Is the RB18 dominant?

[AeroDynamic]

Perhaps a more reliable way to see if a car is dominant is how big the points gap is between the number 1 driver of the top two teams. If it’s above 100 points, it’s probably a reliable indicator of dominance from the car.

[ispano6]

And probably what isn't getting as much credit are the mechanics and engineers who are able to set up the car according to Max and Checo's feel such that the RB18 has the right balance to be strong on different circuits. Even during the races they helped with Max's drivability and Checo's car in-balance after taking damage. It's like Checo said - it's a balance of the driver's ability to adapt with the tools they are given.

[Stu]

The package of car, driver & team ARE dominant, but that plays out over the course of a race (and season); the car is not dominant (as in head & shoulders above all others) on pace alone. Mistakes, bad strategy and set-up compromises by others have played a part in race results.

[Edax]

My 2-cts. Normally I would expect a “dominant” car to produce not only a high rate of victories but also an equally high rate of pole positions and fastest laps.

For instance in 2012, RB had 13 victories, 12 fastest laps and 11 poles.
In 2004, ferrari had 15 victories, 15 fastest laps and 12 poles.
In 2014, mercedes had 16 victories, 15 fastest laps and 18 (!) poles.

In 2022 the tally so far is 15 victories, out of 8 fastest laps and 6 poles. I think that is why people are hesitating to call the car dominant despite the wins.

The RB is not a dominant car in the sense that it qualifies 0.3 sec ahead of the field and drives into the yonder. But it arguably is the best car over the length of a stint. They can drive the tires harder and longer than anyone else and as a result are the most flexible in terms of tire strategies.

Perhaps in the era of tire degradation, energy management and easy overtakes, that is the new definition of dominance.

[AeroDynamic]

the car is head and shoulders above. max doesn't need to push flat out at the moment and from far back (from mistakes in strategies, pit stops or spins, indeed big grid penalties) can make the order and win.

[bosyber]

the car is head and shoulders above. max doesn't need to push flat out at the moment and from far back (from mistakes in strategies, pit stops or spins, indeed big grid penalties) can make the order and win.

Exactly. And due to this, and what Edax said above, they don't need to focus on qualifying the way Ferrari apparently feel they have to to have any chance at all. How often has Verstappen (and Perez as well, to some extent) shown that he can get back to the front when something went against them now this season? Quite a few times.

[AR3-GP]

Yes, and I could have an affair with Scarlett Johansson... but reality is no, I wont. Have you ever seen any car winning most of the races without being dominant? Then no need to imagine absurd scenarios

Yes. Verstappen winning most of the races in 2021. Hamilton winning most of them in 2018.

[Andres125sx]

Yes, and I could have an affair with Scarlett Johansson... but reality is no, I wont. Have you ever seen any car winning most of the races without being dominant? Then no need to imagine absurd scenarios

Yes. Verstappen winning most of the races in 2021. Hamilton winning most of them in 2018.

2021: Max 10 victories, from 22 GPs, 45%
2018: Hamilton 11 from 21 GPs, 52%
.
.
.
2022: Max 13 victories in 19 GPs, 68%, and still 3 GPs left wich will probably increase this percentage even further

[DChemTech]

Yes, and I could have an affair with Scarlett Johansson... but reality is no, I wont. Have you ever seen any car winning most of the races without being dominant? Then no need to imagine absurd scenarios

Yes. Verstappen winning most of the races in 2021. Hamilton winning most of them in 2018.

2021: Max 10 victories, from 22 GPs, 45%
2018: Hamilton 11 from 21 GPs, 52%
.
.
.
2022: Max 13 victories in 19 GPs, 68%, and still 3 GPs left wich will probably increase this percentage even further

Senna 1983 F3 - winning 60% of races (and 86% of races he finished) in a car that by definition is not dominant since the main competitor drove the same car for a different team. The difference has to be driver/team performance.
Magnussen 1994 won 78% of races, again with most competition driving the same chassis/engine. And probably in karting similar things happen. That it's rare that a driver dominates without a dominant car doesn't mean it can't happen in theory, and it doesn't mean it doesn't happen in practice.

[Xyz22]

The RB18 is just like the RB9. Strong at the start of the season and became dominant after the TD 039 (the RB 9 became unbeatable after the tyre change).
Look at Perez Leclerc last stint in Austin. Perez recovered 7s in like 15 laps. Singapore happened the same with Leclerc trying to keep up driving like a madman possessed (Sainz almost losing 1s per lap in every stint compared to Perez). Reminded me of Schumacher in Australia 98 trying to fight against the OP Mclaren.

[MadMax]

Is F1 unique in sport? Fans of a team claim that their car isn't that good even though it's winning most of the time. In any other sport, the fans would be taking out ads on highway billboards shouting how great they are.

What a strange bunch we are.

[Sieper]

Because I truly believe, and the numbers have always supported it, Max has a big part to play in the performance.

[JordanMugen]

Because I truly believe, and the numbers have always supported it, Max has a big part to play in the performance.

Ferrari and Mercedes also have very good "tier one" drivers so that should even out.

Verstappen's ability to get the job done with efficiency and minimal mistakes is certainly very valuable to Red Bull Racing mind you, but I doubt Verstappen is driving significantly better in 2022 than 2020, or Hamilton is driving significantly worse in 2022 than 2020.

Routine victories that merely build statistics should be called out as such, regardless of the driver -- be it Hamilton or Verstappen collecting the routine victories (or multiple routine championships!). There's a lot more routine victories needed for Verstappen to close in on the excessive statistics of Schumacher and Hamilton mind you, not good news for rival fans, assuming Verstappen and RBR can indeed build similar stats!

[AR3-GP]

Because I truly believe, and the numbers have always supported it, Max has a big part to play in the performance.

Ferrari and Mercedes also have very good "tier one" drivers so that should even out.

In theory yes, but of the 3 top rated drivers (Ver,Ham,Lec) Verstappen really has been the cleanest this season. Lec and Hamilton had crashes that destroyed their races. Hamilton in Austria qualy and Spa race. Leclerc in Imola and France.

[mendis]

The RB18 is just like the RB9. Strong at the start of the season and became dominant after the TD 039 (the RB 9 became unbeatable after the tyre change).
Look at Perez Leclerc last stint in Austin. Perez recovered 7s in like 15 laps. Singapore happened the same with Leclerc trying to keep up driving like a madman possessed (Sainz almost losing 1s per lap in every stint compared to Perez). Reminded me of Schumacher in Australia 98 trying to fight against the OP Mclaren.

Credit goes to Mercedes.