Max Verstappen is a talented driver, no doubt, but could he really have won the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship in another car?
The Dutchman himself claimed that he could have been champion in the McLaren F1 even earlier than with the Red Bull, and probably also with the Ferrari. But maybe not with the Mercedes.
So Verstappen 2024 world champion in the Ferrari SF-24? The question was asked to Frédéric Vasseur and the director of the Scuderia categorically rejects the matter.
“It makes no sense to think or say that in another team Verstappen would have won the same thing because it is not possible to separate the performance of a driver from that of his car. There are too many “elements at play.”
To illustrate his point, he suggested what might have happened if Verstappen had been a McLaren driver.
“It makes no sense to say that Verstappen would also have won in a McLaren, because the quality level of the Woking team also depends on the feedback and work done with its current drivers.”
“Of course, Verstappen could have gone into a Ferrari or a McLaren and performed very well, but maybe that wouldn't have suited him.”
“In 2022 and 2023, Red Bull was much better. When you have six tenths of a margin in the lead, you can make mistakes and no one notices and you are blissful.”
“This year, however, it only took one small mistake to drop the Milton Keynes team to sixth place.”
Vasseur nevertheless had praise for the driver who won the title.
“What impressed me about Verstappen this year was his ability to get the best out of them even when they were struggling.”
“And it’s a lesson for us, because during a season in such a competitive context, there are races where we are not the strongest, but we have to maximize the result.”
“To win, you have to make the difference when you're not in the right place. That's where he made the difference.”
