Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur defended Max Verstappen, mentioning that his dominance is not 'damaging' the sport, as many have claimed.
Vasseuer stated that the fact that the team and Verstappen are doing a fantastic job at the top and that other teams need to catch up also does not form a basis for complaints towards them.
RacingNews365 quoted him:
"It is not that Max is damaging [F1], Max is doing a fantastic job and it is just that we have to do better. We can't complain about Max or Red Bull."
He added that the driver and the team are together bringing in this incredible result for themselves in the 2023 season, and that the way Max Verstappen sets up his car is also a big part of his success. Hinting that it is not just the Red Bull that is making him so dominant.
He said:
"It is quite impossible to split between driver and team. The driver is also developing and setting the car up and that is part of the performance."
Max Verstappen has been quite dominant this season, and it has been almost impossible for anyone to battle him for positions during the race. He won the Belgian Grand Prix after starting sixth due to a grid penalty.
As a matter of fact, the Dutchman hasn't been overtaken on track since the past entire season and continues to dominate.
Vasseur talks about the difference between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez
The double world champion's dominance questioned the legality of the Red Bull RB19, which seems impossible to be defeated by anyone.
However, the difference between driver and car performance became quite apparent in the past few races, where Sergio Perez lost out a lot to Max Verstappen in terms of finishing.
It was hard for him to stay competitive, especially in races like Canada, where he wasn't on the podium either.
This proved that the way Verstappen drives and sets up his car has a major impact on his performance, and it is not just the magic of the car. Perez has been making a recovery as well, finishing P2 in the Belgian GP.
Vasseuer stated that the difference between the teammates is Red Bull's 'issue':
"For sure, when you see the result and there is a big difference between the two teammates, that is not my issue, but the issue of Red Bull."