Will the penalty and the French “rainmaker” eat away at Max Verstappen’s superiority? Here are the hottest questions of the F1 season

The 2022 F1 season ended for Red Bull Max Verstappen’s to the party. The arrogant challenger turned into a confident champion, who gassed for his second consecutive World Championship title with a difference of no less than 146 points from Ferrari to Charles Leclerc.

Verstappen goes into the upcoming season as a clear early favorite. However, the Dutchman is not thinking about increasing his championship streak just yet.

– It is more important to focus on having a competitive car. If we have one, anything is possible, Verstappen said in February (switching to another service).

Can Verstappen and Red Bull be beaten?

Sports expert Jukka Mildhin according to the championships and last season’s 15 wins out of 21 races give Verstappen a mental upper hand.

– It all depends on how Red Bull stays involved in the development curve. The tests promised quite well, says Mildh.

In the Bahrain tests last weekend, Verstappen clearly drove the most laps and the fastest lap time on the first day. Team mate Sergio Perez was on the closing day of vikkel.

However, no direct conclusions can be drawn from the tests about the racing condition of the teams. There are question marks hanging over Red Bull.

In October, the international motor sports association FIA imposed a penalty on the team for exceeding the expenditure ceiling for the 2021 season. The goal of the spending ceiling is to curb the arms race of the stables.

Red Bull was fined seven million dollars and had ten percent of its aerodynamic parts testing time reduced for this year.

Punishment can have major consequences. The development of the car and the direction of the cash flows must be successful if you want to fight for the World Championship title.

– An F1 car develops two seconds faster in one lap during the season. Development work is really important. Losing aerodynamics testing time can be crucial. It all depends on how ready the car is before the start of the season and in the first race.

The starting season is the second one that will be driven on renewed tracks. There were changes, e.g. aerodynamics, tire size and fuel. The teams have had time to develop their cars for a year, so the competition may be tougher than last year.

An Italian-French recipe for success?

According to Mildh, Ferrari is the biggest threat to Red Bull and Verstappen. The long season of Italian team managers came to an end in Maranello when Mattia Binotto left his position at the end of last year.

A replacement from Alfa Romeo, French Frederic Vasseur is the first foreign Ferrari boss since his compatriot By Jean Todtwhose farewell season in 2007 Kimi Raikkonen drove the team to the most recent World Drivers’ Championship.

Vasseur, who thinks straightforwardly and communicates clearly, taking the helm bodes well for Ferrari. Mildh estimates that Vasseur is perhaps the best of the current team managers in terms of management and engineering skills.

– He is honest, fair and demanding. I could consider him some kind of rainmaker for Ferrari.

The foundation of Ferrari’s previous boom was built 30 years ago, when Todt started as Ferrari’s team manager.

– Then we started by forbidding the mechanics to drink wine at lunch and shave their beards every morning. It led to a big change at Ferrari. That’s what Ferrari still needs. In a political environment, that is not an easy task.

Last season, under Binotto, Ferrari succumbed to tactical errors that knocked Leclerc out of the championship fight. According to Mildh, the team’s internal interaction in the decision-making situation was weak.

– This is where Vasseur can help the drivers and when the drivers can be helped, they help the team.

Ferrari got off to a strong start last season with Leclerc winning two of the first three races, but then Verstappen’s winning streak began, which was interrupted by Leclerc’s misfortune.

If the team keeps the performance level better than last year, Leclerc or Carlos Sainz are the biggest threat to Verstappen, Mildh reflects

– I currently consider them to be worse threats than Mercedes Lewis Hamilton or George Russell not yet knowing how the stable is really doing. The balance of power will be determined in the first race in Bahrain.

Verstappen himself thinks that Mersu’s “silver arrows” that were in the air last season can be a tough word in the championship race.

– Sometimes they seemed to have a package together, sometimes not. Hard to say. But if they can understand what car development needs, they are our worst competitors, Verstappen said (switch to another service).

How can Bottas get more out of Alfa Romeo?

Alfa Romeo Valtteri Bottas was tenth in the Drivers’ World Series last season. According to Mildh, Vasseur’s departure is a small setback for Bottas, who has worked with the Frenchman in the GP3 and F3 junior series.

– But Valtteri is a professional, these things don’t take a moment. The stable is moving forward at a fast pace.

Mildh believes that Bottas still has a burning motivation to drive. Audi has bought a part of Sauber, which runs the team, and plans to return to formulas in 2026. It might attract the native of Nasto to continue his career.

– Valtteri may have a small goal there, which increases his hunger. Continue after the Alfa era with Audi. He is only 33 years old. He is quite capable of doing it. Valtteri still has a lot to overcome.

For Bottas to reach his best, the car has to work better, says Mildh. Last season, Alfa Romeo made mistakes in the development of the car and had to make changes during the season. The poor financial situation made it difficult to react and the results were modest, especially towards the end of the season.

– Based on the tests, the car can now be adjusted better for slow and fast curves. I believe that the concept of the car is better because everyone now has a second season with these new cars.

Bottas’ role as the team’s top driver is probably secured. Team mate Guanyu Zhou has shown speed, but Bottas collected 90 percent of Alfa Romeo’s 55 MM points last year.

– Bottas’ performance should not be underestimated. This duo is good because the team also trusts the Chinese driver. The support for both is pretty even. It also tightens Valtteri.

Will we see statements?

The 74th season of the F1 circus starts this weekend in Bahrain in a strange situation. In December, the International Automobile Federation FIA banned the “political, religious and personal” expressions of opinion made by drivers without a permit in motor sports events organized by the association.

Read more: The researcher wonders about the rule of thumb that Valtteri Bottas broke – “Is there something to hide when you are not allowed to criticize?”

Huge sums of money are involved in the formula circus. There are many partners and countries that do not share the Western understanding of human rights. Mildh sees that the new rule has been made with these parties in mind.

– The sport is losing a lot. With the ownership of Liberty Media, there has been a much more open and approachable direction Bernie Ecclestone from times. The number of women in the stands is increasing, and children and young people are becoming interested. This development should not be slowed down now.

It is difficult to monitor the ban limiting opinions.

– There are conflicting countries with many things that drivers do not necessarily accept. It’s a difficult situation. Rules are rules that must be followed. It may be that some drivers are ready to pay fines. As public figures, they must be able to take a stand on various issues.

Mercedes’ seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is known for his social stances. Britti shares her views, for example, on Instagram, where she has more than 31 million followers. According to Mildh, Hamilton will be one of those who won’t keep quiet.

– He has always created his own brand. Lewis’ goal is to become a Hollywood actress. It is a different role than that of an athlete. He does two things. The most successful F1 driver has voting power. He’s not the only one, of course. Verstappen takes a stand when he feels it is appropriate, but he is not a world healer.