This year, Red Bull has been the leader of the pack in Formula 1, with 12 of the first 13 races going their way. Max Verstappen has been the star of the season, capturing 10 of the victories and having a firm grip on the Drivers’ Championship with 125 points more than Sergio Perez, who has also won twice.
This utter dominance displayed by the team this season has arguably made the sport boring, and to slow this, the Mercedes team principal made a bold claim.
Mercedes boss makes a big F1 season prediction
Red Bull’s supremacy has gone mostly unopposed. However, Red Bull has a 256-point lead over Mercedes, who is currently in second place in the constructors’ standings, holding a 51-point lead over Aston Martin. While Red Bull has been dominant throughout the year, a major portion of its success can be attributed to Verstappen.
On the other hand, Perez has faced challenges, openly acknowledging a period of poor performance. He had a tough time between the Monaco and British Grands Prix, failing to make it into the final qualifying segment for five consecutive races.
The season as a whole has felt to be very predictable and monotonous for the fans, as Verstappen has been winning races back to back. When Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff was asked about it, he, according to RacingNews365.com said, “Yeah, I think you just need to take Max out of the equation. The second Red Bull is where we are.”
“It would be a fantastic season and close racing. But you know, the stopwatch never lies, there’s just one guy in one car that is above everything else.
“And we just got to catch up. There’s no choice.”
Toto Wolff isn’t the only one who has envisioned the sport without the Dutchman. Many fans and some media houses have too. The hypothetical scenario maybe isn’t that far as after Toto’s interview the Redbull champion has spoken about his departure.
Max Verstappen raises questions about F1’s future
Max Verstappen has been dominating the 2023 F1 season, yet he has expressed his disagreement with various aspects of the sport’s governance, including the Sprint race format and the increasing event calendar. In a conversation with De Telegraaf, he confessed his issues have led him to consider if racing in F1 is still worth it for him.
“I am concerned about the sport that I have always loved. I still like it, but only to a certain extent,” said Verstappen.
“It’s not that I’m completely against change, as is sometimes said. But they must be adjustments that benefit Formula 1.
“Why do you have to change certain things when things are going well? I think a traditional Qualifying session is well set up in that form. It shouldn’t just be about money.”
Max further delved into the fans’ perspective and said that people might think that he should not complain because he earns a lot of money, but he said that it is not about the money; it is about his well-being. He said that he sometimes feels like he has to do too much, and he wonders if it is all worth it.
He gave the example of marketing activities, which he said he spends more than a month a year on. He said that at a certain point, he does not feel like doing it anymore. He said that he would like to focus more on his racing and less on other commitments.
What do you think about Max Verstappen possibly retiring from Formula 1? And do you think Mercedes will win its ninth constructor title in the near future? Tell us in the comments section down below.
