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The 2023 F1 season concluded with Max Verstappen winning his 19th race of the season. The Red Bull driver cruised to the title but never let the foot off the pedal at any point in time.
There were no off-weekends and hence he propelled his team to 21 wins this season and won 19 of them. At the start of the season when George Russell claimed that Red Bull could win every race of the season, it sounded preposterous. But looking back, the Mercedes driver was probably right and if it wasn't for the strange weekend in Singapore, Red Bull could have achieved a clean sweep this season.
The season is now over and while it is clear as day that Red Bull decimated its opposition, there's far more to the season than the victors of the 2023 F1 championship. Let's take a look.
#1 Max Verstappen and Red Bull have taken dominance to another level
In the 21st century, we've seen dominance but we've not seen dominance of this type. This is not necessarily a dominance only due to the performance of the car, there are other factors at play here as well, and that includes the relentless nature in which the driver and the team operate.
This one was arguably one of the greatest seasons by a driver and the team, something that should worry anyone who's not a Red Bull or a Max Verstappen fan is that we could see a repeat next season as well.
#2 F1 can't afford one-sided with 24 races on the calendar
The last race of the 2023 F1 season was a bit of a damp squib. After the first few laps, it became clear that Max Verstappen was going to win, just like he had done on 18 other occasions in the season. It all because a bit monotonous and tiresome.
Can anyone be blamed for thinking this way? It was a 22-race season that came to an end with a triple header whose time zones could not have been more nonsensical.
A predictable season that is this long becomes a drag and F1 might need to be careful with how much juice it can squeeze out of its current product.
#3 McLaren and Aston Martin give Mercedes and Ferrari hope
One of the major reasons why Aston Martin and McLaren were able to make such a massive jump in terms of performance was because of the early adaptation of the Red Bull concept.
Mercedes and Ferrari started their adaptation to the Red Bull concept this season but it was limited due to the initial approach that the teams had taken.
If the move to the Red Bull concept can prove significant and both Ferrari and Mercedes are yet to take that step then for a fan this might just be a source of optimism for the next F1 season.
Looking at how the season ended, everyone needs it for sure.
#4 Fred Vasseur's impact became visible later in the season
Midway through the 2023 F1 season, there were conversations around Fred Vasseur and his overall effectiveness on the team. Many had questioned if the team principal had even been effective at the team.
A year into his reign and more importantly later in the season one could see positive signs. The car was more amenable and the strategies were better. The litmus test of a title battle is still something that remains a question mark but Ferrari is improving and that's surely a positive for the next F1 season.
#5 Alpine is a team in serious danger
No team principal and no technical director mean one has to seriously question Alpine's future in F1. The team fired Otmar Szafneur because his development curve was too slow for the corporate board.
Since then, there hasn't even been a replacement that has been bedded in. Unless the team expects Deadpool and Anthony Joshua to somehow knock out the entire competition, a championship challenge seems distant and best right now.
#6 Williams is in the ascendance under James Vowles
Looking back at the 2023 F1 season one can't help but think that hiring James Vowles was a brilliant decision for Williams. The car seems better but that's not the most important thing.
The important thing has to be operational efficiency and growth that the team has shown already. 2024 is going to be an interesting season for the F1 team.
#7 Audi's participation remains a mystery
Sauber spent the 2023 F1 season being almost invisible and the absence of its 25 percent shareholder raised quite a few questions. While all signs indicate that Andreas Seidl has been brought in to build the team from the ground up, 2023 and the steps of that season showed anything but that.
The car was poor, the drivers were uninspiring and in all honesty, this underwhelming introduction to F1 is worrying. To add to this, rumors of Audi looking to leave were also floating in the media, and hence 2023 ends with more questions than answers around Audi.
#8 Red Bull doesn't have a Sergio Perez replacement yet
The manner in which Yuki Tsunoda put Daniel Ricciardo in his place in Abu Dhabi means Red Bull goes into 2024 without a readymade Sergio Perez replacement in place. Neither Ricciardo nor Yuki have been able to shine the way they should to secure a seat on the senior team.
All this has done is make life easier for Perez at Red Bull as Horner and Marko continue to keep an eye on who they want as the Mexican's replacement.
#9 Something's got to give at Mercedes next season
Mercedes cannot start the 2024 F1 season being as far behind Red Bull as it was this season. It just cannot because in that scenario there is surely a possibility of the team's star driver losing motivation and just calling it a day.
Lewis Hamilton has been driving for a long time but it is for the first time in his career that he's spent two years without winning anything. How long will the motivation last? Who knows, but if the car is not competitive next season then something big is going to happen at Mercedes for sure.
#10 It would be a surprise if Red Bull doesn't win Bahrain next season
Echoing what Lewis Hamilton claimed about Red Bull, it would be a massive surprise if the team is not a frontrunner next F1 season. The car it ran at the end of the season had not been updated since forever and even that was good enough to win by a comfortable margin.
What is the new Red Bull that has been worked on for six months look like? It's going to look menacing, to say the least.
