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Despite decades of experience in the Formula 1 paddock, Ferrari performance engineer Jock Clear admits that he still cannot fully understand or explain the sheer level of dominance displayed by Max Verstappen. Verstappen has cemented his place as an all-time great with four world titles and a record-breaking string of victories, but it is his consistent ability to outperform his teammates that leaves experts like Clear baffled.
The Puzzle of Pure Talent
Clear noted that as an outsider, the maths simply doesn't add up when trying to analyze Verstappen’s speed. He pointed out that Verstappen is consistently faster than any other driver within the Red Bull and Racing Bulls family, regardless of the car’s characteristics. According to Clear, there is no obvious technical reason for this gap, leading to the only logical conclusion: Verstappen possesses an extraordinarily special talent that defies standard engineering analysis.
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The 2025 season served as a perfect example of this ability. After the Dutch Grand Prix, Verstappen trailed the leader by 104 points, yet he managed a comeback that brought him within two points of the title by the final race. Clear described this performance as absurd and stated that Verstappen has set a benchmark that every other driver on the grid must now measure themselves against.
A Level Above the Field
While Clear was full of praise for the newly crowned champion Lando Norris, he suggested that the McLaren driver still has one more step to take to reach Verstappen’s level. He believes that while Norris will grow with the confidence of a world title, the sheer technical insight and adaptability shown by Verstappen remains the gold standard in the sport. For engineers like Clear, Verstappen remains a phenomenon that is easier to witness than it is to explain.
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