Villeneuve: Verstappen's ability to handle difficult cars is a skill, not design
Jacques Villeneuve dismisses the idea that Red Bull designs its car solely for Max Verstappen, attributing his dominance to a rare skill: the ability to drive a difficult car fast. He argues engineers build for pure speed, and Verstappen's talent is adapting to it, a trait shared by legends like Schumacher and Senna.
Jacques Villeneuve argues that Red Bull does not build its car specifically around Max Verstappen, but that the four-time champion's unique skill is his ability to drive a car that others find difficult. The 1997 world champion states that engineers design for pure speed, and Verstappen's talent lies in adapting to whatever machine is fastest.
Why it matters:
This perspective challenges a common narrative in Formula 1 that a dominant team's car is built exclusively for its lead driver, potentially disadvantaging a teammate. Villeneuve places the emphasis squarely on driver skill, comparing Verstappen's adaptability to legends like Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna, which speaks to his standing in the sport's history.
The details:
- Villeneuve clarified that the engineering philosophy at Red Bull is singular: to chase lap time. He dismissed the idea that a team would intentionally build a car only one driver can handle.
- He identified the core of Verstappen's advantage as his ability to adapt his driving style to extract performance from a car that may have inherent handling challenges.
- The Canadian explained that teammates often struggle because they try to copy Verstappen's specific inputs and driving style, which leads to mistakes and a perception that the car is working against them.
- This view was indirectly supported by former F1 driver Riccardo Patrese, who suggested in the same report that only one driver—implied to be Ferrari's Charles Leclerc—has consistently shown the capability to challenge Verstappen on pure pace, even without equal machinery.
The big picture:
Villeneuve's comments feed into the ongoing debate about the source of performance gaps within top teams. By framing Verstappen's dominance as a function of supreme adaptability rather than a tailored car, it elevates the discussion about driver skill versus machine. It also underscores the immense challenge for any driver paired with Verstappen, as matching him requires finding their own limit within a challenging car, not replicating his approach.