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Can Anyone Stop Max Verstappen from A Third Straight Title?

February 22, 2023
Spotlight
Editorial

Formula One has been dominated by Max Verstappen over the last couple of years, as not only did he win back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022, but following the 2023 Miami Open, he has now won 17 of the last 24 Grand Prix in the sport.

1️⃣5️⃣

An amazing way to end an incredible season for us @redbullracing & @HondaRacingGLB.

All in all, the whole season has been unbelievable and it’s been very enjoyable with the team. Thank you so much to everyone for your hard work 💪 pic.twitter.com/nsUP2qhOIj

— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) November 20, 2022


Verstappen has made an excellent start to 2023, winning three of the opening five races. In the two Grand Prix he has not been successful in, he has finished second on both occasions, meaning he has 119 points on the board already.

The Red Bull driver has flourished in F1 since making his debut in 2015. Last year he picked up the most wins in a season (15) and he accumulated the most points any driver has recorded in a single season, ending the campaign with 454 points.

Verstappen is riding full of confidence at the moment, and he is aided by having a very good Red Bull car. He has shown he is an excellent front-runner in the standings, so it will put a lot of pressure on his rivals to keep up with him in the early stages of the season in 2023.

Teammate Sergio Perez Closest Challenger to Verstappen

Mexican Sergio Perez has improved his position in each of the last two seasons in F1. He was fourth in 2021, a year later he ended the campaign in third, while in 2022, he was runner-up to Verstappen. As of May 17, at the odds Betway is offering, he is +550 to keep up that trend and lift the trophy in 2023.

As a teammate of Verstappen, Perez knows the world champion better than anybody in F1. He also has a car that is good enough to compete for the title. Since joining Red Bull in 2021, his results have improved considerably.

Perez has made his best start to a campaign, winning two of the opening five Grand Prix, with victories coming in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan. He was also second to Verstappen in Bahrain and Miami, the latter of which can be read about n the Reuters post-race report.

The 32-year-old has never won more than two races in a season before, but he looks on course to do that early in the latest campaign. If he keeps winning, he will put a lot of pressure on Red Bull to ensure both of their drivers get the support they need to win the championship.

Fernando Alonso Hoping to Roll Back the Years for More F1 Success

As a two-time world champion and a three-time runner-up, Fernando Alonso knows exactly what is required to succeed in F1 throughout a campaign. The Aston Martin rider is experienced and he has seen it all.

Now at the age of 41, he is bidding to become the third oldest world champion in history. Juan Manuel Fangio won the world championship at the age of 46 in 1957, while Giuseppe Farina is the second oldest winner, as he prevailed at the age of 43 in 1950.

Alonso has shown he can still be competitive in F1, as he has finished on the podium in four of the opening five races. If he is to better Verstappen, he just needs to turn some of those third-place finishes into wins.

Lewis Hamilton Cannot Be Forgotten About Despite Car Troubles

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time. The Mercedes driver has dominated F1 for large periods of his career, but he has struggled to match the Red Bull team over the last couple of years.

It has been a slow start to the campaign for the British driver. He has just one podium finish in the opening five races, which, as documented in the BBC report, was second place in the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. However, his rivals will know that if the Mercedes team can find some improvements in their car, Hamilton cannot be underestimated when it comes to this year’s world championship.

The 38-year-old will be desperate for world title number eight, which will allow him to secure the outright record for the most wins, putting him one ahead of Michael Schumacher.

The final Grand Prix of the 2023 F1 calendar comes in Abu Dhabi on November 26. Should Verstappen bring up his hat trick of titles, he will join an exclusive list of drivers who have lifted the trophy three times.