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Max Verstappen recently disclosed the reason behind Sergio Perez getting a pitstop before him at the 2023 F1 Abu Dhabi GP.
Even though both drivers are equally respected at Red Bull, the team has given preference to Verstappen in terms of strategy given his dominance on the track in 2023.
In an exclusive interview with Blick, Max Verstappen was asked why he asked Red Bull to pit Perez before him in the final race of the season. The three-time world champion stated that he wanted to secure the 1000-lap lead record to his name before the season ended. He said:
"Well, the matter was simple. I wanted to stay outside longer so as not to endanger my 1000-lap leadership."
Among the many F1 records that Verstappen broke in 2023, his leading more than 1000 laps in a single season was one of them. In total, the Dutchman clocked 1003 laps leading the race. This figure is equal to the laps led by both Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna combined in the 1988 F1 season.
Max Verstappen scored 575 points and secured first place in the Drivers' Championship in 2023, while his teammate, Sergio Perez, came in second by scoring 285 points.
Max Verstappen on his and Red Bull's secret to success
Max Verstappen recently spoke about how he and Red Bull were so dominant in the 2023 F1 season. The Dutchman won 19 out of 22 races this year, while the team won a total of 21 races in the season. Speaking to Blick, he explained how the team took care of every single detail to make sure no unwanted issues would affect the RB19. He said:
"Apparently, we are on the trail of a perfect combination," Max Verstappen said. "And I'll pay close attention to what's going on behind the scenes. The slightest background noise or problems must be stopped. A community of interests as large as Red Bull certainly doesn't work otherwise."
Furthermore, the Dutchman claimed that his honesty and openness with his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, and other Red Bull seniors allowed the team to resolve any issues quickly and perform as perfectly as possible. He said:
"My good collaboration with racing engineer Gianpiero Lambiase and other key figures like Dr. Marko are based on respect and trust. Necessarily, I demand that every day on the racetrack. And so I am too. What is good is good. And what's bad is bad. This should be said immediately and is also part of the recipe for success."
Red Bull ended the season with 860 points to win the Constructors' Championship long before the season even ended.
