Karun Chandhok, who scored double the points of the second-placed driver and enough to win the Constructors’ Championship on his alone, has dismissed allegations that the RB19, rather than Max Verstappen, deserved 2023 victory.
Verstappen was in a world of his own this season, crushing teammate Sergio Perez’s early-season fight to win the championship by 575 points to 285.
The fact that the triple World Champion was 166 points ahead of Mercedes alone in the Constructors’ Championship race sparked a debate about car vs driver.
Karun Chandhok: Give credit where it’s due
However, although the prevailing belief has been that possessing the superior car provides the advantage, Chandhok contends that Perez’s shortfall to Verstappen strongly suggests the importance of the right driver.
Speaking on the Sky F1 podcast, Chandhok expressed admiration, stating, “The statistics are incredibly clever. I find it impressively daunting. When you assess a season where a driver accumulates twice the points of the person in second place, it truly emphasizes the exceptional year they’ve had.”
He acknowledges the prevalent opinions that suggest victories stem from circumventing the cost cap in the prior year or merely owing to being in the most dominant car. Chandhok agrees that Verstappen benefits from a dominant car this season, yet he highlights that Perez didn’t significantly outclass the competition, emphasizing Perez’s remarkable skill as a driver.
Moreover, he references Lewis Hamilton’s remark about ceasing car updates since August and speculates on the expenditure limit breach. Chandhok argues that if it were a close championship battle, more significant spending would likely have occurred post-August.
In essence, Chandhok asserts the importance of recognizing merit where it’s due. He concludes that this year witnessed the creation of one of the most outstanding seasons by a driver perfectly aligned with their car.
Perez’s early-season wins inspired Verstappen to perfection
Part of the accolade, as per Chandhok’s fellow pundit Ted Kravitz, is credited to Perez.
Kravitz, Sky’s pit lane reporter, highlights Perez’s significant win in Azerbaijan, where he surpassed Charles Leclerc in both the Sprint and the Grand Prix, securing a weekend double. This achievement apparently irked Verstappen to a considerable extent.
Verstappen, reacting to Perez’s success, responded by swiftly reclaiming his status as the ‘Street King’ in Miami, racing from a ninth-place grid position to clinch victory at the finish line.
Kravitz emphasized Verstappen’s relentless pursuit of perfection throughout the season. He described how Verstappen and the team never relented in their quest for excellence. Verstappen, in particular, strived for flawlessness, knowing that any slip-up could endanger their position given the remaining competitive field.
There were specific races where perfection was crucial. Verstappen had to be faultless. Instances like his struggle with the car in Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia (which Perez won) served as setbacks. Verstappen’s evident annoyance after the Saudi Arabia race, reflected in the celebration where Jos (Verstappen’s father) was reluctant to congratulate Perez, fueled his determination.
Verstappen’s relentless pursuit of perfection was intensified by these setbacks and irritations, driving him to maintain an unwavering focus on achieving excellence.
Leave a Reply