Max Verstappen has been leading the championship since the 2022 Spanish GP. The Dutchman has been dominating the world of Formula 1 since his first world championship victory in 2021. Furthermore, his powerful reign shows no signs of stopping anytime soon, thanks to the impressive cars prepared by Red Bull. However, a former Formula 1 driver believes that Verstappen’s domination will soon come to an end.
When Verstappen joined the Formula 1 grid in 2015, he spent several years driving inferior cars. At that time, Mercedes was the dominant force in the championship and seemed unbeatable. However, after years of struggle, Red Bull, with the help of the 26-year-old Verstappen, regained its position at the top in the 2021 season, ushering in a new era of domination in Formula 1.
Imagine if Lewis Hamilton were at Ferrari, Max Verstappen joined Mercedes, and Adrian Newey went to Aston Martin with Fernando Alonso… It would be a dream for fans and a much-needed shake-up in Formula 1 to break the current cycle of domination.
Sky Sports commentator and Formula 1 analyst, Karun Chandhok, believes that this cycle of domination needs to be broken soon. He points out that during the Mercedes domination era, there was a fierce battle between teammates Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. Later, when Rosberg retired, Ferrari challenged Mercedes in the 2017-2018 seasons. Chandhok emphasizes that there has never been a single driver dominating for three consecutive years to the extent that Verstappen is currently doing. A significant change is needed to increase competitiveness in the sport.
Il y a eu du chaos à Milton Keynes lorsque le chef de Red Bull, Christian Horner, a été accusé de comportement inapproprié envers un collègue. Cela a entraîné des rumeurs circulant dans le paddock concernant des membres clés du personnel, y compris Verstappen, potentiellement quittant l’équipe après la saison 2024.
Verstappen a exprimé que son objectif est d’obtenir des performances de l’équipe plutôt que de s’impliquer dans des drames internes. Il a également mentionné que l’équipe est devenue plus calme par rapport au début de la saison. Un environnement calme est important pour le champion en titre.
Le triple champion a affirmé que, à son avis, il n’y a aucune raison de quitter Red Bull malgré l’intérêt d’autres équipes. Cependant, il reste encore beaucoup à faire dans la saison actuelle, donc des changements dans d’autres membres clés de l’équipe restent possibles.