"Everybody was OK with that, there was not an issue": F1 pundit compares hypocrisy of reaction to Max Verstappen dominating compared to Lewis Hamilton

Former F1 world champion-turned-pundit Jacques Villeneuve recently gave his opinion on how Max Verstappen and Red Bull are not too far ahead of the pack for their performance to be called dominant. He also believes Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton's era of dominance was much more menacing.

Speaking to PlanetF1, Villeneuve pointed out that when Red Bull drivers bagged pole positions in the 2023 F1 season, other drivers below them were only a 10th or half a 10th behind. In comparison, he claimed that when Lewis Hamilton was dominating, drivers were close to a second behind him. He said:

"Red Bull is not that far ahead. When they got all their poles, it was a tenth, half a tenth… super close! So that’s not domination. That’s not the years of Mercedes when they were a second ahead of everyone, and everybody was OK with that – there was not an issue."

Furthermore, the former F1 driver claimed that Max Verstappen makes the actual difference in making Red Bull's stint feel like a proper domination. He praised the Dutchman and how he keeps thinking about racing even when he is out of the F1 car. On this, Jacques Villeneuve added:

"Max makes the difference because he’s at it 24 hours a day. He’s never getting tired. He gets out for the race car, and he’s still thinking about racing. That’s all that exists. On the simulator, go-karts, whatever. I don’t see the other drivers doing that. Maybe [Fernando] Alonso a bit, but, all the other ones, they’re busy doing other things."

Max Verstappen obliterated the field by scoring 575 points in the 2023 F1 season and clinching the world title way before the season ended.

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Max Verstappen reveals Red Bull's recipe of success

In an interview with Blick, Max Verstappen explained how Red Bull operated in order to enjoy a season full of race wins and smiles. According to the three-time world champion, his team focused on every single detail about the RB19, so much so that not even a single unwanted sound could be heard.

He also emphasized the importance of having strong and open communication within the team, which helps them resolve issues quickly. He said:

"Apparently, we are on the trail of a perfect combination," Max Verstappen said. "And I'll pay close attention to what's going on behind the scenes. The slightest background noise or problems must be stopped. A community of interests as large as Red Bull certainly doesn't work otherwise."

He added:

"My good collaboration with racing engineer Gianpiero Lambiase and other key figures like Dr. Marko are based on respect and trust. Necessarily, I demand that every day on the racetrack. And so I am too. What is good is good. And what's bad is bad. This should be said immediately and is also part of the recipe for success."

Red Bull scored a whopping 860 points in the constructors' championship by winning 21 out of 22 races in 2023.