Red Bull F1 aren't 'miles ahead' of rivals claims top pundit

Christian Horner, Max Verstappen and the rest of the team celebrating the teams' championship in Japan. — Photo: © LAT Images

F1 News & Gossip

F1 pundit explains why Red Bull aren't 'miles ahead' of rivals

A key reason behind Red Bull's dominance has been identified

Cal Gaunt

Monday 13 November 2023 17:57

F1 pundit Tom Clarkson does not believe that Red Bull are "miles ahead" of their rivals, but insists consistency is key for other teams to rival them.

With 19 victories out of 20 Formula One Grands Prix this season, 17 of which have been secured by world champion Max Verstappen, Red Bull have rarely looked over their shoulders as they took victory in both the constructors and drivers' championships.

Despite this clear dominance over the rest of the grid, Clarkson believesthe gulf between Red Bull and their challengers, Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren, is not as big as one might think.

Red Bull duo Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have won all but one Grand Prix this season so far

McLaren have emerged as a surprise challenger to Red Bull in the latter part of the season

Consistency is key

“I think, in a nutshell, what we’ve seen from Mercedes actually explains the difference between Red Bull and the entire grid,” Clarkson told the F1 Nation podcast.

“I don’t believe that at any point - maybe Suzuka - that Red Bull have been miles ahead of the opposition.

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“They’ve just been more consistent. That RB19 has performed at every race track, whereas everyone else has been up and down like a yo-yo.”

Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton is challenging Sergio Perez for P2 in the drivers' championship

Mercedes are currently battling to secure P2 in the constructors championship over Ferrari, who trail them by 20 points heading into the final two races of the season in Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi.

Silver Arrows driver Lewis Hamilton faces a similar fight, as he attempts to overtake Sergio Perez in the last two races and secure his place as runner-up to Verstappen.