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      F1 2023 season predictions as Verstappen could have SHOCK title challenger but Brit stars set for season of misery

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      AFTER a winter break, the new F1 season kicks off this weekend in Bahrain.Last year’s champion, Max Verstappen was simply unstoppable as he blitzed his way to glory while Mercedes’ drivers were left dizzy by their bouncing car and Ferrari cocked it up.
      Max Verstappen won the Championship last yearCredit: Reuters
      But the points totals are reset and with Las Vegas also added to the calendar, here’s what The Sun’s F1 Correspondent Ben Hunt believes what’s in store for 2023…
      Championship winner
      It is so difficult to look past Verstappen for a handful of reasons.
      Sure, Mercedes and Ferrari and the others have had the winter to redesign their cars but there have been relatively few rule changes this time.
      That bodes well for Red Bull, whose car was not only reliable last season, but it was quick everywhere.
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      What does that mean? Well, each track has its own unique characteristics; long straights, slow-speed corners, hot weather or even altitude.
      But Red Bull designed a car that was suited to all of them.
      It makes the refining process over an F1 weekend easier when you start with a good base model each week.
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      Verstappen now has two championship wins – with both titles coming in different circumstances and he will benefit from that.
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      He is more experienced and, let’s face it, was the best performer on track last season, with barely any mistakes.
      His only potential weakness comes from within his team.
      His bitter fall-out with Sergio Perez could see tensions rising between the two team-mates.
      Constructors winner
      The Red Bull car looks like the one to beatCredit: Getty
      Red Bull’s win in the constructors’ championship last time scratched an itch, and they are determined to retain that trophy after years of Mercedes dominance.
      Based on pre-season testing, there is a widely-held opinion that their car again looks the one to beat.
      It is hard to disagree but this championship is surely not over before it has even started, and the aforementioned Perez – Verstappen pairing will be interesting.
      Aside from that, the rest of the team is a steady ship with no key departures or arrivals over the winter, like at their rivals.
      Boosted by Honda’s engines and technical partnership with Ford – and despite a reduction in development because of their cost-cap breach – if they get off to a good start, it could be too late for the other to catch up.
      Overperformer
      Fernando Alonso could impress for Aston MartinCredit: Reuters
      It seems slightly ridiculous to suggest that two-time world champion Fernando Alonso would overdeliver for his new team, Aston Martin, but I expect just that.
      Aston have spent millions and millions on recruiting the best in the business and now they have one in their star driver, who joins from Alpine.
      Alonso has a wonderful ability to overperform in whatever he is given and while I don’t wish to speak too much about their second driver, I fully expect Alonso to drag that car as high up the grid as possible.
      I am also incredibly interested to see how Brit James Vowles does in his new role as team principal of the Williams team after leaving Mercedes, where he was their chief strategist.
      Steadying the ship, and closing the huge gap to the rest of the field, is a big task but I think there is half a chance they can manage it.
      Underperformer
      McLaren have not had the most successful pre-seasonCredit: AFP
      The rumblings from McLaren aren’t great news if your name is Lando Norris.
      The Woking team had hoped to be able to build on last year’s improved end to the season.
      However, if you judge by the results from pre-season testing – where they were the team that put in the least amount of laps – then it could be another long hard season.
      There is no doubt that Norris can deliver wins and even titles but he needs to be given the car to do so, I am not too sure that’s going to be this season.
      He could find himself hamstrung and that would test the relationship with McLaren, and his deal that stretches to 2025.
      The Best of the Rest
      Charles Leclerc could be a challenger this year for FerrariCredit: AFP
      Charles Leclerc will welcome the appointment of new Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur, who will make it a priority to eliminate the strategic mistakes which cost the team last season.
      If Vasseur can cut out the errors, then Leclerc could find himself in a title battle with Verstappen.
      Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz could also benefit from Vasseur’s stability. Now that the Spaniard has a race win under his belt, I expect him to be more competitive.
      Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were left with mixed feelings after testing.
      The bouncing looks to have been cured but the problem is, Red Bull, Ferrari and Alpine and Aston Martin all look much quicker.
      Both Russell and Hamilton could have their work cut out but Mercedes’ strength is their work ethic and it will not be long before they are up to speed. There is potential for wins.
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      Perez will struggle to usurp Verstappen but their relationship will be key to Red Bull’s success.
      The focus will be on whether the Mexican is again willing to play a supporting role.

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      ‘Why do I need to keep doing this?’ – Lewis Hamilton could GIVE UP on F1 if Mercedes car doesn’t perform, says ex-champ

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      LEWIS HAMILTON could lose the appetite for F1 if he’s no longer fighting for world titles – according to Damon Hill.Hamilton’s contract with Mercedes expires at the end of the year and while he says he is committed to agreeing new terms, Hill reckons his desire to continue could be tested if he were to have another uncompetitive season.
      Damon Hill feels Lewis Hamilton could lose his appetite for F1Credit: Rex
      Hamilton could grow frustrated if Mercedes’ car isn’t competitiveCredit: Getty
      Hill says finishing fifth is not good motivation for HamiltonCredit: Getty
      The 38-year-old lost the title in 2021 and went winless in 2022 for the first time in his career.
      And Hill, who quit racing just three years after winning the world title himself in 1996, believes Hamilton’s motivation is to win a record eighth world title.
      He said: “After a while, you’ve had your fill of driving F1 cars, as amazing as that might seem.
      “Lewis will respond to opportunity. If the opportunity diminishes rather than increases, then it will be more difficult for him to deliver those stellar performances.
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      “He’s someone who is inspired by an opportunity to win.
      “An opportunity to come fifth is not really sufficient motivation for Lewis.
      “Given his incredible record, he may well want to ask, ‘Why do I need to keep doing this?’ if there’s no sign of the summit.
      “That eighth world title was in his grasp and then it was denied him.
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      “That’s the only reason he came back and carried on: the hope of getting that eighth title.
      “I think that is his only motivation. I don’t think he just wants to race.
      “He’s still got some more seasons, but he’s not got 10 years ahead of him. It’s going to be one or two.
      “But when you’ve had that many years in Formula One, to pull your socks up and fight for fourth place, it gets a little bit less appealing.”
      Former F1 world champion Jenson Button also believes that Hamilton could walk away if Merc’s new car isn’t up to scratch.
      Button said of his former McLaren team-mate to The Telegraph: “It has to be that, right?
      “Why otherwise would you leave it this late? He knows how annoying we all are asking [about the contract].
      “I mean, we’ve got to ask the question, but he’s going to hate answering it over and over and over again.
      “It can only be because he’s wondering how competitive they will be.
      “Is he going to sign if the car is uncompetitive because he wants it to be quick again before he retires?
      “Or is he thinking, ‘If it’s not better, I’m just going to retire’. Who knows?”
      Meanwhile, Hamilton has been urged along with fellow F1 drivers to speak out on human rights to steer the sport away from a ‘moral vacuum’.
      The F1 season kicks off this week in Bahrain with the second race in Saudi Arabia, with both countries facing criticism over their human rights.
      Paul Scriven, a member of Britain’s House of Lords, told a news conference organised by the London-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) F1 was at a crossroads.
      He said: “There are two roads that F1 can now take.
      “One is a road which is a moral vacuum where the leaders and the administrators seem to going.
      “There is another road that some drivers seem to be taking… who understand they can use their platform and their sport not just for sport’s sake but for good and for change and that they cannot ignore the human rights abuses in the country that they are driving in.”
      Hamilton has previously insisted the sport addresses the issues in countries where it races.
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      However, with the sport’s governing body, the FIA, now banning “political, religious and personal statements or comments”, human rights groups want them to continue to highlight their causes.
      BIRD said human rights in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia had been “increasingly trampled on” and accused F1 of helping to “facilitate sportswashing of abuses.”

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      Iconic corner AXED from 2023 Grand Prix as controversial ex-FIA chief Michael Masi get his wish ahead of F1 season

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      FORMULA ONE have wielded the axe on one of its most iconic corners. Spanish Grand Prix venue Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has seen it’s final sector altered so it no longer includes the chicane at turns 14 and 15.
      The Spanish Grand Prix will see its iconic chicane axed
      Turns 14 and 15 in Sector 3 are being removedCredit: Formula One
      They will be replaced by two high-speed cornersCredit: Getty
      Lewis Hamilton has won the Spanish Grand Prix six timesCredit: AFP or licensors

      Instead, the circuit will now end with two high-speed corners, reverting back to the layout used before the chicane’s introduction in 2007.
      And the change means former F1 race director Michael Masi, who engineered the controversial ending to Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen’s title fight in 2021, will get his wish.
      Masi pushed for changes to the layout back in 2021, saying at the time: “It’s something that we’ve been looking at for a little while.
      “It’s obviously not an overnight change that can be done, and having a look at all of the implications and unintended consequences that may come about.
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      “Like all of our circuits and different corners and everything, we work together with the teams, the drivers and F1 in ensuring we’ve got the safest venue, but also something that promotes good racing.”
      2022 saw changes pushed for even more before they were finally approved by current F1 race director and safety delegate Niels Wittich and the FIA’s head of circuit and rally safety Stuart Robertson.
      The new layout will see the circuit length shortened to 4.657km from 4.675km, an 18metre reduction.
      TECPRO barriers will be introduced in the new-look corners in a bid to maintain safety.
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      Additionally, the run-off at Turn 1 has been extended to accommodate 70m more gravel and a five per cent increase in slope, while a brand new fence has also been introduced.
      F1 fans appeared to be happy with the announcement.
      One fan said: “Finally.”
      A second declared: “Massive W, that last part of the race just didn’t feel right, it was just a bad copy of the Casio triangle from Suzuka (Japan).”
      A third commented: “I USED TO PRAY FOR TIMES LIKE THIS.”
      While a fourth added: “Lets go, the cars will be rockets now on the straight.”
      The F1 season gets underway this weekend with the Bahrain Grand Prix, while Hamilton and Co are due to visit Spain on June 4.

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      F1 Bahrain Grand Prix: Date, UK start time, live stream, TV channel, practice, qualifying for 2023 season opening race

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      THE 2023 Formula One season gets underway with the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend, with Max Verstappen aiming to become a three-time world champion. Red Bull dominated the 2022 season as they won 17 of 22 races with Verstappen taking a whopping 15 victories and team mate Sergio Perez two.
      Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez and Daniel Ricciardo at the launch of Red Bulls 2023 car.Credit: AFP
      Charles Leclerc on the podium at last season’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.Credit: Rex
      The pressure will be on new Ferrari team principle Fred Vasseur to deliver a title winning car as The Scuderia look for their first drivers title since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007.
      The 2022 car was fast but unreliable with Charles Leclerc taking 3 victories whilst Carlos Sainz took his maiden F1 win at Silverstone.
      Mercedes had a difficult 2022 season with the Brackley outfit only registering a solitary victory courtesy of George Russell at Interlagos.
      Lewis Hamilton failed to win a race for the first time in his Formula One career in 2022 and will be desperate to get back on the top step of the podium in 2023.

      Elsewhere on the grid Fernando Alonso replaced the retiring Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin, Nico Hulkenburg returned to the sport with Haas, Pierre Gasly joined Alpine, Nyck de Vries joined Alpha Tauri, Oscar Piastri replaced Daniel Ricciardo at Mclaren and Logan Sargeant joined Williams.
      When is the Bahrain Grand Prix?

      The Bahrain Grand Prix will take place on Sunday, March 5.
      Practice gets going from 11.30am on Friday, March 3.
      Qualifying is on from 3pm on March 4.
      The race will begin at 3pm UK time.

      What channel is it and can it be live streamed?

      The Bahrain Grand Prix will be live on Sky Sports F1 with highlights on Channel 4.
      You can live stream the race on the Sky Go app which you can download on your tablet or mobile device.

      What are the teams and drivers?

      Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez
      Ferrari: Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz
      Mercedes: Lewis Hamilton and George Russell
      Alpine: Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly
      Mclaren: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
      Alpha Tauri: Yuki Tsunoda and Nyck de Vries
      Alfa Romeo: Valterri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou
      Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll
      Haas: Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg
      Williams: Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant

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      Lewis Hamilton confident Mercedes WILL be able to challenge Red Bull for title as 2023 season draws closer

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      LEWIS HAMILTON’S Mercedes team are confident they have fixed their challenger for this season after a mixed spell on track during testing.The new F1 season kicks off this week in Bahrain where Hamilton and his team-mate George Russell hope to be able to take the fight to world champion Max Verstappen.
      Lewis Hamilton admitted there is still a way to go for Mercedes to get to the level he wantsCredit: Getty
      Hamilton was second-quickest on the final day of testing behind Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez.
      And while he says the team are “not quite where we want to be” he has reasons to be optimistic going into the new season.
      He said: “There has been a lot of discovery and the whole team has approached it with the same mentality, working hard, not being complacent and staying focused.
      “We’re not quite where we want to be but it’s a good platform to start from. We don’t know where we will be next week, but we will stay positive and continue to push to the maximum.”
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      After a tricky day on track last Friday, Merc’s engineering chief Andrew Shovlin says that after a late night spent working on the problem they came up with a suitable fix.
      He added: “A fair bit of work took place overnight to find some refinements to the car specification and recover our direction on the set-up.
      “We do seem to have made progress; both drivers felt the car was in a much better place across the range of conditions [on Saturday] and the balance is closer to what they require on a single lap and long run.
      “It’s clear that we still have work to do on car pace but it has given us a much more coherent picture of where we need to focus our efforts.
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      “We’ll be using the time ahead of next weekend to go through the data we’ve collected and aim to extract a bit more lap time.”
      Meanwhile, Aston Martin will NOT turn to Sebastian Vettel if Lance Stroll is not fit enough to drive this week.
      Stroll suffered wrist injuries when he crashed his bicycle in Spain and was forced to miss all of pre-season testing.
      Aston say they will allow Stroll extra time to recover however if he does not pass a fitness test it will be reserve driver Felipe Drugovich who will compete in the race.
      Vettel retired at the end of last year, but there was growing speculation he could be lured back for a one-off race while Stroll recovers.
      Drugovich has already completed the pre-season alongside Aston’s new recruit, two-time world champion Fernando Alonso. More

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      ‘It’s a pointless exercise’ – Lewis Hamilton slams ‘dangerous’ new F1 rules that could put drivers’ lives at risk

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has slammed “dangerous” new rules coming into F1 that he believes threatens to put drivers’ lives at risk.The seven-time world champion lashed out at proposals to ban tyre blankets, saying it is a “pointless exercise”.
      Lewis Hamilton has blasted ‘dangerous’ new rules being introduced into F1Credit: Reuters
      The rules are being considered as part of a shake up to reduce costs, as the energy-consuming blankets pre-heat tyres to provide better grip.
      But Hamilton, one of only a few drivers who have trialled the new Pirelli tyres which had not been warmed first, says it could cause a crash as drivers take to the track on cold tyres.
      He said: “I think it’s dangerous. I’ve tested the no blankets and there’s going to be an incident at some stage.
      “So on a safety factor I think it’s the wrong decision. You have to drive multiple laps to get the tyres to work.
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      “The whole argument is that taking away the blankets is for going more sustainable and more green. In actual fact we just use more fuel to get temperature into the tyres.
      “But more concerning is just when you go out, the car is skating around, it’s very twitchy, and if there’s someone else who’s on tyres that are working you could easily collide with them. It’s a pointless exercise.”
      Pirelli, the FIA and F1 are already phasing out tyre warming equipment on sustainability grounds.
      Last year, the temperature at which they operate was reduced from 100C front and 80C rear to 70C all round.
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      There had been plans to drop that temperature further to 50C this season, but that was stopped after the drivers voiced their concerns during a trial run in Austin last year.
      Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc also agrees that the blanket ban comes too soon.
      He added: “For now I don’t think we are exactly ready. I think there’s still a little bit of work, especially on the warm-up part of it in the first few laps, it’s still quite tricky.”
      Meanwhile, Hamilton has mixed feelings about this year’s Mercedes car after F1 testing in Bahrain came to a conclusion today.
      He added: “It’s difficult to sum it up. We’ve had a couple of difficult days — Friday particularly was difficult.
      “The first day didn’t feel too bad, [but] yesterday was a little bit more of a struggle.
      “I think George has had a much better morning on Saturday, so hopefully we’ve got the set-up in a bit of a better place.
      “But right now, for example, the bouncing that we had has pretty much gone, so that’s a huge step for us.
      “It’s nice to drive without the bouncing for once, but there are still some underlying things that we’re working through.”
      The F1 season kicks off next Sunday in Bahrain and Hamilton says it is still too “difficult to know” where Mercedes sit in the pecking order.
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      He said: “Some of the balance limitations that we had last year are present — we’re working through them.
      “[But] I’m really proud of everyone in the team for continuing to remain positive after a tough year last year, [doing] amazing through the winter for us to drive and have the mileage that we’ve had.” More

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      George Russell forced to abandon car during F1 pre-season testing in blow to Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes

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      GEORGE RUSSELL was forced to abandon his Mercedes Formula One car during pre-season testing after suffering a hydraulics failure. The Mercedes W14 was brought to a halt with Russell behind the wheel during the second session of the day on Friday, causing a red flag.
      George Russell suffered a hydraulics failureCredit: Getty
      The Mercedes car had to be abandoned on track and Friday’s second session was red flaggedCredit: Getty
      Russell and team boss Toto Wolff have been talking up the performance of their car ahead of the new season. 
      However, Friday’s failure will come as a blow to Merc, Russell and team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who are hoping to be competitive this season.
      The hydraulics failure left Russell unable to change gear or use power steering.
      The Brit could not shift up or down from fourth gear and had to abandon the car on track.
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      Former F1 racer Anthony Davidson said on Sky Sports’ coverage: “It would make sense that he’s stuck in fourth gear because the hydraulics controls the gear shift mechanism along with the power steering.
      “He had no clutch and that’s also controlled by hydraulics.
      “He’s got the green light on top of the car as well so it’s not a hybrid issue.”
      The team later said on Twitter: “We’ve confirmed it was a hydraulic failure that caused George’s car to stop on track.
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      “That’s likely to be the end of our running for today. Back on track tomorrow.”
      The fault comes after Russell expressed confidence that he can match double champ Max Verstappen, who’s driving for Red Bull.
      The 25-year-old said: “I definitely head into the season believing I can [win the championship].
      “At every point of my career I have gone in believing, but you need to take a rational view once you get to the track.
      “We definitely believe that eventually we will have a car capable of getting into that fight.
      “But Red Bull are looking very strong, very stable, and obviously Max is performing really well so realistically it will be a stretch for us next week.
      “But there is no reason why we cannot get there eventually at some point this year.
      “We have always seen in the past the strength of Mercedes’ development rate, so the belief is there.”
      The F1 season kicks off next weekend in Bahrain.

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      Max Verstappen sends ominous warning to Lewis Hamilton as Red Bull ace fastest in first session of F1 pre-season testing

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN shot an ominous warning signal to Lewis Hamilton as he set the fastest time during the first session of pre-season.The drivers and teams are out in Bahrain for three days of testing before the opening race of the season next month at the same venue.
      Max Verstappen has won the last two driver’s championshipsCredit: Rex
      Testing gives engineers and drivers a chance to explore their cars and make tweaks to its framework before racing begins.
      The three-day event can occasionally signal a changing of the guard with some cars finding lap time and others dropping off.
      But Verstappen has alerted his rivals that he and his Red Bull are still top of the pile by clocking the fastest time over eight hours of running.
      The reigning world champion set his fastest lap at 1.32.837 having gone round the circuit 157 times, far more than any of the other drivers.
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      Fernando Alonso came second, only 0.029 behind the Red Bull, while Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was third-fastest.
      Hamilton did 83 laps and set the sixth-fastest time through the session, while teammate George Russell sharing the Mercedes was ninth.
      It was a good day for struggling Williams who saw Alex Albon and rookie Logan Sargeant set the seventh and tenth quickest times respectively.
      While Felipe Drugovoich, standing in for the injured Lance Stroll, saw his Aston Martin break down early in the session and require work in the garage.
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      Major shakeups to the grid order are not expected with the regulations largely unchanged from last year, although car floors have been raised 15mm off the ground.
      This is in response to the issue of porpoising last season which appeared to particularly affect Mercedes – but they have reported better results this time round. More