Former Formula One driver, David Coulthard, has said fans can expect the ’closest-ever’ battle next season, after Red Bull domination in 2022.
Having secured two titles, 16 wins, 26 podium finishes, and the largest single-season points haul, Oracle Red Bull Racing has come a long way since its entry into Formula One.
With Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez at the helm of the Milton Keynes team on track, the charging bulls have found a golden pair to see them into the future of Formula One success.
The 2023 season kicks off on March 4 in Bahrain, with a record-breaking 23 race calendar - and pending China’s replacement it could reach 24.
Teams will have just one pre-season test in 2023 in Bahrain from February 23 to 25 and although Red Bull has been dealt a 10% reduction in aero time as a result of breaking the cost cap rules in 2021, Coulthard says he believes they will still lead the charge from March.
Speaking at Red Bull’s Milton Keynes Homerun at the weekend, the 13-time race winner spoke of the team’s chances of securing a triple header with next season’s championship: “I think that they've got to be the favorite because they've just dominated the last season. The regulations are not changing significantly going into next year, so the teams will continue to develop what they've got.
“But that was the case anyway as Mercedes took all year to develop their way back into a winning car. Ferrari had a very fast car, but they just didn't manage to get strategy and reliability in place."
Therefore, Coulthard believes 2023 is going to be the most epic battle to the title win, with Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari all bringing the heat.
“In my mind's eye, I think it sets us up for three teams genuinely having a chance of winning because there are so many small tweaks to the regulations, but nothing major so on paper, this could be the closest-ever World Championship in 2023.”
The Milton Keynes-based outfit will also see the return of the honey badger - Daniel Ricciardo - after his controversial exit from the team back in 2018.
Welcoming the eight-time race winner back, Coulthard said: “Well, it feels like he's coming home in many ways. He left home, somehow needing to spread his wings and the brand-new experience experiment didn't really give them much success, McLaren didn't give him one win.”
Despite the celebrations around his return, it’s going to be a tough road back to the grid for Ricciardo after two disappointing campaigns with McLaren.
“He has really done a bit of reputational damage during that time alongside Lando Norris,” Coulthard admitted, “so this is a chance for him to rediscover I think what brought him into Formula One and what made him so exciting as a driver when he was at Red Bull Racing.
“It has to be a platform or a springboard to try and come back in now given the difficulties of the season at McLaren, it was always going to be very difficult for him to find a route back into Formula One with a Mercedes or Ferrari.
“You know Red Bull would seem the obvious place,” however, he went on to say that the team’s current driver lineup is solid - and doesn’t look set to change anytime soon.
“Max is around for the long term, Checo is doing a very solid job, so it may be difficult for Daniel, but he's one of the friendliest, smiliest drivers in formula one - but unfortunately this is not a personality competition.”
It’s no secret that the mentality of a Formula One championship winner consists of a unique combination of talent, bravery, and incredible precision, but with the added benefit of modern safety advancements Coulthard says spectators now get to “see the purity of the individual drivers that are out there.”
Speaking about the incredible safety advancements in the sport, and the benefit this has in the mind of a driver, Coulthard said: “If you're a tightrope walker, but you’ve got a safety net, it's not quite as mentally such a sort of stressful event as knowing that you know more safety.
“You know you’ve got the Halo and various other things in place in the cars so they're a lot stronger, and that enables them to really exploit the car's performance at all times.
“But with my generation and before that, when I started my shoulders were pretty much sticking out of the race car.
“So you knew if you had an accident it could have fairly hefty consequences, so although that was not at the forefront of your mind, it was at the back of your mind.
“So I think that as the sport has evolved, we see the purity I guess of the individual drivers that are out there.”
The 2022 season may have come to a close, but Irish fans will have a chance to see a Formula One car in action at the Red Bull Racing Showrun in Dublin on January 15, 2023.
This epic event will feature Coulthard demonstrating the roaring power, speed, and sound of Sebastian Vettel’s Championship-winning RB7 car live before thousands of Irish fans.
Red Bull Motorsports Athletes Conor Shanahan (Drifter) and Mike Jensen (Stunt Bike Rider) will join Coulthard for the Showrun in an epic display of skill and showmanship.
The 2023 Red Bull Showrun will run from 16:30-18:00, along the North Wall Quay of Dublin City Centre.
Fans will also be able to view the legendary RB7 up close on Saturday, January 14 from 13:00-17:00 at the Paddock (opposite the Central Bank on North Wall Quay) with free entry.
