Verstappen theory that Red Bull give him ‘better equipment’ debunked

Verstappen has annihilated all of his teammates since 2019, starting with Pierre Gasly.

Alex Albon and Sergio Perez have all struggled to get close to Verstappen, leading to theories that either Red Bull design their cars around the Dutchman’s driving style or they give him ‘better equipment’.

Albon has recently dismissed the first suggestion that Red Bull build the car around Verstappen.

Watson, who was manager at Toro Rosso during Verstappen’s stint at the team, has also played down the ‘better equipment’ argument.

“To this day, I don’t think that [Verstappen’s father] Jos got a fair treatment [alongside Michael Schumacher] at Benetton,” Watson told Verstappen.com.

“And that has partly ensured that Max understands that aspect of the sport very well: he does not need better equipment, he wants the same equipment. Talent will do the rest.

“I noticed that immediately in Max’s first year with Carlos. Knowing them both, I knew Max would be top dog from the moment he got in the car with us.

“He didn’t have to play games or be political because he’s just incredibly fast. ‘I will do everything I can to help the team move forward, and you will follow me,’ he basically said with his actions.

“And ultimately you want to follow him, because success brings success and people want to follow that. In our team, we supported Max because we wanted him to be successful. We all saw how good he already was.”

Watson believes Verstappen is now comparable to F1 legends Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher.

“In my opinion, Max is exceptional, like Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher.

These types of guys enter Formula 1 and immediately leave their mark on the sport.

“And when you have someone like that on your team, how can you not support him with everything you have?”