Here's how Max Verstappen's approach to car control separates him from other Red Bull drivers

Red Bull team advisor Helmut Marko claims that what sets the team's star driver Max Verstappen apart from the rest is the fact that the rear does not affect the Dutchman's driving style. He emphasized that the reigning world champion can extract the maximum potential of the car and become one with a car that suits his driving style.

In an exclusive interview with Motorsport, Marko said:

“Max likes a car that is good at the front. He doesn’t really care what the rear does. If the rear breaks out at 300 km/h, Perez says - like all the drivers before him - that the car is uncontrollable while Max doesn’t change that at all. At the start of the season, our car still had a tendency to understeer. Ultimately, it’s about making the car as quickly as possible so that we can get all the potential out of it.”

“With a car that suits Max better, the ‘Verstappen factor’ is automatically emphasized more than before. And if you have such a driver from the outside category in your team, it is important to get the most out of it. Perez is it may have returned to his normal level because of that, but hey, being Max’s teammate isn’t easy.”

The Austrian also stands by his claim that Max Verstappen is the best driver within the Red Bull academy, saying:

“That is obvious, yes. After his world title last year, he has gained in sovereignty without sacrificing pure speed. This makes him even faster than before.”

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Max Verstappen "doesn't make any mistakes anymore", says former F1 driver

Former F1 driver Mika Salo claims that with the progress that Max Verstappen has made over his journey in F1, the Dutchman has managed to gain enough experience and confidence to grow into "the perfect driver".

Speaking to RacingNews365, Salo said:

“The Red Bull suits Max very well and he drives it brilliantly. Sergio Perez can’t keep up with him at the moment either. He was closer at the beginning of the season, but the gap is now very big again. I think Max has the car and tactics much better under control. Max has a lot more self-confidence.’’

He continued:

“He already has a title in his pocket and constantly wins races. That self-confidence is Max’s strongest point. He doesn’t make any mistakes anymore, whereas a few years ago he sometimes did. That is completely gone now. Max is the perfect driver and he can play with Leclerc because of that.’’

With eight wins to his name so far, Max Verstappen currently enjoys a whopping 80-point lead over Charles Leclerc in the drivers' standings.