Red Bull started the season at a blistering pace. At the start of the season, Sergio Perez served as the perfect number two seat to Max Verstappen. Of the first four races, Perez bagged two number-one finishes.
Verstappen then took over from the 5th race and has been dominating the standings since. The Oracle Red Bull driver has been the force to reckon with in F1 for the last 12 months. In 2023, Verstappen has bagged nine wins out of the 11 races already finished. Red Bull has enjoyed the perfect season thus far.
The team's lead on the Contractor's Championship encapsulates what type of season it has been for Red Bull. With other teams struggling to keep up with them, Red Bull has opened a wide lead on the Contractor's Championship. Mercedes, Aston Martin, and Ferrari are three of the teams that have found it hard to crack through Red Bull's dominance.
Verstappen in Cruise Control
Fresh from a dominant victory in Hungary, Max Verstappen does not seem to be in any condition to slow down any time soon. The Red Bull driver's sentiments about his team's incredible season are that they should not sleep on their laurels but rather aim to get better and finish strong.
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While Perez may not have had the perfect season this season, the number two seat has bagged points where it mattered, winning twice at the beginning of the season. The two wins came on the street tracks of Baku and Jeddah.
These are not a strong suite of Verstappen's. Since then, Verstappen has won seven back-to-back races clinching the top spot in the standings and opening up a lead of 110 points.
Teams may have conceded the season, but they will still be exploring ways to bring to an end the sensational run that Red Bull has been on. So how do other teams get to Verstappen's level?
As the two-time championship winner noted, beating his team would take leaving the regulations as they are. According to Verstappen, teams will be more closely placed in competition if the regulations remain untouched.
However, this levelling out could take years. Mercedes, for instance, were
the dominant force from 2014 to 2021, when Red Bull was able to match their pace and take over.
While the chasing pack may not rest, the gap to make up is quite big. Verstappen has demonstrated cruise control over the past four races, winning with ease.
Races that Could Be a Problem for Red Bull
Red Bull has not seemed to struggle much this season. It is tracks like Monaco that everyone anticipated to be a problem for the team. Verstappen and Red Bull managed to nick the win, albeit with miscalculations from the Aston Martin, where he gets intermediates fitted rather than slicks with the rain coming in.
The chasing pack would have to depend on another street track for any hope of challenging for the win. With street tracks as the only option left, Singapore is the track where other cars could challenge Red Bull.
We could also consider Las Vegas to be a challenge for Verstappen as the race starts at 10 p.m. Verstappen has shown before that he struggles in low temperatures where he cannot heat up his tires as well as he would like.
The same can be said of Interlagos, which has been known to be an unpredictable track with high altitude. Race tracks that can throw up a surprise or two are welcome for the chasing pack. How soon Red Bull starts focusing on 2024's car and how long others keep developing this season's car may be another factor that will play in favour of the rest of the pack.
Red Bull Keeping Perez
Reb Bull's second driver has had a season of mixed fortunes. Sergio Perez started the season with a verve that set the tone for the Red Bull team. However, the driver's performance dwindled at the start of 2023, and things have not gotten any better since.
Rumours of Red Bull getting a replacement for his seat began circulating. As with most F1 teams in the championship, drivers whose performances remain wanting are often replaced to get the team to gel.
Red Bull has dismissed any claims of such a move stating that they intend to keep the number two seat intact. With the season virtually won, it would only make sense to keep the driver whose credentials are not bad aside from the poor performance over the last few races.
Conclusion
Red Bull has entered an unprecedented time in its period as an F1 team. Having figured out the build elements to keep them competitive against Mercedes, the Red Bull team also boasts one of the best drivers in F1 today in Max Verstappen.
Seemingly a match made in heaven, we have to wait and see how long Red Bull is able to keep up the dominant display they have shown.