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F1 2023 has seen a fantastic line-up of talented drivers, both rookies and veterans. With the season kicking in with all teams trying to put their best car forward, Red Bull dominated the rest with either Max Verstappen or Sergio Perez always finishing first on the podium.
Given Verstappen's current form, Red Bull's streak seems likely to continue unbeaten. With the reigning world champion winning six out of the eight races so far, and Perez winning the rest, Red Bull has put a massive gap between themselves and the rest.
However, with the change in tides in the current races, this streak seems likely to be toppled by three brilliant drivers who have been excellent on track this season.
Who are these drivers capable of breaking Red Bull's winning streak? Let's find out.
#3 Charles Leclerc - Ferrari
Charles Leclerc currently sits 7th within the 2023 Drivers Standings with 54 points and is behind the leader Max Verstappen by 141 points. While this rift seems a huge one, Leclerc has shown sparks of brilliance this season. His P3 finish in Azerbaijan is a testament to his talent.
Leclerc's season has been riddled with crashes and unfinished races. For a long time, Ferrari's strategy yielded nothing much for the drivers. However, with the correct combination of strategy and pure grit, Leclerc was able to grind out a P4 finish starting from P10 in Canada.
This would give hope to Ferrari and Leclerc to challenge Verstappen and Perez for the top spots in the upcoming races, albeit a few slip-ups from either could be necessary.
#2 Fernando Alonso - Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso in his Aston Martin has been a wonderful surprise this season. He has been a regular on the podiums with Azerbaijan and Spain being the only exceptions. His longevity on track has been phenomenal as well, given his racing experience in Le Mans 24 Hours.
The cherries on top have been his performances in the wet conditions of Monaco and Canada where he finished P2 right behind Max Verstappen. Alonso has shown what a driver's experience, coupled with team effort and spirit, can achieve.
With Alonso being close to P1 twice so far this season, it doesn't seem unlikely that under the right conditions, he just might beat Red Bull to the win.
#1 Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes
The seven-time world champion has been Max Verstappen's arch-nemesis of sorts. They have had collisions on track, and heated exchanges off track, and no one can forget the 2022 Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix when Verstappen managed to dethrone the Mercedes driver.
So far this season, Hamilton was P2 in the Australian GP and Spanish GP, and P3 in the Canadian GP. It all boils down to giving Hamilton a competitive car. With Mercedes gradually working on the latest upgrades of W14, Hamilton would sooner or later be able to go wheel-to-wheel with the now indomitable RB19.
It would need one of these driver's stars to align just right to beat Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
