Max Verstappen has demonstrated throughout his Formula 1 career that he can be a ruthless teammate.
Rarely has any driver managed to beat him throughout a season, especially now he has established himself as a four-time Drivers’ World Champion.
Sergio Perez struggled throughout the 2024 season trying to get at the same level as Verstappen, despite Red Bull identifying a car trait that inherently put the Mexican at a disadvantage.
Verstappen could conjure a result from a car that was seemingly difficult to drive, Perez often found himself starting towards the back of the grid and having to work through the field.
This backfired on him in his final races with the team, after he failed to finish in the final two races and suffered an embarrassing last-place finish at his home race.
Discussing what makes Verstappen better than his teammates at Red Bull, journalist Ben Anderson uncovers a trait that other drivers seemingly struggle to replicate in a video for The Race.
Max Verstappen has motorcycle racer trait that makes him hard to beat
Verstappen is known to like a ‘pointy’ front end on his car, which Alex Albon once likened to having the sensitivity bumped all the way up to the highest setting on a video game.
Drivers will often go into a spiral whereby they chase the same balance as Verstappen, but end up crashing or being dominated throughout a season. It’s this trait that makes the Dutchman so consistently fast in a car that is difficult to drive.
“Where other drivers crave a stable rear end to attack the corners on turn in, Horner says Verstappen is like a motorcycle racer, in that he can carry speed into the corner unflustered while the car is moving around underneath him,” said Anderson.
“That means the team can set the car up to have a more responsive front end and looser rear end, knowing Verstappen will fully exploit the cars sharpness on turn-in.”
Alex Albon warns Liam Lawson about Max Verstappen trait
Helmut Marko has noted how Liam Lawson already has the mental capacity to go up against Verstappen, something Yuki Tsunoda did not demonstrate while at Racing Bulls despite his experience.
Lawson has also received advice from Albon on how to manage Verstappen, given he has beaten all four of his teammates while at Red Bull.
READ MORE: Who is Red Bull Racing F1 driver Liam Lawson? Everything you need to know
Albon has previously warned that Verstappen’s ‘eye watering’ car trait can lead to drivers struggling, which is why Lawson must somehow adapt to it if he wants to prevent another scenario like Perez.
Lawson has demonstrated that he can go up against F1’s big dogs such as Fernando Alonso, after their on-track spat at the US GP. Red Bull is also confident in Lawson’s ability to take hold of an opportunity, something that could result in him earning his first race win this season.
