F1 rivals predict even more dominance from Red Bull in 2024

Throughout the paddock the comments were similar, that despite the suggestion coming out of last season from inside the team that this year's RB20 would be evolutionary rather than revolutionary, Red Bull had again delivered a car that threatens to dominate.

Over the past two seasons, following the introduction of ground-effect aerodynamic regulations, Red Bull, and Max Verstappen in particular, have crushed their rivals, with the team winning 38 of 44 grands prix, the dynamic Dutchman taking 34 of those.

"They are the team to beat," continued Piastri, who heads into his second season with McLaren. "How much their advantage is, I'm not quite sure, but it's probably enough...yeah, it is enough of an advantage to be comfortable. For everyone else, I'm not sure, but I think Red Bull is definitely still the favourite."

There were no headline times posted over the three days of the recent pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit from either Verstappen or team-mate Sergio Perez, even if the former was quickest by 1.1 seconds on the opening day.

It was eye-opening enough but comfortably slower than the best lap posted by Ferrari's outgoing driver Carlos Sainz, the Spanish driver exiting at the end of the year following the Scuderia's shock post-season capture of Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes.

Ferrari appears to have taken a step forward with its SF-24 as both over the long and short runs, especially, the car was stable and competitive, whilst there was a hint the tyre issues from last season had been eradicated.

As to whether Ferrari has enough to challenge a radically different Red Bull remains to be seen. Chief technical officer Adrian Newey and his team surprised all in F1 when the RB20 was unveiled courtesy of a dramatic restyling of the sidepods and engine cover, with the former possessing an innovative vertical air intake.

It was not quite on par with Mercedes' zero-pod concept that was ultimately abandoned early last season, but the packaging of the car was certainly far removed from its all-conquering predecessor of last year.

Any suggestion Red Bull and Newey may have taken a step too far was instantly dismissed when the car took to the track. It was balanced and planted, underlined by its performance through Turn Ten that offers a fair indication as to the performance of a car, with the RB20 on rails.

Of particular concern was Verstappen's pace over a long run on the final day, with the three-time champion running for 11 laps on the C3 medium compound and consistently lapping within two-tenths of a second of the leading time on the softs. According to Pirelli, the time differential between the two compounds is 0.6 seconds.

Red Bull certainly played its cards close to its chest with regard to its one-lap performance. Whilst there was a suggestion Ferrari could push Verstappen and Perez close in qualifying, we have yet to see what is up the sleeve of the reigning constructors' champions in that area.

Fernando Alonso, for one, opted to call it with regard to this season, and after witnessing Red Bull's latest machine in action in the hands of Verstappen.

"The concept they (Red Bull) presented this year was a surprise," said the Aston Martin driver. “I think 19 drivers in the paddock now will think they will not win the championship.

“It happens 99 per cent of the time in your career. This is a brutal sport, and I would say after seeing Max and the Red Bull car, there is less chance for everybody to win a race this year. But this is how it is.”

In what is a record-breaking season of 24 grands prix, is it conceivable Red Bull could achieve the seemingly impossible by winning the lot, a year after falling one race short of such a feat in a 22-race season, with its only blemish a defeat to Sainz in Singapore?

Seeing Verstappen in the paddock in testing, a smile was never far from his lips, with his relaxed demeanour and remarks fuelling the fire he is highly delighted with the new package.

Verstappen made clear the car is an improvement on last year, as you would reasonably expect, but perhaps ominously he said: "The team believes that with how the car is, there is more potential to find which is now up to us to unlock."

It had been hoped that convergence would occur, that heading into the third season of the current regulation set Red Bull's advantage over the rest of the field would diminish rather than grow as appears may have been the case.

Ferrari suggested it will be Red Bull's closest challenger, although Mercedes remain a mystery as neither Hamilton nor George Russell stretched the legs of the W15, possessing a new chassis and gearbox as its two key performance differentiators in relation to last year's car that left the team without a win in a season for the first time since 2011.

Technical director Andrew Shovlin said it was "clear we are in a much better position than 12 months ago,” a remark on which Hamilton agreed, adding that the car "felt much more enjoyable to drive" representing "a good platform to work from this year".

The bottom line for Hamilton, however, is that "Red Bull clearly are out in the distance". If that is the case then certainly the first few races, potentially even the entire season if Red Bull's rivals are unable to make inroads, could again be dominated by the team from Milton Keynes.

Only the most blinkered Verstappen/Red Bull fan would wish for such a scenario. For the rest of us, whilst all credit has to be given to the dominant driver/team combination, we can only hope for anything other than another one-sided season.

Images courtesy of Motorsport Images.