It’s hard to find any fault with the 2023 Formula 1 season for the Red Bull team and Christian Horner is sure to be sitting back, enjoying a well-deserved cocktail following another victory in Abu Dhabi.
The statistics speak for themselves. Most wins in a season, most points in a season, most laps led in a season. It goes on.
The records set by Max Verstappen are sure to stay for the foreseeable future. The Dutchman was in a class of his own till the end.
The only team that brought any challenge in the first half of the season was Aston Martin or, more specifically, Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard valiantly battled with Verstappen and Perez for the podium places getting so close in Monaco to that coveted pole.
However, once the team fell behind in the development race, it was plain sailing for the Austrian team. Only a Ferrari victory in Singapore stands out as a black mark on an otherwise perfect season.
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Could Verstappen be the GOAT?
Max Verstappen has long been thought of as one of the most prodigious talents of all time. Ever since he made his debut with the Toro Rosso team as a fresh-faced 17-year-old it has been obvious he has tremendous speed. The issue for Max has always been finding the balance between his speed and aggression.
We have seen him starting to find this perfect equilibrium since his first title victory season in 2021, however this year, he showed that he is now the complete package. Drivers have had fantastic cars in the past. It doesn’t necessarily guarantee of victory and, even less so, domination across a whole season.
No matter what’s bee thrown at Verstappen he has had an answer to everything. Yes, the Red Bull has been largely bulletproof, but he has extracted every bit of speed out of the car. There is no grid-drop, red flag or Safety Car that can break Verstappen’s stride in 2023.
Now a three-time world champion and only 26-years-old the sky is the limit for this man who could realistically challenge Hamilton and Schumachers record total.
There seemed to be frustration bubbling inside the driver at times. His outburst in Las Vegas most recently showing there is a petulant side to him. But who could blame the guy when he’s barely had any overtake to make this season?
Currently the decision is with Verstappen to go for as long as he likes. If Red Bull continue to dominate why on earth would he walk away?
Make or break time for Checo
Going up against a talent like Verstappen was never going to be easy. We have seen drivers shrink under the spotlight before in the cauldron that is Red Bull.
Sergio Perez started brilliantly picking up two wins in the first four races. Talk of a title challenge was whispered throughout the paddock. Suddenly, it all came to a grinding halt.
Famed for his speed around street circuits the Mexican was let down by a mistake at the Monaco Grand Prix. After crashing out of the opening St. Devote corner, he started the race last. There was no hope from there – even the red Bull struggled to overtake at Monaco.
Unfortunately for Checo and F1 fans in general, we never saw the same driver after that. The championship fight was over already.
Most concerning for Perez was his inability to get the better of Verstappen on Saturday. He was dominated in qualifying which left his constantly making up ground on race day. There were still a few podiums to shout about and he eventually secured 2nd in the WDC, but surely you need more from a car like that?
Many feel he is in a fight with Ricciardo and possibly Tsunoda from lights out in 2024 to save his seat. The team have shown they are not afraid to amen mid-season swaps.
I suspect what saved Checo this season is the dominance of the machine. The WDC and WCC never looked in doubt. If it ain’t broke, why fix it?
We hope that changes next season for the sake of a competitive, engaging season for us fans. If the pack does close up, he will need to perform much better if he wants to continue flying the Mexican flag in Formula 1 in 2025.
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