Max Verstappen has lashed out claiming he would be ahead of Lewis Hamilton & Charles Leclerc in the same car.
The Dutchman has grown increasingly frustrated after disappointing results after the summer break, with his father Jos describing Red Bull’s pace as “not good enough”.
Having watched on as Hamilton and Leclerc battle at the front in recent races, the 22-year-old also made his feelings clear by declaring he would be ahead if given the chance.
“I personally feel that if I’m in the same car, I can go two-tenths of a second faster than them,” Verstappen told Holland’s De Telegraaf.
“When I saw that lap [Leclerc’s Singapore pole] again, I thought ‘well, there really is some time to be gained there,’ I don’t want to sound arrogant, but as a driver, you have to think you’re the fastest.”
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Looking ahead, Max says recent results have also dented his confidence regarding Red Bull’s prospects for 2020, suggesting some results this year exceeded the team’s real capability.
“I think it’s clear that I sometimes overperformed this year,” Verstappen said.
“People often think ‘well Red Bull are not that bad, that team is on the same level as the rest.’ In my opinion, however, we are often a little further away than it seems.
“Before Singapore, I thought we could compete for the world title next season. Maybe not anymore.
“As a team, we must try to think further ahead than we already have. We are not where we need to be. We have not yet taken the steps needed to be competitive next year.”