Verstappen's teammates "could never grasp how he was faster there"

Max Verstappen's ability to extract the maximum from his Red Bull is something which played a role in Red Bull's decision to switch their second driver. Scott Mitchell has been explaining why the Dutchman's teammates fell short even with the data.

Years of training

Verstappen will start his seventh season in Formula 1 in 2021 and has built up ten wins. The Dutchman made his F1 debut very quickly after only one year in the formula cars, but in a video by The Race, Scott Mitchell explained why it's not surprising that Verstappen was so good right from the start.

''Verstappen drives mainly on intuition, and that comes from years of training and preparation. He didn't come out of nowhere in Formula 3, there were years of preparation. You can see that now when he has a restless rear end or when he is driving in the rain. He has a database in his head which he can use immediately. That's why he is better than most in these kinds of situations,'' said the Formula One journalist.

Verstappen cannot be copied

''Even with data, Gasly and Albon could see where he was faster, but they could never grasp how he was faster there. That's because what makes Verstappen so good is mainly unconscious. He doesn't have one good driving style, but the qualities to drive in more ways than one and with the experience he has now, he is learning to adapt this better and better to each situation.''

According to Mitchell, those years of training and driving on his intuition make it so difficult for other drivers to do what Verstappen does. ''Most drivers can see what he is doing and copy it to a certain extent, but they will never be able to do it as well as Max,'' the British journalist concludes.