Max Verstappen fans will be delighted with Felipe Massa’s prediction that the Red Bull “robot” could win six Formula 1 titles in a row, on the evidence of the form he showed in Bahrain and Jeddah.
The Dutchman was almost unbeatable last year with the mighty Red Bull RB18 in another league to their rivals and, this year, F1 genius Adrian Newey and his design team have produced an even better weapon for their drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
While last year’s car was more suited to Verstappen than Perez. The Mexican struggling to find the sweetspot as often as his teammate, but after two rounds of the 2023 campaign gone, the score is one-one, the Mexican veteran beating the double-World Champ in Jeddah last Sunday.
But after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Massa told Bild that the P1.PER, P2.VER scenario of Jeddah, won’t happen too often: “Max Verstappen is the favorite for the title. What he and Red Bull showed in the first race of the season was impressive. Max is F1 world champion for the past two years and I see no reason why he shouldn’t make it a hat-trick.
“And much more. Max could even win four, five, or six F1 titles in a row. He doesn’t make mistakes, he drives like a robot. He’s extremely mature for his age and the two F1 titles made him even better. Now he is more relaxed, not as stubborn as in previous years,” reckoned the 41-year-old Brazilian.
Felipe: Like Sainz at Ferrari, Perez is too inconsistent
Regarding the challenge to Verstappen, from within the Red Bull camp, namely Perez, Massa said: “He’s too inconsistent like Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, but unlike George Russell who could be an F1 title contender for Mercedes in the future.”
Despite Ferrari’s woeful start to the season, as a lifetime Tifosi, Massa – who drove for the Italian team from 2006 until 2013 – has some hope: “Like Max and Lewis, Charles Leclerc is an exceptional driver, he could be the Red Bull’s biggest challenger for the title…”
As for the downfall of his former nemesis, Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, Massa warned: “It would be a mistake to write him off. Along with Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna, Lewis is the best driver to have ever driven in F1.
“In addition to his experience, he has a very good feeling when he drives. Lewis can be world champion again, but for that, he will need a competitive car, and currently, he doesn’t have that,” ventured Massa..
Regarding the fact that, if a new era has begun in the highest category of motorsport at the hands of Verstappen, Felipe Massa considers that it is a reality.
“I think that’s happening right now, he’s been world champion for the last two years and I don’t see any reason why he shouldn’t get the hat-trick. What’s more, he can also win four, five or six titles in a row,” reckoned Massa.