Verstappen rivals 'not good enough' - Haug

Red Bull should get no criticism for the way the team is utterly dominating Formula 1, according to former Mercedes boss Norbert Haug.

He thinks Max Verstappen's superiority over the entire Formula 1 field, including his own teammate Sergio Perez, is completely unprecedented in the history of the sport.

"Such a clear superiority or inferiority, depending on which perspective you look at the competitive situation, has never happened in the history of Formula 1 since 1950," he told DPA.

Haug admitted that the situation does not bode well for the excitement of next year's world championship - but insisted that the energy drink-owned team deserves no criticism for that.

"As much as this speaks for the overwhelming strength of Verstappen and Red Bull, it clearly shows that the competition in 2023 was simply nowhere near good enough," he said.