F1 team boss predicts Max Verstappen mistakes as Red Bull tipped to slip up

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F1 team boss predicts Verstappen mistakes as Red Bull tipped to slip up

The world champion dominated the 2023 season on his way to a third straight title

Tyler Rowlinson

Tuesday 5 December 2023 09:57

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Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur believes that Max Verstappen will make mistakes if he is put under pressure next year.

The Dutchman clinched his third world title in dominant fashion in 2023, winning 19 of the 22 races on the calendar.

Red Bull emerged triumphant in all but one weekend, meanwhile, with Carlos Sainz taking the chequered flag first for the Scuderia in Singapore.

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The grid widely acknowledged that the untouchable Verstappen had been in a league of his own, but Vasseur feels that this could change after the break.

Fred Vasseur believes it is only a matter of time before Max Verstappen makes mistakes

Max Verstappen dominated 2023 with 19 race wins out of 22

Future hope

"I think it is not sure that someone has a doubt on this, he did a mega season," Vasseur said, as per The Mirror.

"He was fighting with Checo [Perez] in the first two or three events and then he was on another planet.

"Clearly, he didn't do a mistake all season and, when he struggled in qualifying, like in Jeddah, it was due to a mechanical issue. And then he was always there, always making good starts, no contact. The only one was Vegas.

"But I think we are getting a bit closer to him. I don't want to say putting him under pressure because it is not true, [in Abu Dhabi] he was not under pressure.

Carlos Sainz was the only non-Red Bull driver to win a race last year

"But he was a bit more under pressure than he was in Zandvoort, or in some other events when he was flying.

"There is no doubt on the fact that he was dominating all the season. And the only issue for us is that, as everybody, he will do more mistakes when he will be under pressure.

"But nobody was able to put him under pressure this season except us at the last two or three events, or except Carlos [Sainz] in Singapore.

"And it's where he started to do some mistakes, or perhaps Red Bull did some mistakes in terms of set-up. We were too far away to put this kind of pressure on them."