Verstappen Wasn't 'On The Limit' In 2023 And 'Will Continue Winning' Says Tost

Monday, 08 January 2024 at 17:00

Former AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost buried hopes of rival teams for a Championship fight in 2024, saying Max Verstappen wasn't even on his limit last year.

Meanwhile, Max Verstappen completely took over the most recent season. Many of the teams behind Red Bull believe they are not too far from the leader's pace to come back and challenge for the title in 2024.

However, in order to win the title, teams like Ferrari, Mercedes, Aston Martin, or McLaren not only have to build a competitive car, but their drivers still have to beat the triple World Champion.

Asked by F1-Insider.com whether he sees any F1 driver that could bring the challenge to Verstappen, Tost replied nobody has a chance if the triple World Champion continues to have a competitive car.

“"No. If Max continues to have a good car, he will win many more races and titles. He’s still not at the limit, and he’s only going to get better."”

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Verstappen is currently 26 years old, and he has been in F1 for nine years already. However, the past trends show he only became better and better with each season.

The question remains if there is any driver on the grid that could challenge Verstappen even in equal machinery. Tost believes there isn't.

“"No driver who is or will be his team-mate will ever get beyond the role of a number two driver."”

On the other hand, there are currently some very young and talented drivers who are believed to become World Champions one day, like Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, George Russell, or Lando Norris.

Let's also not forget about the two most experienced drivers on the grid at the moment - Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso- who have already proved they can win the championship.

As it stands right now, it is believed Verstappen should have a competitive car at least until the end of the 2025 season. Can he extend his Championship winning streak to five consecutive titles?