Ferrari boss quashes suggestions that Max Verstappen would have won 2024 F1 title irrespective of the car he had under him

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has rejected the narrative that Max Verstappen would have been able to win the championship without a Red Bull car. He noted that it's difficult to separate a driver from the distinct relationship they share with his car.

Red Bull may have failed to win the constructors' championship, but the 27-year-old successfully defended his drivers' title in 2024. He won his fourth title in a row to script history. However, the 2024 F1 season was far from an ideal ride for the reigning champion.

Verstappen struggled to compete with rivals McLaren post the Miami Grand Prix. The Papaya team, with a few significant upgrades, produced the fastest car on the grid, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri taking full advantage of the improvements.

Meanwhile, Red Bull fell behind in the development program, and as a result, the RB20 witnessed a drop in performance due to lack of pace and instability. After securing the drivers' title at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Verstappen suggested that if he had McLaren's challenger, he would have won the title sooner.

However, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has dismissed Verstappen's assessment. In an interview with Autosport, he said that a driver's relationship with his car is unique, and a lot of other factors go behind it (via the Planet F1):

“It makes no sense to think or say that in another team Verstappen would have won the same since it is not possible to separate the performance of a driver from that of his car. There are too many elements involved," Vasseur said.

He added that the Dutchman wouldn't have won in a McLaren as their development program is also dependent on the feedback from their drivers.

"It makes no sense to say that Verstappen would have won in a McLaren as well, since the quality level of Woking’s team also depends on feedback and work done with its current drivers,” he added.

Red Bull acknowledged that the RB20's performance had degraded by the end of the season. The team failed to keep up with McLaren and Ferrari, which perhaps played a key role in its defeat in the constructors' championship. However, with the advantage Verstappen had after an impressive first half of the season, he was able to clinch the drivers' title.

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Fred Vasseur praises Max Verstappen's resilience

Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, and Charles Leclerc at the FIA Awards 2024 - Source: Getty

Irrespective of the troubles Red Bull faced in the second part of the 2024 F1 season, Fred Vasseur praised Max Verstappen for his resilience. During the same interview with Autosport, the Frenchman said that the 27-year-old's ability to extract the best of the tools available at hand was impressive (via Planet F1).

“What impressed me about Max Verstappen this year was his ability to extract the best even when they struggled. And this is a lesson for us, because over the course of a season in such a competitive context there are races where we are not the strongest, but it is necessary to maximize the result," said Vasseur.

For the 2025 F1 season, Scuderia Ferrari will likely aim to give Max Verstappen and Red Bull a run for their money. With Lewis Hamilton's impending addition to the driver lineup, the Italian team remains confident of a competitive and successful season.