THE £120M SUPER CAR

Weight: 796kg

Width: 200cm.

Height: 95cm.

Ride height: 45mm off the ground.

Engine: 1.6-litre V6.

Cylinders: 6

Consumption: Up to 145 litres of fuel per race, with 750 to 1,100 brake horse power generated.

THIS is the £120million super car that has blown away the rest of the world for two seasons.

In perfect unison with it, the unstoppable Max Verstappen has won 17 races out of 20 in 2023 heading into this morning’s Las Vegas Grand Prix. No wonder a green-eyed Lewis Hamilton has called it the best car in Formula One history.

The big problem for the rest of the competition is that its greatness is kept a closely guarded secret. Mechanics stand behind it on the grid so rival teams can’t get a good look at its genius.

The car’s essential success lies in its floor — hence the difficulty for others in learning more. Mastering the air vortices under and around the car is the key performance differential since new ground-effect regulations were introduced in 2022.

Red Bull were on the right track immediately. Mercedes’s conception of their car, in contrast, was fundamentally awry.

Red Bull are aided by having F1 design legend Adrian Newey overseeing the process. Frenchman Pierre Wache is technical director and more hands-on these days.

Having hit the right concept from the start, Red Bull continue to perfect their design millimetre by millimetre, extending their success into this season (and many fear the next as well!).

But don’t forget, it’s not only about the machine but the man. Verstappen romped to the title with six races to spare while team-mate Sergio Perez is fighting to hang on to runners-up place . . . 266 points back.