Formula 1: Red Bull Racing believe Max Verstappen can win 2019 title

Red Bull Racing believe that Max Verstappen can not only win more races in the 2019 Formula 1 season but that he can win the championship.

Aston Martin Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen is coming off of his second victory of the 2019 Formula 1 season and the fifth victory of his Formula 1 career in this past Sunday’s Mexican Grand Prix, the 19th of 21 races on the 2018 schedule.

While Verstappen has been mathematically eliminated from winning this year’s championship for quite some time, his dominance in the 71-lap race around the 17-turn, 2.674-mile (4.304-kilometer) Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, Mexico illustrated the strength of the Red Bull Racing chassis.

The altitude of Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez was effectively the equalizer between the Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault engines, and for the second consecutive year, Verstappen took the lead of the race at the start after starting in second place, and he was never passed for it on the track the rest of the way.

More from Formula One

The 21-year-old Dutchman led all 71 laps of the race last year, and he led 67 of its 71 laps this year, as he failed to lead four laps because of the fact that Scuderia Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel came into the pits for his first pit stop four laps later than he did.

Last year, Verstappen won the race by 19.678 seconds over Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport’s Valtteri Bottas in second place. This year, he won it by 17.316 seconds over Vettel in second.

With Red Bull Racing set to end their 12-year partnership with Renault and switch to Honda engines for the first time starting next season and many indicators pointing toward Honda providing better engines than Renault have the Milton Keynes-based team with, the team believe that Verstappen can win the 2019 championship. The strength of their chassis adds to their argument.

Verstappen winning the 2019 championship would make him the youngest champion in Formula 1 history. Vettel, who won the 2010 title driving for Red Bull Racing, currently holds that record, as he won it at the age of 23 years and 134 days old.

Here is what Red Bull Racing team advisor Helmut Marko had to say about the matter, according to Autosport.

"“We’re really looking forward to next year. The aim is to have the youngest world champion. Two years we have, but we’ll go for it next year. We know the first year with a new engine manufacturer is not easy. But the aim, and the goal that I’ve told all the people, is that we have to go for the championship from the beginning. No excuses.“[Red Bull Racing junior team] Toro Rosso are sacrificing their season for next year. It’s part of our concept that we have with Honda.The figures are already ahead of Renault. But even so if you have one or two starts from the back, with Verstappen there’s some excitement. On the radio he’s talking like he’s sitting with a cup of tea. The sort of information he is asking for… He’s unbelievable. There is no limit yet.”"

Here is what Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner had to say about the matter, according to Autosport.

"“You’ve seen this weekend if we’ve an engine that’s anywhere near the ballpark of our opponents then we’ve got a strong enough team and strong enough driver package to take the fight to them. We’re obviously hopeful that the Honda, with the progress they’re making, will put us into the situation that we’re more regularly able to compete like we are here – with the optimum downforce and setting on the car.”"

Verstappen, whose fifth career Formula 1 victory came at the age of 21 years and 28 days, an age at which no driver in Formula 1 history had ever even earned one victory, has competed in 79 races over the course of his Formula 1 career. He has earned 15 additional podium finishes to go along with his five victories, and he has led 423 of the 3,022 laps that he has completed.

Next. Top 10 Formula 1 drivers of all-time. dark

Do you believe that Max Verstappen will be a championship contender in the 2019 Formula 1 season? If so, do you believe that he will win the title?

Home/Formula One