Despite the fact that there are three races left on the 2022 Formula 1 calendar, Max Verstappen and Red Bull have already been crowned champions for this season, begging the question: Who can stop them in next year?
Red Bull and Max Verstappen have been relentless this year, and even after winning the championship, it doesn't appear like they will take their foot off the gas anytime soon.
Verstappen won his 13th race of the 2022 season last week at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, tying the single-season victory record with three races still remaining. Verstappen now shares the record with F1 luminaries Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel, but he will most likely own the single-season victory record by the conclusion of the season.
Red Bull and Verstappen have been performing at such a high caliber this year that it is difficult to imagine them not winning at least one of the last three races.
With the 2022 title secured, F1 fans are already looking ahead to the 2023 season, with everyone wondering, "Who can stop Verstappen and Red Bull?"
Let’s start off by taking a look at the odds that have already been posted by some of the most popular betting apps in the US.
2023 F1 World Championship Odds
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull) -150
- Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +370
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +410
- George Russell (Mercedes) +1800
- Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) +2000
- Sergio Perez (Red Bull) +2800
- Lando Norris (McLaren) +11000
- Esteban Ocon (Alpine) +14000
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +18000
- Nyck de Vries (AlphaTauri) +20000
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +20000
- Kevin Magnussen (Haas) +20000
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +20000
- Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) +20000
- Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +20000
- Guanyu Zhou (Alfa Romeo) +20000
- Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) +20000
- Alex Albon (Williams) +20000
Another three-horse race for the 2023 F1 title?
Based on early 2023 F1 championship odds, it's reasonable to conclude that the title battle will most likely be a three-horse race.
Max Verstappen is the odds-on favorite to win his third Formula One title next year, with Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc the most likely challengers to Verstappen and the Red Bull squad in 2023.
Lewis Hamilton has already established his place in Formula One history as one of the finest drivers to ever sit behind the wheel, but his failure to offer Verstappen greater competition this year boils down to the Mercedes vehicle being unable to effectively adapt to this year's new aerodynamic regulations.
This has both positive and negative implications for Hamilton and Mercedes' prospects of winning the title next year.
If Mercedes can make the necessary modifications to their vehicles this offseason, they can be certain that they have the proper guy behind the wheel to challenge Verstappen next year.
The possibly problematic element of their situation is that, even with one of the top drivers on their team, their vehicles are just not up to the challenge of competing for the title in their current shape.
Mercedes need to up their game in 2023 to be on terms with Red Bull and Ferrari
This means that if Mercedes wants to be a serious title challenger next season, they will need to spend considerable time and money in the shop over the next few months to really fine-tune their cars.
Ferrari and Leclerc are in a similar position to Mercedes and Hamilton. They have a brilliant driver behind the wheel, but owing to engine reliability issues, Ferrari was forced to decrease the power they could apply throughout the duration of their races, and hence the season.
The engine dependability issue has been problematic for Ferrari, who started the season in terrific form and seemed to be a strong title contender until they suffered their engine woes.
But all hope is not lost in team Ferrari, as they elected to use the remainder of the season as somewhat of a ‘trial period’ to test out some possible solutions to their engine troubles.
The early stages of this season proved that they can compete with Red Bull when in form, so if they can resolve the engine dependability issue and get Leclerc back to full power, they may stand a chance against Verstappen and Team Red Bull.
All we know is that the 2023 Formula 1 season is already shaping up to be an exciting chapter in the sport's history, and we can't wait to watch how it all plays out.
Latest News
Loading
