VeeKay: a pace gap between teammates can hinder car development

IndyCar driver Rinus VeeKay says a teammate who cannot match the lead driver's pace can make car development harder, a potential downside he also sees in Max Verstappen's situation.

On Ziggo Sport, VeeKay said his teammates had not been close to his pace in recent years, putting him in a similar situation to Verstappen. By two data points, VeeKay meant input from the two drivers: the lead driver gets the best from the car while the teammate is still trying to work out what it should feel like. He said that leaves the team comparing feedback from two different situations, which often hinders development; some IndyCar teams have three data points, he added.

VeeKay also said a strong teammate can push the leader and is the person with whom that driver is most often compared. At Red Bull, RacingNews365 says Isack Hadjar appears closer to Verstappen in 2026 than Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda did in 2025; the publication says that also benefits development of the RB22.