Red Bull has been the most dominant team in F1 by far in 2023. Their run started in 2022, and they didn’t take their foot off the pedal, with star driver Max Verstappen spearheading their title charge in both seasons. This time, the gap has been bigger, with teams like Ferrari and Mercedes failing to match them in any way. Another potential rival, McLaren, stood up in the latter half this season, although their CEO Zak Brown, is very wary of Red Bull’s continued dominance as per GP Today.
McLaren started the 2023 season on a horrible note. They were point-less in their first two races. Additionally, for the majority of the first half of the season, they were struggling to hold on to the top 10. However, upgrades were soon introduced to the MCL60. Because of this, McLaren led by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri was able to compete toward the front of the grid. In fact, they became a regular contender for the podium places.
It’s been a team effort to get to this point. 👊 https://t.co/iU7bYTSsLn pic.twitter.com/SOAoqt1TYB
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) October 2, 2023
Because of their progress, McLaren has been tipped to step up their game in 2024. Many teams are looking to break McLaren’s dominance in 2024. Among them is McLaren. However, Brown is fearful that the Milton-Keynes-based outfit will continue as they are.
Red Bull likely to continue with their winning ways
The way Red Bull is performing at the moment, it is hard to predict when they will finally enter a slump. Their car is dominant, and Max Verstappen is in the form of his life. New regulations could shake up the grid in 2026. But until then, they won’t go through any widespread changes.
As a result, Brown told Sky Sports that he is worried about Red Bull. Additionally, the fact that Red Bull has already sealed their title win this year with six races to spare, means that they are already working on next year’s car.
“I can well imagine. That because of this dominance, Red Bull quickly focused on the development of the car for next year,” said Brown as per GP Today. “So what’s coming is quite scary. The rest of the field continues to chase. But the rules remain stable so everyone learns how to best adjust the car.”
Can Lando Norris and McLaren oust Max Verstappen this season?
Norris has been fighting for the podium places in almost every race since the start of the second half of the season. Because of this, fans and pundits are wondering if Norris can step it up a notch, and get a win.
The moment the Constructors’ Championship was clinched… 🥹 #F1 pic.twitter.com/rDdiG0uHg6
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) September 24, 2023
The Bristol-born driver has been in F1 since 2019. But despite being labeled as a world-class talent, he hasn’t won a race yet. Norris and McLaren will be desperately hoping that they can change it in the next few races. Especially if Red Bull’s focus shifts from this season.
Another driver to watch out could be Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri. Piastri has been very impressive in his rookie season. It can only be topped if he manages to sneak in a win with the team.
