Max Verstappen has acknowledged that Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris, his competitors, will probably be lot closer to him in the upcoming season.
Throughout the 2023 campaign, there was a significant gap between them. Verstappen alone was responsible for 19 of Red Bull’s triumphs, as he gained more than twice as many points as any other team member. Red Bull won all but one of the 22 races that were staged.
By all counts, both statistically and otherwise, it was the most dominant season in Formula 1 history. Verstappen, though, is certain that they won’t pull the same ruse the next semester.
He stated during the season preview program on BBC Radio 5 Live that “the others will improve their cars and get closer to us.” “I don’t think regaining that win rate is all that feasible. However, that’s alright. It’s crazy to have a season like this one already.
“The others aren’t ignorant. Everybody is picking up knowledge. Naturally, things will come closer the longer the restrictions remain the same, as people begin to realize which way they need to go with their development. Fortunately, we got started with the regulations [in 2022] really successfully, but I anticipate that things will move in the right direction next year.
“As for which specific team, well, the entire season has been a little up and down for everyone save us, so I’m not really sure which one is going to take the largest leap in the winter. Naturally, we hope that they remain behind, but we’ll see in Bahrain.”
Because of their supremacy this year, Red Bull was able to start working on their 2024 car significantly earlier than their competitors. Even with that several-month head start, though, they are so far ahead that advancements happen more slowly since they are getting closer to the present regulations’ performance ceiling.
Christian Horner, the team principal, has acknowledged that he has already seen the RB20 evolve far more slowly. He told reporters that the automobile will be a “evolution, not revolution” of their all-conquering 2023 model, saying, “We can’t afford to be complacent in any way. All areas have been revisited in the car.”
The vehicle is essentially a theme that has evolved. We’re not creating the wheel from scratch, and the engineering path has mostly followed that course for the past 12 months. I completely anticipate that the field will converge, with stable regulations and diminishing profits for us because I believe we reached the top of the curve earlier than others.
As the new year approaches, everything is reset, and I have no doubt that you will witness a lot more vehicles that might have an RB19 aesthetic. In this line of work, stagnation usually results in regression. We have, in my opinion, climbed that curve more quickly than others. However, we are subject to the rule of diminishing returns.
