Max Verstappen will be gunning for a third consecutive world title this year as we prepare to dive head first into the 2023 Formula 1 season.
Red Bull secured a clean sweep in the final standings as they claimed both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship.
After Verstappen dominated the grid with 15 wins and wrapped up the season at the Japanese Grand Prix, there has been a lot of talk about who, if anyone, can put a halt to the Dutchman’s incredible run of form.
Sky Sports F1 presenter Naomi Schiff has given her prediction ahead of what promises to be another season of twists and turns in the Championship.
Who is Max Verstappen’s biggest threat?
Ferrari were Red Bull’s closest competitors last year and Charles Leclerc looked determined to bring home the team’s first Championship since 2007.
After a nightmare start for Verstappen and a win for Leclerc in Bahrain, it seemed highly plausible that a huge upset could be on the cards.
However, Ferrari’s hat wasn’t in the ring for long as 15 wins for Verstappen, including a five-race unbeaten streak, put him way out of reach of any other driver.
Helmut Marko identified Mercedes to be Red Bull’s closest challenger and believes seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton still has something to put right.
Schiff, on the other hand, believes Verstappen’s biggest threat lies a lot closer to home in the form of his teammate Sergio Pérez.
“I think I’ll say Checo because at the moment, I think Red Bull is still in a little bit of a league of their own,” the Belgian driver and presenter told GIVEMESPORT.
“Max’s biggest competition is his own teammate because I think no one’s really that close to that Red Bull performance just yet.”
How did Sergio Pérez perform in 2022?
Since signing for Red Bull in 2021, Checo has recorded the best results of his F1 career so far.
His first season with the Milton Keynes-based team earned him a fourth place finish in the final standings, and last year he was just three points behind runner-up Leclerc.
The 33-year-old won two races during the 2022 season, coming out on top in Monaco and Singapore. He also earned a further eight podium places, including P3 at his home Grand Prix in Mexico on the penultimate weekend.
Checo’s double in 2022 marked his fourth Grand Prix win so far, having won at Azerbaijan in 2021, following his maiden win the year before in Sakhir.
Red Bull’s RB19 also seems to have hit a sweet spot with both Vertsappen and Pérez, with both drivers making positive comments about the improved car.
Verstappen believes it is “100 percent” better than last year’s, which saw him win the title very comfortably. So the new model could spell even more trouble for the other drivers.
Checo is also happy with the improvements and believes RB19 will suit him a lot more.
“I think we have a better understanding of the car, we have a better package,” he said.
“I did feel very comfortable with it through testing. So we will see. I think we have a really good base for all of us.”
