The Red Bull falters, the Racing Bull obeys: would Verstappen have been better off there?
A well-known analyst (and former F1 driver himself) was certain, saying off the record to GPblog in Hungary: if Max Verstappen had driven for Racing Bulls this season, the Italian team would have won Grands Prix. What's more, as a 'tip,' he had personally advised CEO Peter Bayer to consider a (temporary) move of the Red Bull Racing driver to his team.
It's an interesting proposition from this ex-driver, one that definitely has some merit. Look, for instance, at the result of the second free practice at the Hungaroring, where Verstappen only made it to the fourteenth spot. Balance problems in his RB21 meant that the vehicle was – to use Verstappen's term – 'uncontrollable'.
Verstappen is undeniably the best F1 driver on the grid; someone who can deliver more than the maximum performance with a car. If even Verstappen is unable to tame this car, then who could? Yes, Yuki Tsunoda ended the second free practice ahead of the reigning world champion, but that doesn’t give a fair representation of the power relationships.
Red Bull has a disobedient child
On a structural basis, the RB21 is a difficult car, with a small working window. On the few occasions when everything falls into place, then Verstappen can excel with the car. Much more often, the unpredictable Red Bull is a disobedient child, doing whatever it wants. At a certain point, even an absolute racing legend like Verstappen can do nothing with it.
The Racing Bulls' vehicle is different. Of course, this car is not the fastest on the field. But generally, it’s a stable car, one that does what was preplanned by the engineers. For a driver, this is a godsend, and at least Isack Hadjar manages to frequently place the RB in the top ten.
Hadjar also managed this in FP2 in Hungary, where the Frenchman was only eight-tenths behind Verstappen. But if Hadjar can give only eight-tenths, how much extra would Verstappen be able to squeeze out of this car given his natural talent? Would he get within half a second of the McLarens? Perhaps even closer?
What can Verstappen do with the RB?
Of course, there are various factors that determine how successful a car is, where the driver plays a very important role. Verstappen has the gift to get slightly more out of every car than what's seemingly possible. Although Racing Bulls' car did not come anywhere near McLaren with Hadjar and Liam Lawson in a Grand Prix this season, perhaps Verstappen could have done it?
A victory with the Racing Bull; perhaps that was a bit too optimistic for this ex-driver. But Verstappen could easily be close to the podium with this car. Judging by what was seen last Friday at the Hungaroring, Verstappen won't be able to make it with the RB21.
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