P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Max Verstappen F1 team-mate crisis exposed
F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve analyzed the reasons behind Red Bull’s ongoing struggle to find a competitive second driver alongside Max Verstappen. Verstappen is set to have his fourth different teammate in two years for the 2026 season, with previous options like Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson, and Yuki Tsunoda failing to keep up with his pace. Red Bull’s decision to promote Isack Hadjar and relegate Tsunoda to a test driver role signifies the challenges faced in the second seat.
Villeneuve highlighted that the performance discrepancy between the two drivers is not solely due to the car favoring Max, but rather Max’s ability to continually improve the car. He explained that the second driver struggles to adapt or understand the car’s changes compared to Verstappen, leading to a performance gap. The complexity of vehicle dynamics and aero packages further exacerbates the challenge of finding the optimal driving setup.
Villeneuve emphasized the importance of a driver’s ability to fine-tune the car’s handling to achieve optimal performance, a skill that only a few drivers possess. With Red Bull’s history of the second seat becoming a tough position, the team hopes Hadjar can break the trend and match Verstappen’s pace effectively.
