For the past six years, finding a suitable team-mate for Max Verstappen has been a persistent issue for Red Bull Racing. The recent replacement of Liam Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda after only two races highlights the extreme pressure and high standards within the team.
Yuki Tsunoda is now the latest driver to take on what many consider to be the most demanding position in Formula 1. Liam Lawson, after being replaced, will return to Racing Bulls, where the team hopes he can regain his confidence.
Lawson was initially considered to replace Sergio Perez over the winter. Perez`s difficulties in the car had significantly hampered Red Bull`s chances of retaining the Constructors` Championship.
Although Sergio Perez has been with Red Bull for four seasons, he has not consistently matched Verstappen`s performance. Before Perez, Alex Albon had an 18-month stint, and Pierre Gasly lasted only half a season.
This raises a key question: why is it so challenging to be Verstappen`s team-mate?
Verstappen`s Unique Driving Style
One theory suggests that Red Bull designs its car to specifically suit Verstappen`s driving style, which may be a factor in his team-mates` struggles.
Drivers have different preferences when it comes to car handling. Some prefer understeer, while others prefer oversteer. Verstappen favors oversteer and demands sharp turn-in during cornering.
Ideally, a race car would have neither oversteer nor understeer, but Formula 1 cars usually exhibit one or both.
Verstappen himself describes his preference: “I like a responsive front end with a rear that`s stable enough for controlled balance. I dislike understeer; it ruins the car`s feel. I want a strong front end but still need to rely on the rear.”
Alex Albon, who was Verstappen`s team-mate in 2019 and 2020, struggled to consistently reach Q3 and often had to fight through the grid to score points, while Verstappen challenged Mercedes.
In a 2023 interview, Albon explained Verstappen`s driving style using a computer game analogy: “People say the car is built around him, like Michael Schumacher at Ferrari, creating the team around him. But really, the car is what it is, and he`s incredibly fast. He has a unique driving style that`s not easy to adapt to.”
Albon continued, “My style is smoother, and I like a sharp, direct front end. Max also likes a sharp front end, but his level of sharpness is extreme – incredibly sharp.”
“To illustrate, imagine increasing the sensitivity in a computer game to maximum. The slightest mouse movement sends the cursor darting across the screen. That`s how it feels. It becomes so sharp that it creates tension.”
Car Design and Verstappen`s Influence
Is Red Bull designing the car specifically in this way to suit Verstappen`s style?
Verstappen has been with Red Bull since 2016 and has consistently been the faster driver, rarely off the pace.
Since 2019, Verstappen has only been out-qualified 12 times by his team-mates (Gasly, Albon, and Perez). Many of these instances were due to external factors like misfortune or team strategy.
Christian Horner, Red Bull`s team principal, stated, “You always aim for ultimate performance. Fast cars are never easy to drive, but we need to find more performance and have both drivers competitive to contend for the Constructors` Championship, and at least for the Drivers` Championship, you need two cars in the fight.”
Horner added, “Verstappen constantly requests more front-end grip, and naturally, the team`s development direction follows the faster driver`s feedback.”
Despite this, Verstappen has expressed dissatisfaction with the Red Bull car for almost a year, especially since McLaren`s improved performance last season.
He has been observed making constant steering adjustments, indicating the car might not be perfectly to his liking. However, his exceptional talent allows him to maximize the car`s potential, even when it`s not ideal.
Confidence is Key
Formula 1 drivers make countless decisions every lap, and each one impacts performance. Braking points, steering input, cornering lines, and throttle application all happen in fractions of a second, often while racing wheel-to-wheel.
Any hesitation or lack of confidence in the car becomes a significant problem, especially under the immense pressure of driving for a top team like Red Bull.
Martin Brundle, reflecting on Liam Lawson`s performance gap to Verstappen, noted, “Lawson was seven-tenths slower than Verstappen in Q1 in China. It seems like a small margin per corner, but finding that time is incredibly difficult. It requires a fundamental shift.”
Sergio Perez showed initial pace in early 2023 and 2024 but, as seasons progressed, the gap to Verstappen widened. Albon believes this is because car development increasingly favored Verstappen`s driving style, making the car faster but harder for team-mates to handle.
Albon explained, “Early in the season, you might be close in pace, but as the car evolves towards Max`s preference for a sharper front end, he gets faster. To keep up, you have to push harder, take more risks, which can lead to mistakes and crashes, disrupting your progress.”
“Confidence diminishes, the gap grows, and it becomes a cycle. When the car becomes increasingly sharp, you become tenser. In racing, if you`re not in a flow state and constantly thinking about the car`s reactions in corners, it just doesn`t work.”
Verstappen`s Exceptional Talent
Beyond car design and driving styles, Max Verstappen`s exceptional talent is undeniably a major factor. He is a four-time world champion for a reason.
Nico Rosberg considers Verstappen the best driver he competed against, placing him among the top five F1 drivers of all time, alongside legends like Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna, Lewis Hamilton, and Juan Manuel Fangio.
Verstappen is currently at his peak, demonstrated by arguably winning the 2024 title even without the consistently fastest car.
It`s plausible that most drivers on the grid would struggle to match Verstappen`s performance in the same car, highlighting his extraordinary skill.
Horner concludes, “He`s a phenomenal talent. His ability is evident time and again. We recognize how exceptional Max is, and the wider world is beginning to fully appreciate his unique talent.”
Marcus Prine