Max the 'MONSTER' – Former Verstappen engineer reveals F1 champion's most pivotal ability

Max Verstappen

Max the 'MONSTER' – Former Verstappen engineer reveals F1 champion's most pivotal ability

Blake Hinsey labelled the 2023 championship leader a 'monster' in one key aspect of driving

Dan Davis

Saturday 6 May 2023 14:57

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Former Formula 1 performance engineer Blake Hinsey has described Max Verstappen as a 'monster' at nursing his tyres, insisting his ability to run longer stints and maintain his pace is a key reason behind his success.

Verstappen once again tops the drivers' championship this year in his bid to retain his crown and has hit the ground running, having clinched two victories from the first four races and demonstrated the RB19's formidable speed.

So far, his closest rival has been team-mate Sergio Perez, often proclaimed as the best "tyre whisperer" on the grid. The duo have traded blows in recent weeks and are separated by just six points after Perez's second win of the season in Baku.

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Their ability to protect their rubber has aided Red Bull's quest for yet another constructors' title, with advisor Helmut Marko admitting during the previous campaign that Verstappen is able to execute any set plan 'optimally'.

Crucially, Hinsey agrees, with Verstappen and Perez's former ally praising both racers.

Perez has made no secret of his bid to dethrone Verstappen this year

Speaking to Channel 4, he said: "There's the narrative of him [Perez] being exceptionally good on the tyres.

"I think the dangerous thing for all the other teams is both Max and Checo are insanely good on their tyres. They have the conundrum. They can do it, go fast and save tyres.

"That's the thing, most drivers, you ask them 'we need you to increase your pace by two tenths, can you look after the tyre?' They say 'no'.

"Whatever it is about the car and combination with these two guys, I've seen Checo do it many times, and I've seen Max do it multiple times. They're both monsters.

"But what is it exactly that he's [Perez] good at? Yes, the low speed 90-degree corners, great at it, taking risks when he needs to, leaving just enough margin repeatedly over and over in the way that you need to do to do well in a race and qualifying session around the street circuit.

"They both can do it. But he's traditionally been much closer at the circuits numerically."

Two team-mates tussle

Hinsey went on to reveal that over a traditional circuit, Verstappen holds an advantage of 'half a per cent upwards of a one per cent gap' over Perez, although this deficit is effectively wiped out for street tracks.

"Traditional circuits, Max was about half a per cent ahead," he added. "So I mean he had a clear gap to him on traditional circuits, half a per cent upwards of a one per cent gap to Checo.

"On street circuits, there was no gap in the qualifying laps they set. Obviously, the context from that is removed, but the numbers don't lie. He does tend to go well there, he qualifies well there, and he tends to race well there.

"So I think it's a little bit of everything, the killer instinct, the adaptability."