Verstappen stunned by 2024 season: 'nobody saw that coming'
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After the dominant Formula 1 season in 2023, Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing did not expect to have a repeat of it in 2024. However, Verstappen himself did not expect this season to turn into such a competitive one, as Red Bull was still expected to be a dominant force out front.
Verstappen surprised by 2024 F1 season
Nobody expected a season like last year, but the general expectation was that Verstappen and Red Bull would once again be way ahead of the competition. It looked that way after the first Grands Prix of the year, but since the Miami GP, Red Bull has struggled more than they would've liked.
"Like we had last year, I mean, it's very rare that you have this kind of season. So I was always prepared for it. I just didn't think that it would happen so quickly, to have that kind of swing in performance compared to the other teams," he admits.
So far, there have been as many as seven different winners in the 2024 season, something that has also surprised Verstappen. "Personally, I think no one would have thought that. But that's beautiful. I mean, people always think, ‘Oh, it's going to be boring, blah, blah, blah’. And a season like this comes along," The Dutchman continued.
"I would have liked to have won a little bit more lately. But, I mean, to be honest, I always feel like I'm in competition with myself anyway. So that doesn't matter if you're like 20, 30 seconds ahead or you're fighting. Of course, the fans always like to see the closer battles. But just personally, of course, you always try to extract the maximum out of it. If that's now fighting with other teams or not, right? You always try to push to the limit." Verstappen concluded.
This article was written in collaboration with Toby Nixon