Max Verstappen cruised to yet another comfortable race win at the 2023 Abu Dhabi GP on Sunday. This prompted Lewis Hamilton to showcase his concerns over the dominance of Red Bull despite the Milton Keynes-based team displaying ‘complacency’ since August.
While talking about Red Bull’s dominance during the race in the context of the RB19 being practically unchanged since August, Hamilton said, “For Red Bull to win by 17 seconds in the end, and they haven’t developed their car since August is definitely a concern.”
#AbuDhabiGP | Lewis Hamilton post-race: “At this moment I don’t really know [if they have input to be competitive next year]. For Red Bull to win by 17 seconds in the end, and they haven’t developed their car since August is definitely a concern.”
“But we’ve learnt a lot…
— deni (@fiagirly) November 26, 2023
At the start of the race, Verstappen faced a bit of competition from Charles Leclerc. However, after dispatching the Monegasque, Verstappen went on to build an unassailable lead for the Grand Prix win. Meanwhile, Verstappen’s teammate, Sergio Perez, finished in fourth after a five-second penalty dropped him outside the podium places.
Irrespective of the result in Abu Dhabi, Red Bull had already sealed the Constructors’ and the Driver’s Championships well in advance with a hefty lead. And as the 2023 season came to an end, their rivals can only look forward to 2024 and try to claw back any performance to bridge the gap to the very front of the field.
Lewis Hamilton optimistic of 2024 title charge
While Lewis Hamilton was concerned by the ease with which Red Bull have obliterated the field this year, the seven-time champion is hopeful that his Mercedes team have learned the vital lessons to build a stronger W15. The team themselves have divulged that they will be looking at more than one concept to overhaul the current spec W14 into the 2024 trim.
From early signs and simulations, it looks as though there is some promise from that avenue. Notably, even George Russell seems like Mercedes have an ace up their sleeves for next year.
My one Formula 1 wish for 2024:
More battles between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc.
It is pure cinema anytime these two battle for the lead. pic.twitter.com/cYN8RplPl7
— Dan’s DRS Zone (@F1GuyDan) November 26, 2023
Alongside Mercedes, the likes of Ferrari and McLaren have upped their game, too. The MCL60 is practically the second-fastest car on the grid in most races, and Ferrari have unlocked a lot of pace from their 2o23 challenger.
Naturally, coming in 2024, fans would be hoping to see a four-way fight for the title with Red Bull on the verge of facing their greatest test yet off the back of an unprecedented and dominating season of F1 racing.
