Red Bull driver Max Verstappen ended the last campaign with such a lead that the rest of the field may feel like they have to climb a mountain to catch the reigning Formula 1 champion.
And that’s exactly what Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc did to prepare for this challenge, which will officially kick off on Sunday at the Bahrain Formula 1 Grand Prix.
The 25-year-old Monegasque traveled to the Italian Dolomites to undergo “extreme training”, which allowed him to “recharge his batteries and be ready” for another attempt to dislodge Verstappen, his former rival in karting, from his throne.
It’s an open secret, Lewis Hamilton is a perfectionist when it comes to his physical condition. However, the veteran Mercedes driver took a different approach this time around: he went whale watching in Antarctica.
“The winter was great, my highlight was whale watching in Antarctica,” said the 38-year-old Briton. And if I have any advice for someone who would like to do the same, it’s dress warmly. Otherwise, it was really spectacular. »
Will this adventure allow him to eat away at the few lengths in advance that Verstappen has forged in front of him? Hard to say. But judging by the results of winter testing in Bahrain last week, that won’t be the case.
Verstappen even believes his car, the RB19, is even better than last year’s.
“Overall I would say the car is better than last year’s car,” he said during testing. It’s been very positive so far. »
Asked about his rivals, Verstappen was very brief.
“We prefer to focus on ourselves,” said Verstaoppen, who set a record last season with 15 wins to take his career tally to 35. The 25-year-old Dutchman is already sixth in the history in terms of F1 victories. The legendary Ayrton Senna occupies fifth place with 41, and could be dislodged this season.
Red Bull will start the campaign with a refined car that is lighter than last year and, as Verstappen hopes, without any reliability problems. “The main issue last year revolved around the excessive weight of the car, so at the start of the campaign it was very unresponsive and difficult to negotiate the corners, explained the Dutchman. This year is a continuation, but we were able to find and add things that make it obviously superior. »
Last year, Verstappen sailed briskly towards the conquest of the title until he found himself in the heart of a storm at the end of the campaign. His teammate Sergio Perez was unhappy that Verstappen refused to give way to him in Brazil, as Perez struggled with Leclerc for second place in the championship.
Movement at Ferrari
Ferrari will hope to be able to revive, following a reshuffle within its management.
Frenchman Frédéric Vasseur replaced outgoing manager, Italian Mattia Binotto, whose relationship with Leclerc was increasingly strained.
Leclerc started 2022 with two wins from three races and looked set to be Verstappen’s main title challenger. But he finished the season nearly 150 points behind the Dutchman, after proving unable to secure a win after July and finishing second overall.
“What should we expect from Fred?” It’s still early days, but I must admit I was impressed by how quickly he integrated into the team, said Leclerc, who had worked with Vasseur at Sauber. He seemed very comfortable from the first days, and he is aware of what Ferrari stands for. »
Without criticizing Binotto, he hinted that a change had become necessary.
“He’s very, very good at rallying everyone around the same cause, maximizing each individual’s potential,” said Leclerc. I believe that will be a big advantage. »
Binotto’s reign was marred by strange team directives, botched pit stops and poor strategic decisions that robbed Leclerc of many wins. As a result, internal wars broke out within the most prestigious team on the board, and led to Binotto’s departure.
Negotiation at Mercedes
At Mercedes, the relationship between the team and Hamilton remains strong, as he negotiates a new contract extension and has been assured by team principal Toto Wolff that he will soon be providing him with a winning car.
Hamilton is still stuck at 103 wins, having been unable to climb to the top step of the podium last season. Additionally, he now has to wrestle with his teammate, fellow countryman George Russell.
Russell surprised many observers last season — his first for Mercedes — by finishing ahead of Hamilton in the overall standings. Russell finished fourth, two steps ahead of the seven-time world champion, and he scored the team’s only win of 2022.
“I’ve always believed in it, at every stage of my career,” said Russell.
Optimistic Alonso
Fernando Alonso still believes in his chances of obtaining a third world championship, even at 41 years old. He joined Aston Martin – the team of Quebec businessman Lawrence Stroll, in which his son, Lance drives – after a difficult separation from Alpine. The Spaniard is optimistic for the next campaign.
“There is this energy at Aston Martin, the one that we find in possible title contenders,” he said. The new factory begins to take shape, the new wind tunnel, and huge investments. It looks very positive. »
new faces
21-year-old Australian Oscar Piastri (McLaren), 22-year-old American Logan Sargeant (Williams) — who took the wheel of Toronto’s Nicholas Latifi — and Nyck De Vries (Alpha Tauri) are the newcomers this season .
De Vries took part in a race last season and made many eyes widen by finishing ninth in the Italian Grand Prix, while Alex Albon was sidelined with appendicitis.
“I have the opportunity to realize my dream,” said De Vries, who is 28 years old.
F2 champion Felipe Drugovich could replace Stroll at Aston Martin in Bahrain if the 24-year-old Quebecer hasn’t recovered sufficiently from his wrist injury suffered while cycling last month while training in Spain .
Rumors are also circulating about a temporary recall of Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin. The four-time world champion announced his retirement at the end of the last campaign.
Alonso and Vettel — two former title rivals on the same team — would no doubt enhance the quality of the spectacle on the track, even if only for one race.