Martin Brundle has observed that Max Verstappen’s performance at Spa was akin to driving a superior car compared to his Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez.
Brundle acknowledges that such a statement may fuel the speculation of “conspiracy theorists” who doubt whether Verstappen and Perez have equal machinery.
Despite starting from P6 on the grid due to a five-place penalty for a gearbox change, Verstappen made remarkable progress, overtaking Perez by Lap 17 and eventually securing a commanding victory with a substantial margin of over 22 seconds.
Verstappen’s dominance at Red Bull has proved a formidable test for his teammates, with Gasly and Albon losing their spots for not matching up. Similarly, Perez’s title challenge for F1 2023 has crumbled under Verstappen’s eight consecutive wins.
In the Belgian Grand Prix, Brundle noticed Verstappen’s extraordinary harmony with the RB19, making Perez seem like he was handling an entirely different car.
Brundle in his column for Sky Sports F1 wrote: “It’s so unbelievable, the performance of the whole team, pit stops, strategy, the drivers.”
“And we do some entertainment [with] the conversations between Max and [his engineer over the radio].”
“Perez in the other Red Bull was 22 seconds behind, such was Verstappen’s command over his ever-willing car.”
“When Max caught Sergio it was as if he was in a different car because he was able to take tighter lines and still get better exit traction.
“He’s found a way to carry speed while continuing to babysit the Pirellis. It’s a touch, feel, and finesse that’s very difficult to learn and achieve in my experience.”
