Whenever you have checked the results of a Formula 1 race in 2023, you have not been surprised to see Red Bull claimed the victory yet again.
In the first eight races of this season, the Milton Keynes-based outfit have won every single one of them and looked nailed on to secure a second successive constructors’ title. Their lead in the team’s championship currently stands at 154 points over Mercedes with Aston Martin 13 further back and Ferrari way down on 122 points.
Not only does the car now seem bulletproof after a small blip in qualifying at Saudi Arabia but their star driver, Max Verstappen, is on another level behind the wheel.
The Dutchman has won six of the eight Grand Prix and come second in the other two, seeing his championship lead stand at 69 points ahead of teammate Sergio Perez.
We are officially one-third of the way through the season now so can they go all the way and do something never done before? Total-Motorsport.com examines the possibility.
Slower development
As a result of Red Bull’s cost-cap breach during the 2021 season, they have far less wind tunnel time than they would usually get this season and that is the only crumb of comfort Mercedes, Aston Martin and Ferrari can hold onto right now.
The Bulls will have to be slower in bringing upgrades for the rest of this season with an eye on 2024 as well. But because they are so far clear, they can afford to focus on 2024 knowing that the rest of the grid would have to find a big chunk of speed to usurp them in 2023.
But it could easily see them left vulnerable towards the end of the year if any of the chasing pack keep their foot on the throttle all the way until Abu Dhabi.
The issue then comes if they don’t believe they can win the title so they too may as well focus on 2024, allowing Red Bull to cruise to the win this year.
Where could Red Bull be beaten?
If you look back at the 2022 season, which was also dominated by Red Bull, they were only beaten as a team on five occasions and two of those have already been and gone (Bahrain and Australia).
The remaining races in which they did not win last season are the next two events at Austria and Silverstone – both won by Ferrari – and Brazil where Mercedes took their only win of the year.
Things could be different this year, though, as the RB19 is a monster in a straight line and that should see it fly at the Red Bull Ring, Silverstone and Interlagos.
Perhaps somewhere tight and twisty like the Hungaroring, Marina Bay or Suzuka could be the answer? Well, Verstappen and Perez won those races and would still be favourites to do it again this time around.
The final chance anyone has is if there is a wild race that throws pure pace out of the equation and mires Verstappen, in particular, in the midfield or out of the race altogether.
But given a complication-free race, there seems to be no chance of Red Bull being beaten in 2023.
Where is the next F1 2023 race?
The next F1 race is the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix which will be the second sprint weekend of the year, held at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg on June 30 to July 2.
