Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes will be among Red Bull’s main rivals in the upcoming season, according to Max Verstappen. The defending F1 world champion won the season easily, but he anticipates a more competitive race in 2019.
Verstappen achieved an amazing 19 victories and 21 podium finishes in 2023, making it his best season to date. Because of his dominance on the track, the driver earned 575 points, 290 more than his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez.
The Dutch driver’s stellar season eclipsed his previous best of 15 victories from the previous campaign. Furthermore, his record for points surpasses Sebastian Vettel’s remarkable 155-point advantage from 2013. .
The win was Verstappen’s third in a row, suggesting that the 26-year-old is going from strength to strength and will continue to out perform his rivals for years to come. But in a surprising twist, Verstappen has instead suggested he could struggle next season thanks to Red Bull’s rivals.
Running the same season will be almost impossible,” he told NOS. “Of course, we will try to develop our car further, but the other teams have learned a lot from us. I hope there won’t be more competition, but I expect there to be
“Every weekend it was a different team that showed itself just as well. McLaren, for example, seemed to have it all sorted out for a while, but then had a dip again. They seem to know which way to go and there are good people working there.”
Mercedes aren’t the only team that Verstappen has admitted to being wary of next season. The Red Bull driver also pin pointed a threat from a further two teams that are expected to upset the pack.
“It’s automatically going to be closer together,” Verstappen added when reflecting on the final races of the season. “You also saw it in qualifying this past season: it wasn’t always easy.”
Verstappen’s remarks indicate that the upcoming season will be competitive, but given his enormous bonus payments for winning the world championship, the Dutch driver will be keen to have another successful year.
According to a Forbes report, the F1 star won an astounding $70 million (£55 million) after the final race. A base salary of $45 million (£35 million) and a bonus of $25 million (£19 million) were included in the money.
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