returns in 2024.
