Former Mercedes boss slams Red Bull rivals

Former Mercedes motorsport vice president Norbert Haug has labelled Red Bull's Formula 1 rivals as "inferior", expressing his concerns about the lack of competitiveness from the rest of the field.

To say Red Bull have dominated the the 2023 F1 season would be an understatement.

Max Verstappen and the RB19 have obliterated countless records this season, as the Dutchman claimed his third consecutive leading Red Bull to their sixth constructors' championship and their first ever one-two in the drivers' standings.

Whilst this outstanding season has impressed Haug, the German is also incredibly disappointed with the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes.

"Such a clear superiority or, conversely, inferiority, depending on the perspective from which one views the competitive situation, has never existed in the history of Formula 1 since 1950," said Haug to Deutsche Presse-Agentur.

READ MORE: Unstoppable Verstappen is a MAJOR PROBLEM for F1

Haug: 2023 competition not good enough

The 70-year-old praised Verstappen and emphasised that this could by no means be the basis for an exciting World Championship in the long run.

"As much as this speaks to the overwhelming strength of Verstappen and Red Bull Racing," Haug stated.

"It clearly describes that the competition in 2023 was by no means good enough."

Although fans have been reassured by pundits and teams that the gap to Red Bull is closing, the Austrian team's dominance has meant that Christian Horner's team have been able to start work on the 2024 car well before their rivals.

READ MORE: Why Adrian Newey is the BEST and WORST thing to happen to F1

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