Many credit the Max Verstappen era to Red Bull’s engineering. The Dutchman is too fast to catch, leaving him with no challenger for the 2023 title race. Thus, German F1 pundit, Christian Menath argues that the Lion of the grid is invincible.
He believes the 2x world champion’s fantastic win rate is due to a perfect combination of his racecraft with the RB19’s speed. But the lack of competition means the Red Bull driver is able to dominate the season easily, showing no signs of weakness.
The Red Bull driver last faced a challenger in 2021, when he and Lewis Hamilton dueled until the last lap of the season for the title. However, in recent days, his closest competitor has been his teammate Sergio Perez, who he has left miles behind.
Max Verstappen shows no signs of weakness
Max Verstappen has opened a 53-point lead over 2nd place Sergio Perez in the 2023 standings after the win in Spain. However, F1 Pundit Christian Menath claims it’s difficult to evaluate Verstappen’s performance and find any possible weaknesses.
He spoke in the F1 Nation Podcast, “In the title battle with Lewis in 2021, you could say sometimes he was over-aggressive. But nowadays he does not have as many battles so it’s difficult to judge. But his risk assessment is also amazing.”
The F1 journalist pointed out how the Red Bull driver chose to defend Carlos Sainz in the Spanish GP. Sainz was starting 2nd and had the much faster medium tires. The 2x world champion altered his strategy and defended the Spaniard in the initial corners before building an unassailable lead.
Menath claimed, “He took the risk, but not too much risk. He knows he has more to lose than the others. So it’s difficult to know if he has a weakness because he doesn’t need to show everything.”
Earlier Fernando Alonso claimed that the drivers have made it easier for Verstappen this season. Only time will tell if Lewis Hamilton or Charles Leclerc can engage in a championship battle with Red Bull again.
Verstappen’s reign reminiscent of Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher
While Max Verstappen’s dominated races with ease, his teammate Sergio Perez has suffered a slump in form. Perez was once touted to be the Dutchman’s biggest rival going in the season, as both drivers have the same machinery.
However, after two costly errors in Monaco and Barcelona, his championship hopes are all but over. Christian Menath believes this is proof that Red Bull’s pace alone is not a guarantee to win the championship.
Menath said, “I think it also shows it’s not only the Red Bull that’s so supreme. It’s Red Bull and Max Verstappen. We shouldn’t consider it boring, but try to enjoy this driver in this car.”
The German pundit claims the Dutchman’s time with Red Bull is another great era in the making. And it must be celebrated like Michael Schumacher with Ferrari in the early 2000s and Lewis Hamilton with Mercedes between 2014 and 2020.
The driver broke the record for most wins in an F1 season, by winning 15 races en route to his 2nd title in 2022. Looking at his performances in the first 6 races alone shows, Verstappen could shatter his record and raise the bar further.
