On Sunday, Max Verstappen won his 7th race of the year, showcasing his continued dominance in motorsport. The only person who even posed a challenge to the Dutch 25-year-old from winning a grand prix twice this year has only been his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez.
There were rumours about Leclerc and Sainz challenging Max Verstappen at the Austrian GP when they had lined up behind him in second and third on the starting grid after noticing Ferrari’s impressive straight-line pace during qualifying.
Max Verstappen makes a bold claim on Ferrari
The world champion chose to sit out and hold track position while Leclerc and Sainz opted to pit during the virtual safety car due to Haas’s car damage. This was the only chance for Ferrari to throw a pinch at the Red Bull driver. However, this strategy did not bear fruit as Max Verstappen finished first while Leclerc came home in 2nd place.
“The virtual safety car made it a bit different for several cars’ strategies. But we just stuck to our own one. I think that worked out well, to be honest, in the end. I think the pace was good. It wouldn’t have mattered what kind of strategy they [Ferrari] did, and I think we always had the upper hand in the race.” Told Max to the media dissing Ferrari while he was at it.
The ultimate sign of dominance was displayed when he secured the fastest lap at the final lap of the Austrian GP after pitting for softs in the penultimate lap. “I think they could hear that I wanted to pit in my voice! Luckily they called me in so I can sleep well tonight,” said Verstappen after the race.
How many podiums does Ferrari have in 2023?
Ferrari has currently only secured a mere number of two podiums, and both have been by Charles Leclerc. He secured second place in Austria and third place in Baku. While Ferrari was a race contender at the end of last season, they are nowhere near what they aspire to be, which is competing against Red Bull in the front.
The interesting point is that Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, and Max Verstappen all have more podiums than the Ferrari team. Upgrades and interventions in team strategy for a team with horse speed are necessary.
Max Verstappen does not shy away from showing dominance on and off track. One can only expect more conceit comments from the world champion unless someone rises and dethrone the king of the orange army. Comment and tell us what you think of Max Verstappen and his dominance.
