Red Bull have long been accused of designing their F1 cars to suit Max Verstappen and his preferred driving style, leaving his team-mates to struggle to adapt to their machines
Max Verstappen has rubbished the suggested he does not have to change the way he drives to suit his Red Bull cars.
It’s been suggested for a long time that the team builds its vehicles to complement Verstappen’s driving style. Some of his Formula 1 teammates, who believe they are behind the Dutchman, have backed up that particular theory.
His current partner, Sergio Perez, has been thoroughly outscored in each of their three seasons together thus far. In response, the Mexican’s father repeated last year the allegation that Verstappen receives preferential treatment.
“Max drives with all of the grip in the front, and Checo has always used the grip in the back, so the car is set for Max,” stated Perez Sr. ” Checo is employed for the second-place position that he currently occupies.
“You have to realize that there is only one champion. He needs to respect it and earn it. You must recognize and honor the fact that all of this was constructed in order for Max to be a champion. He might rank fourth or sixth if he joined another squad.”
Despite claims to the contrary, Verstappen is adamant that he does not have such a drastically different driving style. The three-time world champion insisted in an interview with Motorsport.com that he must alter the way he approaches his work on the track.
“It’s about being able to adapt to certain situations or what the car likes as well,” he said in response to the question, “What is your driving style? What is it that I desire? More grip is what I want. You have a lot of desires, some of which are unattainable. I simply adjust to the car that I’m given.
“The team just makes improvements to the car to make it faster throughout the year. not to attempt to go in the direction of a specific balance or anything else. All upgrades give you is an overall increase in load and grip.
“I’m satisfied with the car’s behavior, but I have to adjust my driving if it becomes a little less responsive. Alternatively, it works the same way if it’s more erratic.
“It’s been alright, I think. In certain races, you either oversteer or understeer more. In terms of balance, it fluctuates a lot and isn’t always on the nose. You can’t run certain tracks that way.”
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