There is no doubt that Red Bull has a significant advantage over the rest of the Formula 1 field, but how does that compare to the next best car?
After winning six races so far in 2023, the RB19 has shown that it is capable of winning on a wide variety of circuits with a comfortable lead in the hands of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
The Bahrain Grand Prix was the biggest winning margin to date, with the team finishing nearly 40 seconds ahead of Fernando Alonso. While this race was heavily affected by tire grain caused by high temperatures, it set the tone for several subsequent races.
In Jeddah, this margin of victory was reduced due to the car management that both drivers had to do late as Red Bull feared a potential double DNF due to technical issues.
The triple red flag race in Australia ended under safety car conditions so it’s an outlier, but at one point Verstappen opened a lead of 12 seconds to Lewis Hamilton before the late breaks.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc managed to get in Azerbaijan within 21 seconds, but Perez had another four seconds ahead in the sprint race after 12 laps.
In Miami, both drivers were at the front of their class, and Red Bull opted to under-fuel their cars to make them lighter and therefore even faster towards the end of the race.
The rain that affected the final race in Monaco wasn’t enough to keep Verstappen from the front. His 27.9 second win over Alonso was another reminder of how impressive their pace is compared to the rest of the field in all conditions.
On average, the RB19 was half a second faster than everyone else on race day, giving Red Bull the most successful start to a season in the team’s history.
