Adrian Newey shares the ‘one thing’ Max Verstappen and 53-race winner have in common

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There are very few drivers in the history of Formula 1 who can compare to Max Verstappen anymore.

Only a handful of drivers have won three titles on the bounce and it would be a surprise if he didn’t add number four this year despite Ferrari’s recent resurgence.

One of the masterminds behind Red Bull’s success – Adrian Newey – has been speaking to Racing News 365 about the Flying Dutchman.

His record in recent years is incomprehensible, winning 19 races last season and 15 the year before.

Even in his heyday, the great Michael Schumacher wasn’t as dominant in his unstoppable Ferrari as Max Verstappen has been in recent years.

Every champion is different and has to face unique challenges on their way to winning one of motor racing’s biggest accolades.

Newey has now spoken about the similarities he’s seen in Verstappen and Red Bull’s other champion Sebastian Vettel.

The 26-year-old surpassed Vettel’s tally of 53 Formula 1 race wins last season.

He’s now only got Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton ahead of him in the all-time list of Grand Prix victories.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth and girlfriend to height

Adrian Newey shares the one thing Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel have in common

After walking away from the sport at the end of 2022, Vettel’s name has popped up again in F1 circles recently.

Mercedes are looking for a replacement for their world champion for 2025 and Vettel didn’t rule himself out of the conversation.

Vettel has admitted that he would struggle with some aspects of a return to F1 and despite his obvious pedigree, his final season with Aston Martin didn’t blow anyone away.

Instead, he was replaced by Fernando Alonso who has just committed his future to the team after an uptick in form and performance after Vettel’s exit.

Vettel had his best spell in Formula 1 at Red Bull before moving to Ferrari, working alongside Newey in a series of cars akin to Verstappen’s in terms of their dominance.

His teammate Mark Webber gave him more problems than Sergio Perez has done to Verstappen, but he still came out on top year after year.

Newey has now explained what similarities the two drivers share after winning a combined seven titles between them.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone if that number reached eight by the end of 2024.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links

Adrian Newey raves about Red Bull’s champions

Speaking about the iconic pair, Newey said: “I think with all the drivers I’ve been lucky enough to work with over the year, their feedback is vital.

“Very often, different drivers will be more sensitive to different areas.

“For example, Sebastian Vettel and Max [Verstappen] have one thing in common, in that they are both very sensitive to the tyres.

“Other drivers, like Mark Webber for instance, were very sensitive to aerodynamic changes, and Max is as well.

“With the driveability of the engine, some drivers are more sensitive than others, so you get different bits of feedback from different drivers and then piece it all together.

“Theoretically, you could argue that with all the sensors on the car, and all the simulation tools we have to derive from the sensors, then we shouldn’t need the feedback of a human.

“But, the human feedback is vital as the human is the controller, the sensitivity and feeling and ability to express that is key.

“It is not a machine-driven vehicle.”

What comes next for Max Verstappen?

The future of Red Bull’s key personnel like Newey and Verstappen appears a lot less settled than in Vettel’s day.

The Dutch driver appears to be Toto Wolff’s favoured option to replace Lewis Hamilton despite his contract running until the end of 2028.

Red Bull start using their own power trains from 2026 and if Verstappen doesn’t have as much faith in the team without their partnership with Honda then that might motivate him to move.

Adrian Newey has always been the most coveted engineer in the paddock and Ferrari have been linked with him recently.

Aston Martin are also keen on the 65-year-old, although they won’t be following up on their interest in Verstappen now that Alonso has committed his future to the team.