Red Bull engineer's statements refuted: 'Verstappen is strong technically'

In a recent interview, a former Red Bull Racing engineer, Guillaume Rocquelin, suggested that Max Verstappen is "weak technically" compared to other Red Bull drivers. Sebastian Vettel would have been a more complete driver than the Dutchman. Not everyone in the team agrees, although there is always room for improvement.

In the team bosses' press conference Paul Monaghan is asked if he agrees with Rocquelin's comments. According to the current Red Bull engineer, the Frenchman's statements were poorly translated in the interview. Technically, Verstappen is actually strong, thanks in part to his upbringing.

"Max is technically extremely gifted. He did a lot of work as a youngster, often guided by his father. And you can see the legacy of that. He knows what he's talking about within the car. And he knows what he wants", Monaghan says during the press conference. "If you look at his record over the past seasons he's been with us, it's stunning. He wouldn't achieve that if he wasn't an exceptional driver."

Still room for improvement for Verstappen

There is still room for improvement, as Rocquelin also pointed out in the interview. However, with two world titles under his belt, the Dutchman need not worry. "And can he improve? Yes, of course he can. He might not thank me for saying that. But I think there are areas he can get a little bit better. He'll dig into himself and think what could he do better for a season. And it's up to us to give him a car to go and demonstrate those skills next year", says the Red Bull engineer.