Decoding F1’s matrix of success: the interplay between man and machine

Rare talent: Verstappen has excelled in a car that is very responsive to steering input — a characteristic most other drivers find difficult to control.

An asset off the track: Red Bull has profited from having a driver, in Verstappen, who offers the technical crew valuable information and clear direction on how to make the car faster.

In Formula One, although drivers are the heroes who make the sport what it is, the car is the main differentiator in determining who wins a race. A rough but informed estimate of the car-to-driver contribution would peg it at 80:20 in favour of the machinery. So, you can put Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen in the slowest car on the grid and they are unlikely to challenge for podiums or consistent point-scoring finishes.