The first practice session of the Abu Dhabi GP saw many F1 rookies take the place of various senior drivers as part of the mandatory young driver program. At Red Bull, current Formula E champion and Andretti driver Jake Dennis assumed the duties and got the opportunity to drive the car of Max Verstappen throughout the session. Once he got out of the car, the British driver’s feedback helped the team bust a popular myth about their car.
Thanks for the keys @Max33Verstappen! She’s all yours again. But an incredible experience to drive on an official F1 weekend! pic.twitter.com/kq5zMb1rx5
— Jake Dennis (@JakeDennis19) November 24, 2023
Dennis was over the moon after getting the opportunity to drive an F1 car for the first time in his career. Having enjoyed the experience owing to Red Bull, the Briton praised Verstappen and his team for having pulled off an exceptional year where they dominated their opposition.
F1 Maximaal also quoted the 28-year-old as he cleared the air over the claims that the RB19 was tailor-made only for Verstappen to drive.
“I jumped in the car, and everything felt exactly like a race car should feel. People who are skeptical and say that the car was designed purely for Max are jumping to conclusions, because that is absolutely not the case,” explained Dennis.
Dennis then added that the team builds the car, and it is the driver’s responsibility to adapt to it. Should a driver not be able to do so, it only points a finger at their credibility as a racing driver. According to Dennis, Verstappen put in hours and hours of hard work to perfect his skills in the RB19, and it has resulted in the Dutchman decimating his competition.
Max Verstappen and Jake Dennis share a long-standing acquaintance
Despite belonging to opposite disciplines of motorsports, the paths of Max Verstappen and Jake Dennis have often crossed. Back in 2014, the duo competed against each other in Formula 3, and Dennis witnessed how quickly Verstappen was able to transition from a kart to a Formula car.
Dennis now serves as a sim driver for Red Bull, which means that both men are part of the same team. However, they don’t often meet as Dennis fulfills the sim duties to provide the required race support.
According to @ErikvHaren, Max Verstappen and his side of the garage stayed until the start of the curfew to improve the car’s setup.
That hard work payed off the next day! #CanadianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/S5eE2ZJCi0
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) June 18, 2023
Dennis further revealed that Verstappen contributes to the sim duties, too. Whenever the Dutchman has any spare time, he hops onto the sim to better understand the car despite having secured the world title.
Verstappen wants to continue improving himself, and Dennis believes that this determination is what sets the three-time champion apart. “He is a serious talent, but he also works hard behind the scenes,” explained Dennis.
