The asphalt snake only awaits the noisy ones, whose banner was launched on Thursday with a new preseason, an intriguing nuance prevailing over who or who will mark the way to the title, always under the conditions imposed by the serious aspiring tyrant, Max Verstappen.
With only two weeks left before the Formula One World Championship begins on March 5 in Bahrain, all the teams propped up the unfinished work after the 2022 Regulations and the new era of that sport, which would promise an all-out war between the highest ranks. .
The teams have been fine-tuning their new cars as they can, given the restriction, because time is short.
The new measures taken by the FIA have completely disrupted the plans that the teams made each season, which always had two weeks to carry out their improvement tests.
“Anomalous” preseason
The first thing that jumps out in the 2023 course is that the teams will only have these three days to confirm the results sought, facing a contest as extensive as 23 races.
These changes will give a 360 degree turn in the mentality of teams and drivers, compelled to make their adjustments as the championship progresses.
In no case will it be a revolution that threatens the competitive level, since the changes introduced last season would only have to be refined.
It is even taken for granted that the next championship could truly be what the FIA has been waiting for so long, where perhaps half of the teams would have the capacity to approach the trophy or at least that a greater variety win races.
intriguing competitiveness
Last season was one of great changes that sought higher levels of competitiveness, which everything points to be reflected in the coming season, at least in what the teams propose in their improvements made in the offseason.
And the first thing that comes to light is the renewed power of the Mercedes and Ferrari cars, launched like crazy against the hegemony imposed by Red Bull and its stellar drivers, headed by the Dutch dictator’s rookie.
The silver arrows, which showed glimpses of what they can represent this time against the energy drink and the Ferrari, mainly, have completely transformed their car in terms of aerodynamics and own power.
Mercedes predicts a campaign at the level it had in the Lewis Hamilton dictatorship. It has knocked down weight on the car, due to improvements and structural changes. A great comeback is expected for the Brackley crew, although to achieve this they must resort to an already tested plan “B”, due to the narrowness of the pontoons.
Ferrari, which was the apostasy in 2022 after a tremendous start, also claims that it is “to give the clarion call”, with a fluid car and that it is excellent in all strokes. Maranello’s would increase 20-30 horsepower this year, and Charles Leclerc can take advantage of it.
As for McLaren, although they had problems on the first day of preseason, greater reliability and power are expected, with the promise that this year they may be close to the top.
Both Alpine, Alfa Romeo and Aston Martin, which promises a lot of improvement with Fernando Alonso at the top, have shown in the first preparatory stages that they will have to refine a lot to be more consistent and achieve greater competitiveness.
However, everything will be subject to the great scrutiny that will go through the brief rehearsals this week, an atypical prelude to the opening of the World Cup in the Persian Gulf.