Jacques Villeneuve insists it’s Max Verstappen and not Red Bull who has truly dominated the season.
This season, Red Bull has been at the forefront, clinching victory in 16 out of 17 races leading up to the United States Grand Prix. Their only setback came in Singapore, where they were bested by Ferrari.
Out of those remarkable 16 victories, Max Verstappen has been the victor in 14, setting a new record with ten consecutive wins. These accomplishments secured both titles for Red Bull in a back-to-back championship double.
Despite Red Bull’s exceptional performance this year, Villeneuve insists that it is Verstappen who has truly made the difference.
“It wrong to say Red Bull is unbeatable, Max is. One has to remember that Mercedes was a second faster than the rest when they dominated,” the 1997 Formula 1 World Champion told Gazetta dello Sport.
“There was a fight at that time only because there was a conflict between Mercedes’ drivers,” he added.
“Red Bull is not a second faster than the rest of the field. They struggle to grab pole positions and if they do it at all, it’s by a tenth of a second.”
Throughout the year, Perez has grappled with a lack of form, managing to secure just five points in the past three races.
As he continues to shower praise on Verstappen, Villeneuve has put forth the notion that Perez’s struggles might be a reflection of the actual performance level of this year’s Red Bull car.
“Verstappen has taken the poles, not Perez,” he said. “The Mexican is much further back each time, which shows the level of the car.
“Verstappen is a beast. He won the titles in the last three years. His car was not the deciding factor.”
