Verstappen praised for supreme year: 'He has just that little bit more'

Former Ferrari driver René Arnoux thinks his old team has squandered a lot of chances in the 2022 Formula 1 season, but at the same time he saw a supreme Max Verstappen. He stresses that the Dutchman has "something extra" that his rivals cannot match.

Arnoux does not like the way Verstappen won his first world title, attributing it to the "stupidest decision ever" by race control after the safety car. In 2022, however, nobody could ignore Verstappen and Red Bull Racing. "This year, Verstappen and Red Bull were supreme. He slaughtered everyone in the race several times, like in Zandvoort," he said in conversation with La Gazzetta dello Sport.

According to the former F1 driver, Charles Leclerc is the only one who can come close to Verstappen. "But Verstappen just has that little bit more," he adds. As an example, he cites the overtaking move the Red Bull driver made outside the first corner in the Japanese Grand Prix. "If necessary, he can brake later than anyone else."

Arnoux therefore thinks it is unfair for some to argue that Sergio Perez is not getting the same equipment as his teammate. The 74-year-old Frenchman stresses that Perez only won on the slower circuits this year and calls it nonsensical to argue that the Mexican is disadvantaged in the car he gets.