Red Bull's prospects for 2023 are already hugely promising after starting the season with back-to-back wins, leading some to suggest the RB19 may be the fastest Formula 1 car ever built.
Sergio Perez won Sunday's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix from pole, while Max Verstappen climbed from 15th to second and made it a second one-two in as many races. But it was the manner in which Verstappen moved through the field that caught the attention of fans and pundits alike in Jeddah.
Specifically, Martin Brundle couldn't quite believe what he was witnessing as Verstappen overtook George Russell, audibly incredulous as to how the two were so far apart in speed. Mercedes ' W14 looked like it was driving through treacle down the straight when compared with the RB19, which looks a great deal quicker than any other contender as things stand.
"What can George Russell do to keep the Red Bull behind him? He hasn't got DRS," said commentator David Croft. "Max Verstappen will have his rear wing open wide—there it goes—and he just breezes down the inside!"
Trackside reporter Brundle was also in front of a microphone and could be heard questioning the manoeuvre—or at least the mechanics of it—aloud as he wondered: "What?" Croft went on to compare the two cars as being "like F1 against F2," and it was difficult to disagree given the disparity in pace between the two designs.
What's your favourite Martin Brundle moment in Formula 1? Let us know in the comments section.
It's no secret the Silver Arrows are in the midst of an engineering slump given their struggles last season, while Red Bull appears to be enjoying a new era of F1 dominion. The rear-wing mechanics in particular have become a topic of interest, with Christian Horner's team having seemingly turned all standard perceptions of DRS' capabilities on its head.
The viral response to Brundle's reaction comes after Lewis Hamilton also heaped praise upon the rivals' latest specimen, commenting in the wake of Sunday's result that he had "definitely never seen a car so fast." The seven-time world champion settled for fifth for the second race running and sounded despondent in his autopsy.
"When we were fast, we were not that fast. It is the fastest car I have seen, especially compared to the rest," said Hamilton. "I don't know how, but he [Verstappen] came past me with some serious speed, and I didn't even bother to block him because there was a massive speed difference. Everyone wants to see a close battle, but it is the way it is. It is not my problem, it is not my fault."
Team-mate Russell previously paid similar praise to the RB19 and predicted Red Bull will—or at least 'should'— "win every single race this season" following their first win in Bahrain. It's difficult to disagree based on the results witnessed even at this early stage of the campaign, with the incumbent kings blowing their competition away thus far.
