Paul Monaghan on Max Verstappen: "Aren't we lucky to have him!"
General
Paul Monaghan, the chief engineer of Red Bull Racing, has spoken about the difference in form between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez but says there is nothing to worry about, as "confidence between drivers will ebb and flow."
Monaghan quizzed on the fortunes of both drivers
It has been one of the most dominant seasons for a team, with Red Bull taking all 12 wins from 12 completed races this year. But, as we know, one driver has dominated, with Verstappen taking ten of those wins, and Perez only two.
As a result, the Dutchman is driving with lots of confidence this season, which Monaghan commented on during Friday's press conference at Zandvoort. "I think his all-round assuredness is one of his greatest strengths. He can have a bad session, and then he bounces back the next session and is right on it. He doesn't make many mistakes. That's a pretty good indication of his level of self-confidence. But I think his self-belief, his belief in the car and the team, is very strong, and he's a fabulous team player. And aren't we lucky to have him?"
Conversely, it has been a much tougher year for his teammate Perez, with the Mexican struggling to find the consistency his teammate has found.
However, the British engineer is not worried about the mixed results from the other side of the garage.
"Confidence between drivers will ebb and flow. You see it in other teams, and you'll see it in our one. Don't forget that Checo won in Azerbaijan. He stuck it on pole in Miami, and then the confidence flowed to Max in the race. So, it will bounce between the two, but Checo has never been down in the dumps after the race.
Monaghan concluded by saying, "He might reflect upon it and think it wasn't his best race. That's within his right to do so. But he comes back the following race weekend. He's confident, he's chirpy, and he's a wonderful element within our team. And we'll support him with everything we've got."