Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has poured cold water on Max Verstappen’s claim that he could have wrapped up the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship even earlier had he been driving a Ferrari or a McLaren.
Verstappen made the bold assertion to the media fresh off clinching his fourth consecutive title in Las Vegas, with two races to spare.
While championship runner-up Lando Norris responded by suggesting that Verstappen “should start doing comedy or something”, Charles Leclerc, a three-time winner with Ferrari this season, also dismissed the Red Bull driver’s allegation, calling “a bit of a stretch”.
Revisiting the Dutchman's quote in a recent interview with Italy’s Autosprint, a no-nonsense Vasseur also wasn’t buying Verstappen’s hypothetical chest-thumping.
“It makes no sense to think or say that in another team Verstappen would have won the same since it is not possible to separate the performance of a driver from that of his car,” Vasseur said.
“There are too many elements involved.
“It makes no sense to say that Verstappen would have won in a McLaren as well since the quality level of Woking’s team also depends on feedback and work done with its current drivers,” he added.
For context, the 2024 season saw a significant tightening of the grid, with Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes bringing upgrades that closed the gap to Red Bull. This newfound parity even saw Verstappen endure a 10-race winless streak mid-season before rebounding with a stunning recovery victory in Brazil.
While Verstappen’s comments might have been intended as a light-hearted jab at his rivals, Vasseur pointed out that Red Bull’s dip in competitiveness this year was a humbling reminder of how small mistakes can have big consequences.
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“In 2022 and 2023 the Red Bull was much better,” the Frenchman explained. “When you have six-tenths [margin], you can make mistakes and nobody notices it and you are beatified.
“This year, however, it was enough [of] a small mistake to take the team of Milton Keynes down to sixth place.”
But Vasseur wasn’t entirely critical of Verstappen as the Ferrari boss readily acknowledged the Dutchman’s ability to grind out results even when he faced unfavorable odds.
“What impressed me about Verstappen this year was his ability to extract the best even when they struggled,” he said.
“And this is a lesson for us, because over the course of a season in such a competitive context there are races where we are not the strongest, but it is necessary to maximize the result.
“To win, you need to make a difference when you’re not in the right place – that’s where he has made a difference.”
So, while Vasseur dismissed the idea of Verstappen winning with any car, he acknowledged the champion’s skill in maximizing his results, a quality that any team would value.
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