Red Bull emphatically answered F1's "big question mark" - Verstappen

Ian Parkes
Friday 23 December 2022 16:30

Max Verstappen believes Red Bull's first constructors' championship triumph since 2013 proved to be a monkey off the back for the entire F1 team.

Verstappen initially secured his second drivers' title with four races to spare before then helping Red Bull end eight years of Mercedes domination with its fifth constructors' crown overall.

It followed a major aerodynamic regulation change as Red Bull, under the guidance of design guru Adrian Newey, built a car that may not have been the fastest early on but quickly proved almost unbeatable as Verstappen delivered a record-breaking 15 wins.

Hailing Red Bull's crushing title double, speaking to this writer in an interview for The New York Times, Verstappen said: "You work on it every single year, and this year, both cars had really good results. You always need two cars to perform well, and we did.

"It's really satisfying for everyone at the factory. They work flat out, trying to achieve it because the drivers' title is amazing, but it gives you even more satisfaction if you can win as a team as well.

"At the end of the day, what you always try to work for, in the year, is to win both. This year we had a bit more luck. Last year, in some races both cars got taken out or whatever, and we lost a lot of points battling.

"This year, in general, we've been more competitive."

As to why, Verstappen said of the RB18 that "it's just a better car compared to the competition".

With Newey at the helm, Red Bull swiftly adapted to the regulation change. Verstappen added: "At the end of the day, it's all about who designs the best car, who comes up with the more clever ideas.

"It was all a big question mark for everyone as to where you were going to be because, okay, you have your own numbers but you don't know what others are finding.

"Yes, from the start of the year, the car was a little bit overweight, but overall, it performed well."