Red Bull’s Max Verstappen seems set to clinch his fourth consecutive Formula One drivers’ title, because the group continues to dominate this season, with the longest-ever season set to kick off in Bahrain.
Whatever the end result of an unbiased investigation into allegations of controlling conduct by group boss Christian Horner, Red Bull have constructed a crushing degree of momentum and a surprising automotive that oozed potential in preseason testing.
With steady unchanged rules and no modifications to the driving force line-ups, a yr of deja vu is in prospect because the F1 circus embarks on a frightening and unprecedented run of 24 race weekends stretching to early December.
Verstappen’s psychological power, the group’s well-oiled profitable behavior, the design genius of Adrian Newey and an general sense of ambition and starvation for extra success are unlikely to be affected by a management change.
After sweeping to a file 21 wins in 22 races final yr, with Verstappen claiming a file 19, plus 12 poles and 9 quickest laps as he accrued a staggering complete of 575 factors, Red Bull have each purpose to imagine they will keep on prime.
In such a demanding calendar, a lot will rely upon the type of Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez, who received twice final yr earlier than fading, if the group hope for a clear sweep this time.
After his imperious kind in 2023, the 26-year-old Dutchman has each purpose to start this yr with a swagger, however he’ll need assistance from the Mexican for the group to smash all their very own data in an invincible season.
‘Crush competitors’
All of their rival groups have improved their automobiles, as seen in preseason testing, however none arrived to shine final week with as many updates and revisions as these seen in Red Bull’s RB20, a automotive that marks the group’s twentieth birthday.
“It’s a team that operates at its best when they are winning,” stated former Red Bull race winner Daniel Ricciardo, who stays this yr with the re-named Red Bull junior group, RB, having shrugged off the Alpha Tauri label.
“When they’re winning, it’s like they just want to crush the competition completely. It’s not like ‘ok, now we’re winning, let’s go on holiday’. It’s like ‘let’s really put our feet down.”
Ferrari, coming into a second season below the steering of Frederic Vasseur as group principal, who has recruited seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton to switch Carlos Sainz in 2025, will likely be aiming to enhance on their one triumph final yr.
They imagine they’ve a extra dependable automotive that may switch qualifying velocity into race efficiency, however as Charles Leclerc admitted after he topped the instances on the ultimate day of testing, they’ve some solution to go to catch the runaway Red Bulls.
‘Brutal sport’
Hamilton’s Mercedes group have additionally improved their automotive and each he and team-mate George Russell declared it as extra “driveable” and comfy.
“It’s not the ‘diva’ that it has been for the last two years,” he stated.
McLaren, equally, made optimistic noises after testing, however based on Lando Norris stays considerably adrift of Red Bull and Ferrari whereas of the chasing pack, Aston Martin maintain no nice hopes.
“I don’t have a crystal ball,” stated two-time champion Fernando Alonso, 42.
“But Max is world champion and Red Bull are dominating. I think 19 drivers in the paddock now think they won’t win. It happens that way for 99% of your career. It’s a brutal sport.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com
