LONDON – Max Verstappen may well become the fifth Formula One driver to win at least four world championships in a row next season but he and Red Bull will be hard-pushed to be as dominant as in 2023.
Fans are hoping to see more of a battle for the top of the podium when the racing starts again in Bahrain next March.
Whether that will happen is the question nobody has the answer to, before the new cars and tyres are put through their paces in testing and the uncertainty creates some suspense going into the winter break.
“I think for the sake of all of us and for F1, and even for Red Bull to be honest, we need not just McLaren but Ferrari, Aston Martin, Mercedes and everybody to close the gap,” said Sky TV commentator and ex-racer Martin Brundle.
It may be wishful thinking to expect a big change at the front, with Verstappen, 26, only getting better and teammate Sergio Perez posing no threat, but even Red Bull recognise they may never have it so good again.
Said team boss Christian Horner, who saw his side win 21 of 22 races: “With such strong opposition as well, I am sure next year is going to be a lot closer, a lot tighter.”
Only Juan Manuel Fangio, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton have managed four successive titles, while Michael Schumacher won five straight, since the championship started in 1950 but Dutchman Verstappen already deserves comparison.
His 19 wins, and his team’s dominance, were astonishing and are now part of the sport’s rich history.
He took more points, more podiums and led more laps in a single campaign than anyone before and his win rate of 86.3 per cent eclipsed Alberto Ascari’s 85.7 per cent from 1952.
Next season will be the longest yet at 24 races, with six sprints – including Miami and Shanghai adopting that format for the first time. The Singapore race is on Sept 22.
Las Vegas, back on the calendar for the first time since 1982 and with a race down the famed Strip, showed there can be plenty of thrills and entertainment even after championships have been won.
A dream scenario for F1 in 2024 would be a decider in Las Vegas with Mercedes’ Hamilton, 39 in January, fighting old foe Verstappen for the record eighth title he controversially missed out on in 2021.
The pairing with George Russell could also provide some sparks if Mercedes produce a competitive car.
It would also be quite something if resurgent McLaren could be serious contenders with Australian hotshot Oscar Piastri growing in confidence after an impressive rookie season alongside Lando Norris.
McLaren boss Zak Brown said: “We definitely feel like we’ll take a step forward, but so will the entire grid. We’re just going to have to wait and see, but we’re excited.”
The dream would also be seeing Ferrari, without a title since 2008, challenging for more than best of the rest and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, 43 in July, back on the top step more than a decade on from his last win. REUTERS
