Max Verstappen is the reigning world champion. He is gearing up to win another driver’s title at the end of this year. Moreover, the RB19 car seems to be working out well for the team. Looks like it will be really hard for Lewis Hamilton or Charles Leclerc to beat Verstappen.
However, other than Mercedes and Ferrari, some more teams look forward to providing some challenges for Red Bull. Albeit many teams showed promise, Red Bull ruled the first place after the three pre-season test days. Not just with Max Verstappen, but even when Sergio Perez came out, he got the better of Lewis Hamilton in the afternoon session. Hence undoubtedly, Red Bull is the favorite to win the title again, but who do they see as threats?
Big Threat For Max Verstappen And Red Bull
After the completion of the pre-season testing, Red Bull Boss Christian Horner claimed that he was very impressed with Aston Martin. When asked about the cars that have caught his attention, Horner mentioned, “Fernando Alonso in his Aston Martin car looked very competitive. It seems like the concept of their car has helped them in a big way.” Horner mentioned their car had got a good pace, and their data simulation really impressed him. Red Bull Boss feels Alonso, with the AMR23, is not far away from being a threat to the dream of Max Verstappen winning the third consecutive title.
Nonetheless, Max Verstappen looks unbeatable at the moment. Although Horner is not sure who is a more significant threat – Mercedes or Ferrari. Instead, Red Bull Boss is confident that Max Verstappen will be unstoppable en route to winning his third title. But Horner is not wrong in his assessment of the impressive Aston Martin car. The AMR23 has proved that it is fast and also reliable, especially with Fernando Alonso steering the wheel.
The Aston Martin Challenge That Got Red Bull Curious
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin’s second driver, could not participate due to an injury sustained during a bike accident last month. Replacing Stroll is Felipe Drugovich, Aston Martin’s reserve driver. And even when Drugovich drove the car, it looked fast and reliable. Former chief aerodynamicist of Red Bull, Dan Fallows, is the current technical director of Aston Martin. The AMR23 is also the first car constructed under the guidance of 49-year-old Dan Fallows. The oldest driver in the F1 grid, Fernando Alonso, replaced the four-time champion Sebastian Vettel in the Aston Martin team. After the latter retired at the end of the last season.
But the 41-year-old Spanish racer brings a lot of experience, including how to win championships. The 2005 and 2006 driver’s champion can pose a real threat to the F1 powerhouses- Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari. Perhaps Max Verstappen and the Red Bull team are keeping a close eye on the AMR23 car. With the right car, Alonso can still do it, as he was impressive in the last two seasons with the Alpine team. The 48-year-old Sky Sports reporter Ted Kravitz predicts that the Silver Arrows may end up fourth in the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix behind Red Bull, Ferrari, and the dark horse, Aston Martin.
