It happens a lot in sports: dominance.
Formula 1, the premier racing circuit in the world featuring the best drivers you’ve ever seen, has had its fair share of dominance, whether by one man or a team.
Mercedes won eight world championships from 2014-2021. To pair with it, in seven of those years, they had one of their two drivers in first place of the Drivers’ Championship: Lewis Hamilton two years in a row, Nico Rosberg in 2016, followed by four more in a row by Hamilton. And of course, the controversial 2021 campaign where Mercedes still had the most points combined from their two drivers, Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, but neither driver led F1 in points themselves. That’s because, in the final race in Abu Dhabi, it is debated that the win was stolen from Hamilton and essentially given on a silver platter to Red Bull driver Max Verstappen. If handled differently by the officials, Merc would have eight Drivers’ Championships in a row to pair with their eight Constructors’ (team) Championships. However, they were the epitome of dominance in the racing world.
This first championship win for the Dutchman, Verstappen, started a new era. The following season, Mad Max drove away with the championship to make it two in a row, and his teammate, Sergio Perez, also delivered well, granting Red Bull their first Constructors’ Championship since 2013.
But now, more than ever, F1 is in a chokehold. In the first 14 races of the 2023 season, every single one was won by Red Bull Racing. Max and Sergio took two each in the first four races, and then Max won 10 in a row, setting an F1 record, and he did it in his home, the Netherlands.
However, the F1 fanbase and most of the world have not appreciated this Red Bull reign. While, yes, Mercedes was easily the biggest name in Formula 1 for eight years, and Red Bull has only been in charge for the last three seasons (if we count 2021 despite not winning the Constructors’), it is just not the same.
When Merc led, other teams were still competitive. Of course, Mercedes never really left their perch, but you had teams pushing for 2nd, 3rd, and all the other spots in the Constructors’ standings. Ferrari was competitive, as well as McLaren, Red Bull, Force India, etc. All these little battles were in races to score points, which was pretty equal. Even the Mercedes cars sometimes underperformed or broke down, so you had other race winners here and there. They did not win 14 in a row, leading to some historic, exciting, competitive races. Under Red Bull, it has been strictly Red Bull, usually Verstappen, and if not, it’s Perez.
That is cool and all for their squad, but not for the rest of the teams and for all the fans that want something unpredictable and exciting, not just Red Bull wins over and over.
The point is that a sign of its ending has finally appeared. On the weekend of September 17, 2023, Red Bull showed major flaws under the lights of Marina Bay at the Singapore Grand Prix.
In qualifying, where cars try to set the fastest lap possible to establish their position for the race the next day, Verstappen’s car looked helpless. No grip on the turns, bottoming out, and other issues made the reigning World Champion look like an amateur. Even the rookie Liam Lawson for the worst team in the circuit, AlphaTauri, beat Verstappen in qualifying, this being only his third race weekend in his F1 career. Quite embarrassing, I’d say. Thanks, Liam.
Verstappen qualified 11th, with Perez two spots behind in 13th. This was the first time since Russia in 2018 that Red Bull didn’t have a car starting in the top 10.
Verstappen could only improve to fifth on race day, and Perez pushed up to eight. 16 races after Mercedes’ George Russel’s win in Brazil last year, first place was finally out of the hands of a Red Bull driver.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz took his second career win, with McLaren’s Lando Norris and Hamilton rounding out the top three. Sainz’s teammate Charles Leclerc held off Verstappen, taking fourth.
The Italian team had not won a race since Leclerc took first in Austria last season, so the most significant team in racing history was in jubilation. And so was everyone besides Red Bull fans, as I’ll admit. I love to see a win come from another team, especially a team whose season has been unlucky, like Ferrari. Finally. Thank you, Singapore!
And so it begins! The beginning of a new F1 era. Well, maybe. The Japanese Grand Prix on September 27 could very well be another victory in the books for the Bulls. But one could hope.
Ferrari have found their stride, with Sainz qualifying on top in two straight races (Italy and Singapore). McLaren, wow, what a turnaround; with one of the most underperforming cars in the first half of the season, Norris has found himself on the podium multiple times as of late. Their second driver, Oscar Piastri, has been the best rookie in 2023, finishing in the top ten in four of the last six races. Aston Martin has faced troubles with multiple crashes, car mishaps, and poor performances from veteran Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. Hamilton and Russel have done well for Mercedes, with the former in third for the standings and the Silver Arrows in second themselves for the Constructors. The bottom feeder teams roll on, with some impressive performances for Alpine, but the last four teams (Williams, Haas, Alfa Romeo, AlphaTauri) are in their usual spots.
The countdown to Abu Dhabi continues. It will still be a championship win for Max Verstappen and Red Bull, with a chance of zero for the other teams or drivers to catch up. But maybe we can get some action in the midfield. Look out for Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes to make a push to capture the Japanese GP. And look out for Liam Lawson; the rookie may secure a spot in F1 next season.
Formula 1 content will continue, and we may have an article on a McLaren win! Or at least I hope.
