The former principal of the Renault team, Cyril Abiteboul, claims that Red Bull’s hold on Formula 1 at the moment, led by Max Verstappen, is stronger than even Mercedes’ historical dominance. “The strength of Red Bull is that they are strong everywhere,” Abiteboul told Franceinfo, highlighting the fact that their abilities go beyond simply possessing a superior engine—a feature that has always been a defining characteristic of Mercedes’ supremacy.
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Mercedes is struggling with performance issues in the middle of Red Bull’s record-breaking season, which was evident at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Toto Wolff, the principal of the Mercedes team, was open about the team’s ignorance of possible enhancements, saying, “We just didn’t know what we would change.”
Abiteboul was astounded by Red Bull’s all-encompassing expertise, which is based on a winning culture that goes back to Sebastian Vettel’s time, in contrast to Mercedes’ predicament. “The reflexes are there; these are folks accustomed to winning. He acknowledged the deeply established success mentality within the Red Bull crew when he said, “They have this winning attitude which makes its mark.”
Red Bull’s victories are also a result of their strategic acumen; Abiteboul praises their choice to end this season’s car development early as evidence of their long-term thinking and current superiority.
Verstappen is the key to Red Bull’s outstanding performance; Abiteboul called him the “best driver of the moment.” Abiteboul was not blind to Verstappen’s record-breaking feats and total control over the grid, nor his teammate: “It’s insolent,” he remarked, praising Verstappen’s uncanny ability to routinely outperform his competitors.
The idea that the season will be boring for people who are only focused on winning is refuted by Abiteboul. “It’s a particularly interesting season underneath for those who only focus on who wins,” he said, noting to the compelling struggles that take place behind the lead.
“People would like me to say yes, but I don’t think so,” Abiteboul says, expressing scepticism about a change in the status quo as the motorsport community speculates about whether Red Bull’s supremacy will continue into the upcoming season.
