Max Verstappen is gearing up for his second consecutive title defense in the upcoming 2023 Formula 1 season. Because he crushed the opposition last year – already winning it all in Japan with four races to spare – the Formula 1 2023 odds like his chances to win it all again this year.
However, he will face stiff competition compared to last season, especially with the new aerodynamic regulations introduced. Verstappen will have the biggest target on his back, as 19 other drivers are also coming for the crown.
Read on below as SBOTOP lists five who can push the Dutchman for the title.
Charles Leclerc
After winning two of the opening three races last season, Leclerc was poised to finally end Ferrari’s title drought. However, the combination of Red Bull’s resurgence, numerous driver and team mistakes, and car reliability issues did them in.
When Mattia Binotto left the squad, the Scuderia landed their new leader in Fred Vasseur, so there’s a renewed optimism that they’ll turn things around, particularly in restoring order on their end.
The former Alfa Romeo/Sauber boss has worked with Leclerc before, giving him his Formula 1 debut in 2018, and perhaps he’ll be the one who will draw the best out of the young Monegasque star.
Carlos Sainz
Fred Vasseur recently stated that “everything is in place to win.” What he meant is that he’ll be giving Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz an equal shot at winning the 2023 Formula 1 championship.
Last season, Sainz was No. 2 behind Leclerc, but he did have his shining moment when he won his first ever Grand Prix in Silverstone. Overall, he secured nine podiums out of the 22 events.
Sainz was also a victim of Ferrari’s poor strategy and reliability woes. If they can fix those issues this season, expect the Spaniard to be a bona fide contender for the title, and there’s a possibility that he can beat his teammate in the process.
It’ll be fascinating to see how Ferrari will fare this season. They’re hoping that Leclerc and Sainz will both do well since they’re also aiming to end their 15-year constructors’ title drought.
George Russell
Last season, George Russell justified his move to Mercedes by outperforming teammate Lewis Hamilton. He finished P4 in the drivers’ standings, while Hamilton was at P6, and he won his maiden Grand Prix in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Having tasted the success of winning a Grand Prix, Russell will be thirsty for more.
Getting more experience to improve his overall judgment would certainly go a long way for Russell, as he had a handful of incidents where he could’ve done better last season.
One of them was in the British Grand Prix, where he was involved in Zhou Guanyu’s crash when he made contact after he didn’t notice Pierre Gasly trying to squeeze through the gap.
The young Brit is not quite the finished article, but he has already shown glimpses that he is ready to create new Formula 1 2023 highlights and be a regular race winner in Formula 1.
Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton enters the new season with a chip on his shoulder following the worst campaign he’s ever had last year, with zero poles and race wins.
After finishing P3 in Bahrain, Hamilton couldn’t secure a podium until the Canadian Grand Prix. He would go on to finish as high as P2 in France, Hungary, United States, Mexico, and Brazil before ending his 2022 campaign on a whimper with a DNF in Abu Dhabi.
The main culprit for Hamilton’s poor run is the W13, which was plagued by porpoising issues all season long. It’s clear that the W14 will need to show a marked improvement if he’ll challenge Verstappen for the title once more.
Hamilton is inching closer to retiring since he just turned 38 years of age, so the 2023 campaign might be his last chance of winning his record-breaking eighth Formula 1 title.
Sergio Perez
While Max Verstappen gets most of the plaudits for guiding Red Bull back to the top of the constructors’ food chain, we shouldn’t overlook his teammate Sergio Perez.
Perez had a strong campaign last term, finishing P3 in the drivers’ championship. The Mexican won twice in Monaco and in Mexico, and he earned more podium spots in Australia, Italy, Spain, Azerbaijan, England, Belgium, Japan, Mexico, and Abu Dhabi. Given the team’s cutthroat style of doing business, Perez would need to prove his worth once more, especially with Daniel Ricciardo back in the fold as their third driver.
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