The three-time Formula 1 champion begins his ninth season as a Red Bull Racing driver, aiming for his fourth consecutive F1 drivers’ championship. Based on what we observed during the three days of pre-season testing in Bahrain last week, it seems highly unlikely that any other team will surpass the reigning champions.
However, it is always wise to downplay your chances before the start of the season, and that’s exactly what Verstappen did when discussing the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix. In a Red Bull press release, he expressed his expectations for the approaching weekend. Verstappen acknowledged the valuable lessons learned in testing and emphasized the need to execute everything correctly for a good season start. He also mentioned that, given the amount of track time in Bahrain, surprises in terms of setup direction should be minimal. Overall, Verstappen concluded by expressing his excitement to start racing again.
Sergio Perez, Verstappen’s teammate, is entering the final year of his current contract with Red Bull. After an inconsistent season in 2023, despite finishing as the runner-up, Perez seems more comfortable with the RB20 compared to its predecessor, the RB19. He shared his enthusiasm for the upcoming race weekend, highlighting the solid testing week and the positive performance and reliability of the car. Perez acknowledged the unpredictability of the first weekend, with new concepts and teams performing well on the grid. He emphasized that Red Bull has taken a new direction with the RB20 and expressed his willingness to compete and assess his competitiveness. Instead of looking too far into the future, Perez intends to focus on each race individually, anticipating a fierce battle among the teams in 2024.
Although Red Bull has demonstrated its status as the team to beat this season, there are external factors that could potentially hinder their defense of the F1 title. One of these factors is the ongoing investigation into allegations of “inappropriate behavior” by team principal Christian Horner towards a female colleague. If Horner is found guilty and removed from his position, it remains to be seen how Red Bull’s F1 season will unfold in 2024.
