For all the in-race drama of Las Vegas last weekend, the first driver past the chequered flag was the same as it has been for 18 grands prix this season.
And few would bet against Max Verstappen extending his record race win haul for a single season to 19 at the season finale in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
Those teams vying for second spot has changed over the course of the season, from Aston Martin being the surprise package early on to Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren all having a turn at being the best of the rest. The man out front has barely altered at all.
The gap to Red Bull may have closed, but Verstappen and his team still have an unassailable advantage in races, which shows few signs of abating next year.
With no major regulation changes again until 2026, there will not be a bolt from the blue which suddenly turns Formula One’s world order on its head over the course of the winter. Instead, Verstappen’s rivals are consigned to the idea that next season will be much the same as the last.
Ominously, the suggestion is that Adrian Newey and his technical team have yet to extract the very best from the RB19.
And Red Bull are no longer constrained by a reduction in wind tunnel use - punishment for breaking the cost cap, which team principal Christian Horner argued has pegged back their development. One wonders how far into the distance they would be had it not been in place for almost all of the season.
It may well be the impact of that reduced usage might not be felt until 2024 - with much of the past wind tunnel use already aimed at next year’s car - but that would be clutching at straws for their rivals on the grid.
Despite the one-sided nature of the racing, fans are not exactly switching off from the sport.
There have been 15 sold-out races this season, with global TV audiences of nearly 70million per weekend and a 28 per cent growth in social media followers to 60m. A new series of Drive to Survive on Netflix, the sixth, is on its way early next year.
There is the potential for a shake-up at Red Bull. Daniel Ricciardo, impressing on his return for their B team AlphaTauri, has been linked to returning as Verstappen’s team-mate.
Sergio Perez has a contract for next season and Horner has repeatedly stated that he will be with the team in 2024. But in what guise? The Mexican’s performances after a blistering start to the year have been hugely disappointing, with Perez struggling in both qualifying and the races in a car that is the quickest on the grid.
"At some point, Lewis Hamilton might finally give up on his quest for an outright record eighth drivers’ crown"
His struggles - and the 33-year-old is no slouch behind the wheel - make Verstappen’s unwavering brilliance this season all the more impressive.
Whatever the outcome in Red Bull’s second seat, there will not be the same driver merry-go-round as in seasons past, with seats sewn up already at Red Bull’s major rivals in Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren.
If, though, Mercedes cannot make a quantum leap over the winter and become race winners once again, then inevitably question marks will be asked about the future of Lewis Hamilton, despite having put pen to paper on a new, two-year deal.
At some point, the seven-time world champion might finally give up on his quest for an outright record eighth drivers’ crown.
The F1 paddock is flagging after a marathon 22-race season. That will be extended further still next year to a monster 24, with the notable return of the Chinese Grand Prix for the first time since the Covid pandemic. It may merely provide more opportunity for Verstappen wins.
Rivals have seen glimmers of cracks appearing. Carlos Sainz gave Ferrari their first win of the season in Singapore - the only non-Red Bull race victory of the year - and in Vegas the likes of his team-mate Charles Leclerc and Perez came mightily close to upsetting the Dutchman.
In Abu Dhabi, another Verstappen win looks likely - an apt summation of the season.
