Haug on the Red Bull chasers: Not nearly good enough
Former Mercedes Head of Motorsport Norbert Haug has not given Red Bull's rivals a satisfactory report card ahead of the Formula 1 season finale.
"There has never been such a clear superiority or inferiority, depending on which angle you look at the competitive situation, in the history of Formula 1 since 1950," Haug told the German Press Agency. The 70-year-old emphasized that this could by no means be the basis for an exciting world championship in the long term.
Max Verstappen has long since been crowned World Champion once again, and since the last race in Las Vegas, his Mexican team-mate Sergio Pérez has been in second place in the World Championship. Red Bull has also already clinched the Constructors' World Championship title.
The points in the team standings show just how superior Verstappen is: Mercedes are in second place before the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with 392 points and a four-point lead over Ferrari. However, Verstappen alone has already scored 549 points this year. The 26-year-old Dutchman would not be able to catch Mercedes even if he scored maximum points at the Yas Marina Circuit.
"Didn't give anyone a chance"
Verstappen has won 18 of the 21 races so far. "As much as this speaks for the outstanding strength of Verstappen and Red Bull Racing, it clearly shows that the competition was nowhere near good enough in 2023," said Haug.
Verstappen had gone one better than last year, former driver Timo Glock told dpa. "He felt he had the upper hand in every situation, on every lap, in every free practice session this year and didn't give anyone a chance. He hasn't made any mistakes at all and has improved once again."
The 41-year-old Sky pundit and former Formula 1 driver attested that Verstappen "really had an outstanding season", while Red Bull's rivals Mercedes and Ferrari in particular had not made the decisive steps.
- Despite Norbert Haug's criticism, Mercedes continues to chase Red Bull in the Constructors' World Championship, trailing by just four points going into the GP Abu Dhabi.
- Reflecting on the Formula 1 season, Norbert Haug bemoaned the lack of competition, stating that Red Bull's dominance was "not nearly good enough" for an exciting championship.
- In the spirit of his championship-winning form, Max Verstappen's Red Bull has left little room for error, with the Dutch driver winning 18 races out of 21 this season, leaving Mercedes and Ferrari struggling to keep up according to Norbert Haug.
Source: www.dpa.com
