The 2023 Formula 1 season is upon us, and there are numerous speaking factors with new vehicles and new drivers coming collectively for the game’s biggest-ever marketing campaign.

The Sky Sports F1 pundits are prepared – they usually’ve had their say on among the massive subjects forward of this weekend’s Bahrain GP…

Can anybody cease Max Verstappen and Red Bull this season?

Damon Hill: “They can stop him but they are going to have to do something extraordinary. He is on a roll, Red Bull are on a roll, they came out of the blocks with the new regulations absolutely in the sweet spot.

“They had some reliability points however received on high of these and in case you have a look at the check, all of it regarded simply too simple and that may be a dangerous signal for everybody.”

Rachel Brookes: “Yes, a bit factor referred to as reliability, however I feel that is it. It seems to be just like the hole that they had over the remainder of the grid final yr remains to be there. It would not seem like it has been prolonged – I feel Ferrari are shut, or nearer than they have been final yr, however I feel Red Bull will nonetheless come out on high.”

Martin Brundle: “It’s a very long season, the longest ever. Right now we can only base this one warm test at a specific racetrack that’s rear-tyre limited, but a good car is a good car. Max just seems to grow in confidence – he gets less stressed. He said after his first championship, ‘everything’s a bonus now,’ and you could see that in his second year and I can only imagine it will be another step now.

“He’s received the automotive the place he wants it and the group the place he wants them, I feel he’ll be exhausting to beat. Will he be unbeatable? You’ve received to do not forget that in two of the primary three races final yr he did not rating any factors, and nonetheless he completely dominated the world championship, so he’ll take some beating.”

Karun Chandhok: “Very, very unlikely. I think they’ve got momentum on their side, Max is driving better than ever before – confidence combined with the experience of being a double world champion now, I think it’s going to be very difficult to stop them.”

What would a 3rd successive drivers’ title do for Verstappen’s legacy?

MB: “The hat-trick – as we’ve seen with Seb Vettel you need the car, but the best drivers end up in the best cars anyway. You start putting markers down like that, obviously eight has got to be the target for Lewis and for Max to move it from Michael.

“Most drivers say they pay completely no consideration to all that and naturally, they do to an extent, however I do suppose Max is much less bothered than most. I’m certain that when he is determined he is had sufficient of all of it, he’ll simply cease. I do not suppose he is too caught up in legacies or no matter, however any aggressive human being or sportsperson would need to attempt to go away a brand new hightide mark of their chosen subject.”

RB: “I feel it might be sufficient for Max if he will get three in a row. Max has talked about his future, his life, getting away from F1 already at such a younger age and it does make me surprise that if he did win three in a row whether or not he would keep it up within the sport.

“In terms of his legacy, it’s a difficult one. At the moment, do people view him on the same terms as someone like Fernando Alonso? I think because of what happened in 2021, he’s almost suffering from a similar fate to Sebastian Vettel, about whom people said, ‘he had the best car!’ So they didn’t look at his four titles as dominating and as a strong a performance as they should have done. So I think it would cement Max as one of the greats definitely and I also think it would somewhat help people get past what happened in 2021.”

KC: “I think it’s just more of the same. I don’t think he’s thinking about legacy now at all. He’s only 25, he’s still very young, he’ll think about legacy a decade from now. It’s scary to think that as a 25-year-old he could be a triple world champion, and he’s probably got another 10 years in the sport if he wants it, so this isn’t the time for legacy really.”

DH: “Well, you are immediately into that bracket of greats. Your three-time world champions are typically the big names of the sport and beyond that, you have got the fours and the fives and the sevens.

“Looking too far into the longer term is maybe unwise and you’ve got simply received to take care of what you’ve got and luxuriate in it. Clearly, Max enjoys some points of the game, most notably driving vehicles very quick, and he would not need to take care of all the opposite stuff which he appears to really feel is exhausting and never the place he desires to be.

“He is happy in the cockpit, that is my opinion. If you said to him, do you want to come back one more go and win another championship, I am sure he will be back.

Are Ferrari’s changes at the top enough to mount a 2023 title challenge?

RB: “You can have the most effective technique on this planet but when the automotive’s not quick sufficient, it isn’t quick sufficient. So sure the adjustments might assist, however it could be extra a psychological factor than one thing that interprets on observe, as a result of if a group is not performing as nicely correctly, somebody coming in and making adjustments ought to hopefully psychologically make folks suppose that issues will likely be totally different this yr. I actually hope it does assist the group, however I additionally suppose they’ve a a lot quicker automotive – so they need to have learnt from final yr and have info to verify it would not occur once more.”

KC: “I do not suppose simply swapping them round is essentially the repair, it is about what else has been put in place, by way of their psychological method, his (Vasseur’s) perspective in direction of decision-making and threat, their course of in making these technique choices.

“There were races like Budapest last year when they put the hard tyre on Leclerc’s car – it’s just bizarre. I’d spent all morning wandering up and down the paddock with everyone telling me the hard tyre was going to be utterly useless, and yet they put it on the car – it’s those sorts of decisions that need to be rethought.

“Ravin (Jain) shouldn’t be new, he is been round within the technique division for a very long time, so swapping him and Inaki (Rueda) – one was trackside, one was manufacturing unit they usually’ve simply swapped them spherical, however I feel he was taking quite a lot of the choices anyway.”

DH: “A giant weak level for them final yr was how they carried out on the observe and I feel they sacked the unsuitable man. I feel Fred Vasseur goes to be actually good for the race group aspect of Ferrari and possibly additionally banging group bosses within the Constructors’ conferences. But I feel Mattia (Binotto) needs to be credited with quite a lot of the set-up work that was executed and a loyal Ferrari man like that, it’s unhappy to see him go.

“I don’t think it is impossible that they win the title. We are talking after a three-day test at a track that is a bit of an outlier. There are times where I think the Ferrari could be a lot stronger and could be better suited than the Red Bull.”

MB: “I’m surprised Ferrari did that at this moment, in terms of management change, because it left their ship without a captain for a few critical weeks, one on an exit route and then Fred Vasseur incoming.

“I’m shocked they did not attempt to discover a option to maintain them each there with totally different job duties, as a result of clearly Binotto is aware of the group inside out and may talk with everyone, whereas Vasseur has received to stand up and operating.

“You think back to the glory days with Michael Schumacher when it was (Luca) di Montezemolo, (Jean) Todt, (Ross) Brawn, (Rory) Byrne, Stefano Domenicali – they had such a depth of management that you seem to need. So it’s a tall order for any person, it just seems odd that they would put that at risk.”

Where do Mercedes stand going into the brand new season and will they be dominated out of title rivalry?

KC: “Based on testing, it’s hard to see them being a consistent challenge for Red Bull in the early part of the year. What Mercedes have got to see is how their development plan happens. They’ve got a huge amount more wind-tunnel time than Red Bull, and I think especially in the second half of the year. I think we’ll see those effects as the development starts, the concept of the (Red Bull) car was already put in place before the penalty kicked in.

“It’s a giant yr for the technical and aero division at Mercedes. They’ve received an idea that they’ve chosen to stay with and do an evolution of fairly than revolution for this yr – if it would not work this yr, then what? How quickly do they flip to 2024? How quickly do they decide to a very new idea? Because that can have a knock-on impact long-term.

“The first six months is going to be pretty stressful for everyone at Mercedes, to see if they can develop themselves out of the situation they’re in.”

DH: “I thought they looked shaky and not utterly confident. They appeared a team that had not answered all of its questions satisfactorily.

“They are possibly hiding their gentle beneath a bushel. They are possibly conceding a little bit of optimism and never exhibiting the most effective they will do on the check.

“I would say they are an outside bet for the championship. I think long-shot is too harsh. They have got a chance, it is still possible, but they have got to do something really extraordinary based on what we saw in the last three days of testing.”

MB: “We talk about evolution of the cars this year, and it looks like an evolution of the championship as well. It’s sort of Ferrari gamely chasing Red Bull with Mercedes there or thereabouts but scratching their heads a little bit, is how it looks. It’s only been one test but it looks like a bit of an action replay of last year to me. Then the midfield is very close.

“I would not rule Mercedes out of title rivalry, however it’s a must to suppose, that they had all of final yr and the winter to type this automotive and idea, if they don’t seem to be contenders within the first three or 4 races, then you definately’d suppose what are they going to do through the season that is going to be any totally different. I hope they’re proper there in Bahrain.”

RB: “I don’t think they’re out of title contention. I think day three of testing showed that they are finding answers to problems, and if they carry on in that vein, they could be up there battling with Red Bull and Ferrari. At the moment, their biggest competitor seems to be Aston Martin, at least on race pace. If you look at the first race, you would say they’re out of contention, but come race five or six they could be back in it, and it’s a very long season, so I wouldn’t count them out yet.”

How will the battle between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell play out this season?

DH: “George’s challenge is, if he is going to be a future champion contender on a regular basis, he is going to have to start consistently outperforming Lewis – that is a tall order.

“It was an ideal debut season, he’s undoubtedly a really stable, collectively performer and particular person, nice for the group and most groups can be delighted to have him as primary however then he’s in contrast towards Lewis.

“If George outperforms Lewis Hamilton on a regular basis, they know they have got someone who can back them up and has more years ahead of him than Lewis.”

MB: “I think the happy families will stay in place unless the car’s got a chance of winning the world championship, then it will get a bit personal. I think George has been very smart in how he’s shown due respect to Lewis. Lewis is an elder statesman on the grid and has probably appreciated what George is bringing to the team and how George has played his hand. It will be fine until they’re disputing a victory that could well lead to a championship.”

KC: “I think they’ve got quite a healthy dynamic and I don’t see any reason why that will change. They’re respectful of each other, they seem to get on – I don’t see why that should change.”

RB: “If the car’s not performing it will still be happy families because they’ve got to work together to try to make it improve. If the car’s quick and they’re battling it out for poles and race wins, then who knows what will happen. I think George still feels like he has a point to prove to people, that he can match Lewis on track, and I think we’ll see a great season between those two if the car is quick.”

Are there another contests between team-mates you’re looking ahead to this season?

MB: “The Ferrari situation, I would say definitely on that. They come at it slightly differently, or they should do. Leclerc’s speed is just incredible, it’s outstanding, he probably drives a little bit too close to it sometimes and makes mistakes. I think Carlos, to an extent, needs to stop worrying about Charles’ speed, he plays the long game better, he’s always there towards the end of a race. I think he’s got that sort of staying power and raw determination, I don’t know if he’s got Charles’ raw speed, probably not.”

RB: “I’m looking forward to seeing the battle at Alpine. I think Pierre Gasly got performance out of the AlphaTauri that wasn’t necessarily there on quite a few occasions. Esteban Ocon had a team-mate in Fernando Alonso who everybody expected to beat him, so when he did do well against him, he made sure we knew about it. He wants people to think that he’s in charge of that team, but I think he’s got a different kind of competitor in Pierre, and they’ve obviously got their history. We don’t know the pace of that car yet, it’s been hidden somewhat during testing and if it’s quick, there could be fireworks.”

DH: “The two Ferrari guys, the Fred Vasseur-Leclerc relationship. Some suggest the change was as much to do with how Mattia Binotto didn’t give Charles what he wanted and this new team that have come in are more Leclerc-biased.

“Carlos goes to have to ascertain himself firmly as a contender in any other case he’s there to help Charles for Ferrari. They see Charles as their future so that may be a slight dynamic.”

KC: “I feel the Alpine one goes to be attention-grabbing to see. Gasly coming in as the brand new man, from what I perceive in testing he was already faster than Ocon, which will likely be attention-grabbing to see as a result of he is clearly fully new to the group whereas Ocon’s been there some time.”

Will Aston Martin be in contention for race wins after their impressive testing display?

RB: “I see them in rivalry for podiums however I do not essentially see them in rivalry for race wins, until reliability hits Ferrari and Red Bull as a result of I nonetheless suppose all 4 drivers from Ferrari and Red Bull will beat Aston on any given any day. But if there are any alternatives to get a win, Fernando will pounce.”

KC: “I do not count on them to compete for wins however I count on them to compete for multiple podium.”

DH: “I think it is not out of the question for them to be a podium contender on a regular basis based on what we have at the start of the season. They looked good, sounded good, good noises coming out of the team.

“There could also be some egg in faces with them beating some Mercedes vehicles this season however maybe we’re getting forward of ourselves there.”

MB: “It’s so troublesome to know with Aston, I noticed all of the hype. It relies upon if they will maintain creating the automotive. They’ve definitely received somebody in Fernando who will drive the wheels off it, they usually’re within the honeymoon part with him anyway.

“I think if there’s a race to be stolen somewhere they’ll steal it, like Ocon for Alpine, Gasly at AlphaTauri, Ricciardo for McLaren at Monza. Do I think they’ll be regular contenders for race victories? That would be some kind of turnaround.”

If Aston Martin’s development continues, is Fernando Alonso able to changing into world champion once more?

KC: “Fernando is capable of doing much more than 90 per cent of the grid. I still say that your top three A-plus stars are Lewis, Fernando and Max – they’re the ones that week in, week out you can expect them to deliver an extremely high level at every apex of every lap during a Grand Prix. So yes, if the car is capable, Fernando can deliver.

“I used to be one of many few folks, who even earlier than testing, thought that Aston can be the most effective of the midfield. I actually suppose they have quite a lot of good elements there, and Fernando’s worth would not simply come from throughout the automotive.

“Fernando is one of the most intelligent drivers ever to race in F1 and his value comes from outside the car as much as possible. He gives a team direction, he gives a team guidance. He pushes the team to think harder and work harder than before and I think that’s what Alpine will miss about him. What he does in the car is brilliant but it’s all this other stuff that he does, and I think he will add a lot of value to Aston.”

RB: “I wouldn’t dare bet against him. At the moment he seems to be in a very happy and confident place, he likes that car, it seems to be performing well and if he can help them improve the car, I think he could end up in contention for a third world title.”

DH: “He has got a competitive car and I have not seen any reason to believe he is distracted. He doesn’t seem to be bothered about other things – he wants to race, he wants to win. He is a bit like Max in that department.

“I felt I used to be nonetheless fairly match and in a position aged 42. When I finished at 39, I knew I could not get to the heights I might once I was 35, 36. I feel the height of a driver’s efficiency might be 29-33. More within the 30s however definitely lower than 35. I feel the issue with it’s you begin evaluating your self to your youthful self. But I do not see that with Fernando, I feel he has received extra years in him.”

MB: “I feel he can. Drivers do not get smashed up nowadays, they don’t seem to be carrying a great deal of damaged bits or huge head accidents, like a (Mika) Hakkinen. You look again at Mansell, Prost, Lauda – these type of folks that have been round fairly late comparatively talking, I do suppose if he can scent the victories, he’ll do it. It’s actually attention-grabbing as a result of the final two standing are Lewis and Fernando actually, and it is them versus the youngsters and it is fascinating. Only these two appear to have the sheer, uncooked willpower to hold on in there.”

After McLaren’s testing struggles, will Lando Norris see out his contract with the team through 2025, and where could he end up?

DH: “Lando is a really, very gifted driver and it will be dangerous for his profession if he was struggling on on the again. George (Russell) did with Williams however that’s the place he began, whereas it appears to be Lando has gone in, it appears good, it’s on the up, and now it’s beginning to sink. You don’t need to be a man of that capability, you’ll be able to’t maintain him again.

“Lando should be in a front-row car otherwise he is going to slip by and he will be yesterday’s man before you know it. There may be a performance-related clause in the contract. But I don’t know I haven’t seen the contract.

“I feel Red Bull can be an attention-grabbing one however so long as Max is there I would not advise it. There could also be motion in Ferrari sooner or later. Could you think about Lando and Leclerc as a pairing? That can be nice, it will look very sturdy.”

KC: “I think the question is where would he go? It’s all well and good people saying he’s stuck, but where’s going to go?

“Does he need to be quantity two to Max? Probably not. I do not suppose he’d need to as a result of I feel in case you go to Red Bull alongside Max, it’s a must to settle for you are going to be quantity two, which Checo, on the stage of life and profession he is at, is completely satisfied to take action.

“I don’t think that’s where Lando’s at. He’s young, ambitious and still believes he should be a number one, so I think he’s probably holding out for when Lewis goes.”

MB: “I think McLaren don’t think they’ll be quite that bad but they’re obviously struggling and they’ll be desperate for an upgrade that makes a big difference and show they’ve understood what’s wrong with the car and how to fix it.

“Lando will likely be changing into more and more annoyed, particularly if George and gang begin successful extra races and searching like championship contenders, he will begin to suppose he is within the unsuitable place.

“You’re only going to leave McLaren to go to one of the top three, which I assume will still be the top three in the timeframe we’re talking about for Lando. If Lewis retires, or Ferrari make a change – that sort of thing. I think he’d be happy to go up against Max. I would say either to replace Lewis or if Leclerc went to Mercedes or something like that.”

RB: “I definitely can see him pushing his way out of the contract but the trouble is, where would he go? A seat has got to open up at a better option. The only seat that potentially could open up would be Red Bull if Sergio wasn’t performing, and I know Christian Horner is a fan of Lando Norris, so if that opened up I think he would definitely move.

“If Lewis left, would he go to Mercedes? Possibly, they’d most likely have a look at him as nicely. He is an effective driver and he deserves automotive. If you have been Lando, you’d undoubtedly be taking a look at it. But let’s examine how he fares towards Oscar first, as a result of he is received an excellent rookie that he must outshine this yr, so I feel he is received a busy, powerful 12 months on his fingers.”

Which race this season are you most looking forward to?

DH: “It has received to be Vegas hasn’t it. What goes to go down there? It might be a title decider.

“Last time we were there, it was in a car park and Clive James made a fantastic film of F1 in Vegas. That is a measure of how the sport has grabbed the attention in the States.”

RB: “I’m looking forward to going back to Miami this year. I had a great time there last year. I know the racing wasn’t the best, but they’ve made changes to the track, they’ve resurfaced it. They’re ploughing a lot of money in, they’re moving the paddock inside the stadium. It’s going to be a sensational atmosphere again and it’s a great event. Seeing America embrace F1 the way it has, has been fantastic to be a part of and let’s hope for some better racing there this year.”

KC: “I always enjoy the British Grand Prix. For us at Sky it’s obviously a great weekend, there’s lots going on, lots to do from the Thursday, always a good crowd. Last year’s race was brilliant with a new winner, so I always enjoy that.”