Jacques Villeneuve has suggested that Max Verstappen's commitment to racing is what makes the difference to the rest of the Formula 1 field. Verstappen broke multiple records in 2023, including 19 wins from the 22 races, 575 championship points and the highest win percentage in a season at 86%. This came off a 15-win season in 2022 as the Red Bull driver has usurped Lewis Hamilton as 'the man to beat' and is favourite for a fourth title in 2024. Reflecting on Verstappen's achievements, the 1997 champion feels the three-time one has a special trait not echoed elsewhere on the current grid.
Villeneuve's advice
"Red Bull is not that far ahead," Villeneuve observed to PlanetF1. "When they got all their poles, it was a tenth, half a tenth, [it was]super close, so that’s not domination. "That’s not the years of Mercedes when they were a second ahead of everyone, and everybody was OK with that – there was not an issue. "Max makes the difference because he’s at it 24 hours a day. He’s never getting tired. He gets out of the race car, and he’s still thinking about racing. That’s all that exists [for him]. "On the simulator, go-karts, whatever. I don’t see the other drivers doing that. "Maybe [Fernando] Alonso a bit but, all the other ones, they’re busy doing other things. They get out of the car and they do a bunch of other things. "If they all focused like Max, then maybe they would be at Max’s level."
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