F1 News
Max Verstappen compares this season to 2022: 'we were not the fastest'
- Ludo van Denderen
The Spanish Grand Prix revealed exactly how the balance of power currently lies in Formula 1. The conclusion after an exciting race? Red Bull Racing has the best driver in Max Verstappen, but McLaren has the fastest car. That knowledge makes Verstappen think back to 2022 when Ferrari started the new regulations on the front foot.
Although Verstappen managed to take the world title the past three seasons, for only one year he did so with the strongest car in the field. "I think in 2022 we were not the quickest, Ferrari was the quickest, and last year, I think we were quite good, but I think Mercedes were actually quite decent at that time of the year."
Currently, McLaren is faster than Red Bull and the Dutchman is therefore full of praise for his rival. "McLaren are just doing a really, really good job. They have brought a lot of good updates to their car, it really just seems to work. From our side, we have brought things to the car, but probably not as much lap time as what others have been bringing to their car, so now it's up to us to try and find a bit more, try to get that little jump ahead again."
'Red Bull needs to work on tyre wear'
A key focus for Red Bull in the coming period is going to be finding a solution to the high tyre wear they suffered in Spain. "We just couldn't look after the tyres like Lando, for example, could. These kinds of things are quite crucial on most of the tracks where you have a bit of deg. We need to try and be better on that." Concluded the three-time world champion.