Dutch superstar Max Verstappen and his Red Bull team head into the 2023 Formula 1 season as the clear favorites to claim the world championships, with Fernando Alonso quietly aiming to prove he can challenge the established powerhouses. He understands there will be opportunities to disrupt the traditional order and possibly shake up the usual hierarchy where the Austrian outfit has often set the pace. Carlos Sainz is ready to press his claim as a top challenger.
The season opener unfolds this Friday at the Bahrain International Circuit, and early indications suggest the campaign will follow a familiar arc. Verstappen arrives with formidable speed on paper, having dominated the opening day of pre-season testing with the RB23, while Guanyu Zhou pushed the pace on the second day, nearly stealing the spotlight at Sakhir.
Verstappen appears determined to make the sport feel like his own domain, at least at the outset. In 2022 he posted a season win total of 15 and outpaced Charles Leclerc by a wide margin, a performance reinforced by the steady support of his long-time ally Sergio Pérez. That coupling has helped Red Bull dent Mercedes dominance in the Constructors’ World Championship, a title Mercedes had secured for eight straight years.
Beyond the surface of the numbers, Verstappen seems to radiate a fearless, almost fearless control behind the wheel, with the RB23 projecting strong reliability. It looks ready to challenge any rival who dares enter the ring. Only two teams appear to pose a credible threat to Red Bull’s supremacy, Ferrari and Mercedes, each with the task of stopping a potential repeat or even an improvement of Red Bull’s previous four-year stretch. The memory of Vettel’s era lingers as a reminder that dominance can be challenged but not easily toppled.
Scuderia Ferrari faces a series of chances to prove it remains a force to be reckoned with on the track, something fans haven’t seen consistently since the last golden era when Kimi Räikkönen lifted the title. With Frederic Vasseur guiding the team, the driver pairing of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz is set to push hard for the crown, building on a preseason where reliability improvements started to show, even if 2022 left some questions unanswered.
Bahrain GP schedule
Friday, March 3
Free practice 1: 12:30 – 13:30 hours
Free practice 2: 16:00 – 17:00
Saturday, March 4
Free practice 3: 12:30 – 13:30
Classification: 16:00
Sunday, March 5
Race: 16:00 (57 laps)