Verstappen Clarifies Improvement From RB19 He Is Looking For: 'This Topic Is Not Yet Closed'
F1Friday, 05 January 2024 at 12:00
Red Bull's RB19 (2023 car) is arguably the most dominant car ever. However, Max Verstappen still sees areas that could be improved.
RB19 allowed Max Verstappen to score his third consecutive World Championship in a more dominant manner than anybody in the history of Formula One.
Red Bull was so far ahead of their rivals throughout the season they didn't even have to introduce new upgrades in the second half and still continued winning. On the other hand, Verstappen still sees places for improvement, as he told Auto Motor Sport:
"You have to drive these cars deep and stiff. For us, this topic is not yet closed. On city circuits, it is clear that we are not so well positioned in this regard. We are working on it."
Red Bull seemed to struggle particularly on street circuits like Singapore (the only race they lost) or Las Vegas. When asked if curbs and bumps create a problem for the RB19, the 26-year-old explained it is not that simple.
"It's not a real problem. But we can simply get better in this regard. The same applies to behavior in slow curves. One is related to the other."
Ferrari, in particular, has been quite the opposite of Red Bull in 2023. Their car was suited to slow corners, bumps, and curbs while being slower in high-speed corners. Verstappen continued:
"It's the driving behavior. That our car does not absorb the bumps as much as others. In slow corners, our car is simply not as dominant as in other places. In fast curves, for example, it is very good."
Even though Verstappen can see some weaknesses of the Red Bull 2023 car, it still has been the versatile car that performed well on 21 out of 22 circuits in the season. That is something other F1 teams would wish for.
"Other cars may have their performance peaks. For example, they are good on city courses, but weaken in fast curves. Or vice versa. On average, our car is simply very balanced and very good."
Adrian Newey lately revealed his team sacrificed qualifying performance deliberately to enhance the race pace, and that decision turned out to be one of the best. When asked to name the strengths of his RB19, Verstappen added:
"I wouldn't say that we are much better than others in high-speed turns. McLaren is also very good there. We are not much better in medium-speed turns. But our car is an all-rounder. That counts. And it looks like we are pretty good in the race, and with our tires."
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