F1 journalist and former team manager Peter Windsor sees no reason why Max Verstappen’s dominance will end quickly. According to Windsor, there are few drivers in the history of the sport who have found themselves in the position Verstappen is currently in. Windsor admires how Verstappen’s qualities coincide so well with the team and everything else around it.
Verstappen has now been the leader in the rankings for more than a hundred weeks. From the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix, the Dutchman has been at the top of the championship, and he has held that position for almost two years now. The three-time world champion seems to be invincible. After the start of the 2024 season, he has already won four races. During the only race in which he did not win, his defective brake caliper was his biggest enemy. It doesn’t seem like anything or anyone can stop the Limburger anytime soon. Perhaps only the rule changes of 2026, if Red Bull Racing cannot continue its dominance.
Windsor gets during his livestream on his YouTube channel the question is whether Verstappen or Lewis Hamilton is better, but he cannot choose between them. ‘That cannot be compared. If Max doesn’t improve every race, then there is something wrong with him. I’m sure he’ll improve every race,” Windsor said. “There are very few drivers in the history of the sport who have found themselves in the state that Verstappen is currently in. I think of great drivers from Fangio to Ascari to Moss to Clark to Senna, but I can’t really think of an example of a driver of that quality who was in a team that was so good with so much harmony in terms of technology, the organization, the budget, everything, for such a long time.’
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Windsor points out that the drivers’ sublime eras all end within one or two years. “Max’s era has now been going on for four years,” says the Brit. ‘And there’s no reason to think it will stop. The era will continue until at least 2026. And if it does, he will be the first major driver to take his performance level to such heights. He gets better every race, and everything is there to make that possible. He is smart enough to make sure it happens (that he keeps winning until 2026, ed.). He’s straightforward enough and he also has the racer’s brain to make that happen.’
Windsor does not expect a game of musical chairs at Red Bull
According to Windsor, it is self-evident that Verstappen will be with Red Bull until the end of 2026, even though there are rumors that the Dutchman is leaving. Windsor actually expects very few changes in terms of the driver duo for the upcoming seasons. “I think Daniel (Ricciardo, ed.) would sooner lose his seat than Checo (Pérez, ed.),” says Windsor. ‘The situation with Checo is funny, because it is like a barometer. Sometimes it looks good, and when something happens, like in China, it drops again. In Miami he can have another good race, and then he relaxes, but then he has another bad race somewhere else,” Windsor analyzes. However, Pérez is currently doing well, but one swallow does not make a summer.
‘You can’t really judge him on one or two races because he’s been there all season to help Max win the championship and to help Red Bull win the constructors’ championship. He does that pretty well,” Windsor said. It is suggested that Pérez is performing well under the pressure of his expiring contract. Carlos Sainz is another possible candidate to take over his seat as long as neither driver has signed the paperwork. ‘Carlos will go to Audi unless Red Bull increases its offer. There is no reason to replace Pérez with Sainz. And Mercedes is working on Antonelli. Unless he wants to drive for Mercedes for one year, that would be an option. It will be difficult for him to beat Russell in one year because George knows the team so well.’
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