You can read it here first: Max Verstappen and Red Bull have also become champions in Formula 1 in 2023.
The Formula 1 season has not even officially started yet. Still, we can already tell you who will be the winner. After the first and only winter test, we dare to take it: Max Verstappen will be champion again this season, just like his team Red Bull Racing. Yohee, Yohoo, street party!
Test for three days
For this year, the FIA had come up with something new, both in terms of keeping the excitement and costs low. Instead of two winter tests, only one was completed. Moreover, that test itself was only three days long. So the teams had to use time sparingly and make hard decisions about who did which session.
While Drugovich filled in for the injured Stroll with the Aston Martin team, most teams opted to divide the days between the two drivers. Red Bull, however, took a different approach. Spearhead Max Verstappen did the entire first day and the second part of the second day. Perez was allowed to do the other sessions.
Hegemony of Red Bull
MV1 immediately made its mark by setting the best time on day one with a 1:32.837. His closest attacker was called Fernando Alonso, who just missed the reigning champion’s time on softer rubber in the fast Aston Martin. More importantly, however: Ferrari and Mercedes followed at an appropriate distance from our hero. The two red team drivers conceded about four tenths on the same rubber. Mercedes was actually not involved at all.
In fact, days two and three were more of the same. With the only difference that Alfa Romeo wanted to grab the headline with Zhou on day two. The red Alfa went to P1 on soft rubber, but was barely faster than Max, who was on much harder rubber. A minor oil leak caused the only delay Red Bull encountered in three days. This while Russell’s Mercedes was not only not fast, but also stopped once on the track.
On day three the picture was the same again, only Perez could now put his name at the top of the list in the superior RB19. The hosanna atmosphere is complete at Red Bull. Both drivers are positive about the car, have about the same feedback and harder rubber is driven faster than everyone else on softer tyres. On the C4, Perez drove the fastest time of the test with a 1:30.305. Lewis Hamilton came closest, but still conceded more than three tenths on the softer C5 rubber. Max and Red Bull are champions again.
Other highlights and setbacks
Behind the dominant display of Red Bull and Verstappen, Aston Martin’s performance stands out in a positive sense. Team green has to improve compared to last year’s seventh place in the World Cup. It looks like the AMR23 can fulfill at least part of Lawrence Stroll’s ambition.
Ferrari once again seems to be a second force, although the rest of the field is closer to Ferrari than Ferrari is to the championship team. Things are not going smoothly at Mercedes yet. Although reports from the team are that the W14 is a much better base to work with than the W13, the Merc has not yet had an impressive pace shown. Yes, Hamilton was second today, but when you look at the tires and the time, it’s not impressive. Unless Mercedes pulls out the old sandbags again and is a second faster next weekend, Max will not only win the championship, but also all the races.
McLaren has had the worst test of any team; few signs of speed, most missed time with problems…all in all not a situation to be jealous of. Alpine is the largest darkhorse. The French never went for fast times and soft tires. That said, the times were not impressive for a moment. At Alpine, however, the impression is that it will all work out. So they will probably be fifth again in the World Cup.
Nyck is doing well in Alpha Tauri
Nyck de Vries didn’t go fast on the last day, but on day two he was fourth. The pace seems to be very similar to Tsunoda’s and team boss French Toast indicates that DEV gives a lot of good feedback. However, it is difficult to estimate how Alpha Tauri is doing compared to the other teams in midfield. In fact, only one thing is really clear: Verstappen is a three-time champion! For the rest of the results, we have to wait for the season…
This article Official: Max Verstappen and Red Bull also champion in 2023 appeared first on Autoblog.nl.
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