Will Red Bull and its defending champion Verstappen make short work of the competition? At the dawn of the longest season in the history of Formula 1, which begins on Sunday in Bahrain, Ferrari is in pole position to try to thwart the plans of the world champion team.
But in this game, the vice-world champion Charles Leclerc recognizes it: facing his Ferrari, the new RB19 “looks very efficient”.
If the Monegasque driver assumes that there is still work to be done at the dawn of a record season of 23 races, his new French boss Frédéric Vasseur is convinced: “when we put everything together, the performance seems to be there. YOU “.
An excellent point for the Maranello team, which returned to the highest level in 2022… but far too often suffered from its errors in race strategy and reliability problems last season. Leclerc and the Spaniard Carlos Sainz had not held out for long against the overpowering Red Bull.
For the most titled crest in the history of F1, the shortage seems endless: the last world title dates back to 2007 for the drivers (Räikkönen) and 2008 for the manufacturers.
Verstappen for a third star
The cars are virtually the same as in 2022 and so far indications from winter testing in Bahrain last week have seen Red Bull take the lead.
Are we therefore going to relive the ultra domination of the defending champion team among the manufacturers, for whom the change of regulations in 2022 has been beneficial, with 17 victories out of 22 races?
This is a question to which the tests, mainly intended to perfect the final adjustments before the start of the season, did not really answer according to Frédéric Vasseur.
“It’s not easy to know where you are (compared to others, editor’s note) because different variables have to be taken into account”, like the level of gasoline in the single-seaters or the tires used, recalls the Frenchman. But Sunday on the Sakhir circuit, “it will be a whole different story”.
A completely different story – or simply the pursuit of an upward journey for the double world champion in the category Max Verstappen, who for the moment displays euphemized ambitions knowing his winning temperament.
During the tests “we learned a lot of things, I hope we will just start our race weekend well, and we will see where we end up”, explains the Dutchman.
Eighth coronation for Hamilton?
For Mercedes, only 3e strength of the field last year after years of domination, doubts have not yet been completely dispelled after a 2022 vintage plagued by porpoising linked to the new 2022 rules and which is causing the single-seaters to bounce back.
If the German manufacturer assured to have got rid of this aerodynamic phenomenon, “it is clear that we still have work to do on the rhythm of the car”, acknowledged the director of engineering of the team, Andrew Shovlin.
Enough to allow its driver Lewis Hamilton to win a record eighth world title? “We have to provide a good car for a driver who has the ambition to win races and championships – and we have that”, assured his boss Toto Wolff, whose team has only won one victory in 2022, thanks to George Russell (Brazilian GP).
Behind the best teams, which all retain the same pair of drivers as last season – such as Alfa Romeo – Haas has offered the services of the experienced Nico Hülkenberg to replace his German compatriot Mick Schumacher.
Three rookies (American Logan Sargeant at Williams, Australian Oscar Piastri at McLaren and Dutchman Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri) are also on the grid.
With Frenchman Pierre Gasly joining Esteban Ocon, Alpine hopes to get closer to the top 3 among manufacturers.
At the foot of the podium in 2022, it could however have to be wary of Aston Martin, 7e in 2022 but serious competitor to shake up the plans of the tricolor team.
The Spaniard Fernando Alonso, a new recruit for the English team who arrived straight from… Alpine, proved to be very efficient throughout the tests. Enough to put a spoke in the wheels of his former stable… or even more?