Tost: 'Verstappen is technical lead driver, development as he wants'

2 October 2021 at 16:23

Last update 2 October 2021 at 19:33

GPblog.com

Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly, Alexander Albon and Sergio Perez have one common denominator: all four have had or have had nothing to say to Max Verstappen. It proves the exceptional class of the 24-year old Dutch driver, but maybe it's also partly because Verstappen has full control over the development of the cars.

The Dutchman's teammates, therefore, do not have much say when it comes to making specific updates to the car, for example.

Verstappen sets out lines

When asked which driver Franz Tost has confidence in that can hold his own alongside Verstappen in the same car, he told Sport1: "Gasly could come close. But: Max is the technical lead driver in the team. That means he develops the car exactly the way he wants it. So it's possible that the second driver could have problems with that."

So does Verstappen have such a special driving style compared to other drivers in Formula 1? "I don't want it to be a very specific driving style, but he has a unique feel for how to get the best out of the braking point, the turn-in point and then the apex. There are other drivers who can't handle a car built for Max as well. That's because they have a different driving style," said the AlphaTauri team principal.

Confidence in Perez

Perez has been Verstappen's teammate since this season, but he picked up twice as few points as Verstappen. The Mexican has already been confirmed for 2022, despite his performance being somewhat disappointing. In 2023 it may be Gasly's turn who, if so, would be gearing up for his second term at Red Bull.