Max Verstappen 'advantage' revealed in on-board footage

Verstappen wint op Yas Marina — Photo: © LAT Images

F1 News & Gossip

Huge Verstappen 'advantage' revealed in on-board footage

Rene Arnoux believes the RB19 provided Max Verstappen with the edge over his competitors

Cal Gaunt

Thursday 21 December 2023 09:12

René Arnoux, a seasoned seven-time F1 grands prix winner, has delved into the intricacies of Max Verstappen's prowess behind the wheel and believes he has a unique advantage over the rest of the grid.

According to Arnoux, the Red Bull RB19 allows Verstappen to effortlessly navigate corners with remarkable stability unmatched by his rivals.

In the extraordinary F1 2023 season, Verstappen not only clinched his third consecutive world championship but also etched his name in history with a record-breaking 19 wins out of 22 races.

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Arnoux highlights the unparalleled control Verstappen exhibits, evident in his ability to smoothly carve through corners, while competitors are often seen making continuous corrections with their steering wheels.

Max Verstappen won 19 of 22 races in 2023

Rene Arnoux says Max Verstappen and his RB19 were too good for anybody else to compete

Other drivers forced to correct

“Max is a fabulous driver,” Arnoux told Gazzetta dello Sport. “Take a look at the on-board camera footage.

"Max brakes, turns, holds the steering wheel still and draws a clean line through the corner.

"The other drivers have to constantly make corrections at the wheel.”

Max Verstappen had the edge over Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz

Max has more bite than Sainz

“We can say with certainty that Charles Leclerc was very unhappy this year,” Arnoux added. “But his performances were consistently good, in complete contrast to Carlos Sainz.

“Sainz gave a fantastic performance in Singapore, but in most of the other races, he fell short of expectations.

“For me, Leclerc is one of the world’s best drivers, in Verstappen’s group.

“Max might have a little more bite. But as I said, with a car like that it is also easier for Verstappen to show performance at such a high level.

"The Ferrari literally ate the tyres. After five laps of a grand prix, Max was already relaxing.”

Max Verstappen Qatar Grand Prix René Arnoux