F1 News: Max Verstappen Isn’t The Reason For Red Bull Success Says Former Driver
Former F1 driver, Jean Alesi, recently shared his insight on the “fundamental factor” behind Red Bull Racing’s success in an interview with Autosprint. Alesi emphasized the importance of Adrian Newey, the chief technical officer at Red Bull, as the “decisive factor” in the team’s success. Newey, who is highly regarded as an aerodynamicist, is known for his exceptional ability to design F1 cars.
Despite some reliability issues at the beginning of the 2022 season, Red Bull Racing powered through with Max Verstappen taking the driver’s championship win at the Japanese Grand Prix and then leading the team to victory in the constructor’s championship a week later in Austin.
Alesi also acknowledged that both Ferrari and Mercedes had difficulties in the 2022 season, with Ferrari struggling with car issues and strategic errors, and Mercedes experiencing multiple issues with the W13 cars, including extreme porpoising.
Alesi said the following:
“If we really look at how things stand, the real factor to consider is Adrian Newey. “Ever since F1 announced that there were new rules and engineers were given freedom, Newey has been making a difference.
“Newey has become the decisive factor, because he is able like no other to keep improving the car during the season, even if it’s only small changes. In the end, though, they are small gains.
“That’s why I don’t think it will be a battle between [Max] Verstappen and [Charles] Leclerc, but fundamentally between Newey and Ferrari. If he again comes up with a masterpiece, everything will be very difficult again this year.”
In the interview, Alesi stated that Newey’s ability to continuously improve the car during the season, even with small changes, has been a significant factor in the team’s success. He also noted that the competition for the upcoming season will not be between drivers, but rather between Newey and Ferrari.
Alesi added that if Red Bull’s car has any weaknesses, the outcome could change in favour of Ferrari or Mercedes. He emphasized that Newey is a “fundamental factor” in determining the team’s success or failure.