A dilemma with no way out
How Verstappen and Red Bull harm Formula 1
By Christian Schenzel
08/02/2023, 8:50 p.m
The dominance of Red Bull and Max Verstappen becomes a problem for Formula 1. The motorsport premier class is a competition that is no longer one. The new rules prove to be an own goal. There is no way out of the dilemma in sight.
There have always been dominant drivers in the history of Formula 1. Sebastian Vettel was one of them, as was Lewis Hamilton. Michael Schumacher also shaped an era in the premier class in which the fight for the title was one thing above all: one-sided and boring. However, Max Verstappen’s superiority in the current season is on a whole new level.
If the reigning champion can joke about a training pit stop in front of the eyes of the world during the race, as in Spa, then that is nothing more than an embarrassment not only for the other teams, but also for Formula 1. If it doesn’t matter whether Verstappen starts from first, sixth, twelve or 20th place because he’s leading by half-time anyway, the competition will be taken ad absurdum.
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A look at the impressive figures shows how overwhelming the Dutchman’s dominance is. The two-time world champion led the field in 567 of 724 laps (78.3 percent) this season. If you take Sergio Pérez into account, the Bulls were even ahead in 694 laps. This corresponds to a leadership rate of incredible 95.8 percent.
For comparison: Sebastian Vettel achieved a rate of 60 percent in his most dominant season (2013), Lewis Hamilton (2020) 59 percent and Michael Schumacher (2004) 61 percent. Verstappen beats these values by far. This is good for him and Red Bull, but at the same time disastrous for the competition and the product of Formula 1.
Penalty against Red Bull fizzles out
The 2023 season is a particularly difficult blow for the premier class. With the introduction of the budget cap, the field should be brought closer together. On paper, a sensible and good solution. It becomes an own goal when one team does more right than the others and continuously increases its lead. At some point the gap will be so big that it can hardly be closed.
It is not clear how the competition intends to reduce the gap to Red Bull with limited resources in the foreseeable future. The think tank in Milton Keynes around design guru Adrian Newey will not stand still and obviously uses its resources more efficiently than Mercedes, Ferrari and Co. In addition, it also has the time on its side. A bonus that wasn’t needed at all.
In the run-up to the season, there was still a faint hope that penalties for violating the budget limit could clip the horns of the Bulls. Today we know what many team bosses suspected in advance: the result of the penalty is no more than symbolic.
For Formula 1, Red Bull’s dominance becomes a problem, especially when it comes to attracting new fans and promoting your own product. A thrilling fight for the world championship right up to the last race would be the ideal solution. The exact opposite are the solo trips by Verstappen, who, at least according to the impression, does not even have to make an effort to outclass the competition.
Formula 1 threatens the “Bayern” problem
One could certainly argue that the duels behind Red Bull have become more exciting thanks to the new regulations – and there is something to it. But at the end of the day, how many people are interested in the fight for sixth, seventh or eighth place? Fewer and fewer people, at least in Germany: the number of viewers, which has been falling for years, could be a bad harbinger for the F1 makers, who are just celebrating their global boom.
Max Verstappen and Red Bull are not to blame for this development. They’re just doing their job. And they do it better than the others. But if even Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has to admit that at the moment it seems as if everyone else is doing their laps in a Formula 2 car, it damages the reputation of the premier class.
A solution to the problem is currently not in sight. Red Bull can’t just drive slower, just as FC Bayern can’t suddenly win fewer games in the Bundesliga. In an international comparison, the German football upper house has long since received the receipt for the lack of excitement in the title fight. Formula 1 can count itself lucky not to have an equal series as a competitor in which things are more exciting. Otherwise the damage caused by Max Verstappen and Red Bull would be far greater.