Max Verstappen has been a step ahead of everyone else from the very get-go in 2023. With 13 race wins in 16 outings, Verstappen is just one sprint victory away from securing his third world championship. Other teams have been trying hard to catch up, and some have come close. Currently, however, McLaren seems to be the closest team, and as per GP Today, the Woking-based outfit sees the Dutchman – not Red Bull – as the difference.
Red Bull is undoubtedly the most dominant team in F1 at the moment. They have built a car that has decimated the rest of the field. However, it is evident that only one of their drivers – Verstappen – is confident behind the wheel of the challenger. The 25-year-old’s teammate Sergio Perez is struggling comprehensively and is miles behind Verstappen in terms of performance.
Verstappen has 400 points this season so far, which means that he alone has outscored Mercedes, Ferrari, Aston Martin, and McLaren. The numbers show that he won Red Bull the constructors’ championship singlehandedly, and McLaren team boss Andrea Stella seems to agree. In fact, Stella is sure about McLaren winning races had it not been for Verstappen.
Max Verstappen is the difference, says McLaren boss
In Japan last weekend, Verstappen comfortably held both McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to win the Grand Prix. His win allowed Red Bull to seal the constructors’ championship despite there being six more races on the calendar.
For McLaren, a P2 and P3 finish was incredible, especially considering how poorly their season started. Still, they aren’t satisfied and want to push for race wins in the near future. However, with Red Bull and especially Verstappen at the helm, that looks to be difficult at the moment.
“It is still a big step,” he said to Motorsport as reported by GP Today. “In all fairness, Max seems to be the big step.”
Even though Stella singled Verstappen out, he is in awe of Red Bull’s engineering marvel. They have been unstoppable this year, and after their victory in Japan sealed their constructors” crown, they have even more glory incoming in Qatar.
Verstappen eyeing glory in Qatar
The next round of F1 will see the teams and drivers travel to Qatar for the second ever time. There, all Verstappen has to do is win the sprint race. By doing so, he will mathematically seal his third world championship win.
It will be the perfect way to seal his title win, with still five races to go. Winning the championship so early would be a statement, showing others just how unstoppable he has been. Meanwhile, the likes of Ferrari, Mercedes and Aston Martin in addition to McLaren, will continue their fight for P2 in the teams’ standings.
