Max Verstappen has been the most dominant driver in F1 this season. The Dutchman won the opening round in dominant fashion, and despite starting from P15 in the second race, he ended up finishing second behind teammate Sergio Perez.
Verstappen never won in Australia, heading into the 2023 Australian GP. However, with Red Bull’s superior car this year, people saw his victory as an inevitability. Verstappen took the pole position and was presented with an opportunity to dominate the race from the start to the finish. The 25-year-old, however, did not start the race well, with both Mercedes drivers jumping him on lap one.
Lewis Hamilton did not hold back in his Lap 1 defence! 💪#AusGP #F1 @MercedesAMGF1 pic.twitter.com/n4uqNHnhLe
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 5, 2023
After a red flag and multiple incidents throughout the race, Verstappen found himself behind arch-rival Lewis Hamilton in P2. Of course, passing Hamilton in the RB19 was not going to be difficult, but the ease with which he overtook the seven-time world champion sent an ominous sign to anyone who was thinking of challenging him.
Does Red Bull still have a massive advantage over others?
In 2022 Red Bull won their first constructors’ world championship since 2013. They won it with three races to spare, and Verstappen clinched his second consecutive title with four to spare. This “dominance” upset the majority of the neutral fans, who were expecting a repeat of 2021’s nail-biting finish.
If things keep going like they are currently, this year’s title battle could be over with more races to spare than last year. Verstappen was always going to overtake Hamilton, who was in a much inferior car. However, the fact that Verstappen would pull off a 2.1 second gap to Hamilton in just one sector after passing him, sent a clear message to all the drivers and teams.
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Hamilton is a legendary driver, and was driving what was arguably the second fastest car in Albert Park. Regardless, Verstappen built a huge gap to the Brit in a relatively small time, which shows just how dominant Red Bull is currently.
Max Verstappen is the favorite to win 2023 world championship
Verstappen is currently the most in-form driver in F1. He won two consecutive world championships in 2021 and 2022 respectively, and as things stand, he is the firm favorite to retain the crown, yet again.
We are just three races into the season and with 20 more still to go, a lot can change. However, Verstappen’s dominance in the opening rounds is a warning sign for all drivers, that challenging him or being of threat is going to be an extremely daunting task.
