Formula E driver Sam Bird reckons that Max Verstappen is far more ruthless than Lewis Hamilton when it comes to crushing their teammates.
Max Verstappen is heading towards a second consecutive title in 2022. The Dutchman is dominating the 2022 season completely crushing every other driver.
This season marks his 5th year in a row of dominating over his teammate. Verstappen lost to his teammate last time in 2017 when Daniel Ricciardo drove with him.
We can say the same for his former title rival Lewis Hamilton. The Briton dominated Valtteri Bottas from 2017 to 2021, although the 7-time world champion is struggling this year. Nevertheless, Formula E driver Sam Bird reckons that the lead of Max Verstappen over his teammates is far more dominating,
This season Max Verstappen has 9 wins to his name dwarfing his teammate Sergio Perez’s 1 win so far.
In the recent Belgian Grand Prix, the Dutchman dominated his teammate gapping Perez by a whopping 18 seconds even after starting P14. Perez on the other hand started at 2nd position in the front row.
Bird believes that kind of performance sets Verstappen apart from other drivers.
“Max’s skill set is remarkable, because Sergio Perez is a very strong driver,”
he said during a podcast.
“But Max Verstappen is not only able to find just a little bit more speed than him, we’re talking a second a lap. Pretty much when he needs to, when he wants to.
“It’s a second a lap and that’s a staggering amount of lap time. If I’m a second a lap off a team-mate, I’m thinking what on earth is going on?
“He’s able to destroy and dispatch people in such a manner that I don’t think I’ve seen.
“I mean, Lewis dominated Formula 1 for a long period of time, but he didn’t absolutely destroy team-mates like this, I don’t think.
“Valtteri was closer to Lewis than anybody has been to Max recently.”
Max Verstappen knows how to get maximum of a good car
Max Verstappen’s pace was so much that one can argue that is what led to Ricciardo leaving Red Bull in 2018. However, preference for the number 1 driver that is Verstappen can also be called the reason for Ricciardo’s call.
But, this doesn’t undermine the fact that Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon both were ultimately demoted for not being able to match Verstappen’s pace.
“Max is the complete package,” Bird added.
“His car control, his superb ability to brake late, feel the car underneath him in that particular area of the circuit is superb.
“He’s able to control the car in terms of its slip-on exit of corners brilliantly. He’s got the car set up exactly how he wants. Verstappen’s been at Red Bull now for a pretty long time and he knows exactly how he wants that racing car.
“They’ve designed the car, remember, for Max Verstappen to go quickly. And that is really helping him right now. His confidence is up.
“He’s the reigning World Champion. I don’t see him being beaten. I just don’t.”
Max Verstappen now leads World Drivers Championship by a whopping 93 points ahead of his teammate Sergio Perez.
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