it seems like it's a couple of things

-- when you get it right with the engine everything else is easier. They don't have to play games with the aero package like Red Bull, they don't have to run at the absolute edge of reliability like Renault, and they always have a jump start on next year's development because they're not dicking around with fixes for the current year's car


-- they're not quite as far ahead as they look, but because every other team is run like a fucking circus they turn inches into miles. They weren't outlandishly faster than Red Bull last year, but because Albon couldn't keep up, Verstappen was basically going one-on-two every race, plus he was fucking up all the time.

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at