Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko has insisted that the RB19 isn’t specially designed for Max Verstappen, with the car instead just so happening to suit the Dutchman better.
Despite having the same machinery, Sergio Perez hasn’t been able to match the reigning World Champion.
Perez has managed just two victories in 2023, whereas Verstappen has won 10, eight of which have come consecutively.
The Dutchman has often been able to push the car more than Perez, who has slipped to 125 points behind the 25-year-old in the Drivers’ Championship.
Want to work in Formula 1? Browse the latest F1 job vacancies
It was somewhat of a different story last season though, as Perez appeared to be more comfortable in the RB18 before upgrades were introduced.
Verstappen struggles with a car which has a lot of understeer, with Marko stressing that it’s something the Dutchman “cannot live” with.
“He cannot live with understeer,” Marko told Motorsport-Magazin.com.
“If the rear is loose and the car swings, even at 300 km/h, a Verstappen is not bothered by that, he has it under control. Most other drivers find it harder to deal with a nervous car.”
Red Bull and even Perez have insisted that the RB19 wasn’t designed with Verstappen in mind, with it being more of a freak coincidence that the car just so happens to suit Verstappen better.
Verstappen has become more comfortable with the car ever since it became lighter, something which has seen him move onto eight consecutive wins.
“That is not the case,” insisted Marko.
“At the beginning of the 2022 season, the car tended to understeer because of the overweight, because of the weight distribution. But since dieting the car, it has reverted back to the tendency to oversteer.”
READ: Lewis Hamilton opens up on George Russell defeating him
Similar to what they did with Verstappen in 2022, Red Bull are currently working on a set-up to make Perez as comfortable as possible, in a bid to improve his performance.
Should Perez become more comfortable in the RB19, then positive results will likely follow.
“We are now well on the way to getting the set-up so that Perez feels more comfortable as well, but the car is [and remains] still fast,” added Marko.