Sky Sports F1 reporter Ted Kravitz has agreed with comments made by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where the Mercedes driver admitted that’s “never seen a car” as fast as Red Bull’s RB19.
Red Bull’s straight-line speed was jaw-dropping at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, with Max Verstappen’s car having looked more like a rocket ship upon opening his DRS.
The Dutchman breezed through the field from 15th to second in just 25 laps, with the reigning world champion having made it look embarrassingly easy.
Red Bull’s speed difference compared to Mercedes’ was the most astonishing, with Verstappen having comfortably remained ahead of George Russell despite the Briton having had his DRS wide open.
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Red Bull’s RB19 is “so fast” in fact, that Hamilton believes the Austrians are quicker this season than Mercedes were throughout the entirety of their dominance in the turbo-hybrid era.
“I have definitely never seen a car so fast,” Hamilton said after finishing fifth.
“When we were fast, we were not that fast. It is the fastest car I have seen, especially compared to the rest.”
Kravitz completely agrees with Hamilton’s comment regarding Red Bull’s straight-line speed, with the reporter having revealed that there is plenty of “technical intrigue” amongst the paddock, with the RB19 at times being almost 20 mph faster in a straight-line than their rivals.
“A, it is, Lewis Hamilton is right, and B, what he is referring to is the ease at which Max Verstappen was able to pass him on the straight the moment he opened his DRS,” Kravitz told Sky Sports F1.
“What Lewis is saying is he had never seen someone gain quite so much speed by opening the DRS.
“He doesn’t understand how this is possible. There is lots of technical intrigue on F1, lots of people will be looking at the Red Bull and saying how are they able to gain nearly 20 miles an hour advantage on that straight than anyone else?”
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The reporter went on to question how exactly Red Bull have unlocked so much speed, with him expecting it to be discussed in more detail next weekend at the Australian Grand Prix.
“Are they doing something with that rear wing that not only stalls out the rear wing but stalls out the floor and other aerodynamics around the car?” questioned Kravitz.
“So, that will be I am sure the latest round of technical intrigue in F1 when we get to the next round in Australia.”