Verstappen does not think budget cap penalty will be decisive in 2023

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verstappen on budget cap penalty and impact
5 February 2023 at 17:44
  • GPblog.com

Max Verstappen expects Red Bull Racing to have the biggest battle with Mercedes in 2023. The reigning world champion thinks that the German stable learned a lot last season and that they will be at the start with a more competitive car this year. Moreover, the 25-year-old Dutchman suspects that the fact that they are allowed to spend less time in the wind tunnel is not going to determine whether Red Bull manages to capture the world title this year or not.

Mercedes back on top?

Mercedes hit the mark last season with the W13, but signs of recovery were visible in the second half of the season. The Brazilian Grand Prix, for instance, was won by George Russell, after the Briton had also crossed the finish line first in the sprint race earlier that weekend. A weekend later, however, the gap with Red Bull was again wide in Abu Dhabi.

It makes it wait and see exactly where Mercedes stands. "Yeah, it's difficult to say, I think even at the end of the year, it looked like sometimes they had it together and then sometimes not", agrees Verstappen in conversation with, among others GPblog. "So from my side, it's difficult to say because I'm not part of the team if they fully understand everything, but I guess we'll find out this year, they fully understood everything that they wanted to improve on the car, of course."

Verstappen expects a lot from W14

So despite Mercedes having a difficult year, Red Bull does have the most to fear from the Silver Arrows. "But yeah, for sure they, they will be main, our main rival," said Verstappen, passing Ferrari in the process. "But also I, I think Ferrari will be strong but how strong it is difficult to say. But Mercedes has shown, of course, over the last few years that they've always been really, really, really strong and they have a good group of people as well."

The 35-time Grand Prix winner is confident that his team can win two world championships again this year as it did in 2022. "But I trust in, in my people in Milton Keynes that they can build a very strong car as well together with our engine as well. I hope that we again have a strong package against them."

Less wind tunnel time Red Bull

Red Bull has less time in the wind tunnel this season because of the penalty for exceeding the budget ceiling, but this handicap is not going to be the deciding factor in whether or not it wins the world title, according to Verstappen. "So we have a lot of good people and I'm sure we have to be a little bit more precisely what we are doing in the wind tunnel, but I, I don't expect it to be a big limiting factor and if we're gonna win the title or not."