Red Bull’s domination will make the 2023 season bland: Ralf Schumacher
Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher delivers a damning verdict on Ferrari's championship hopes
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Ralf Schumacher and Charles Leclerc after retirement
Former Formula One driver Ralf Schumacher is skeptical of Ferrari’s chances of catching Red Bull in the 2023 season. Red Bull finished first and second in the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, with Max Verstappen winning by a wide margin. As a result, Schumacher believes Ferrari may not be able to compete with Red Bull for the championship this year.
“I think it will take too long [to close the gap] and that Red Bull will time is already out of the picture unless, of course, there is technical bad luck,” Schumacher said. “I would like it, but I fear that this will be a relatively boring season. It will revolve around two fighting teammates.”
Ferrari’s performance in Bahrain was subpar, with Charles Leclerc retiring on Lap 40 due to an engine problem, and Carlos Sainz finishing fourth, unable to keep his fellow Spaniard in the Aston Martin behind him. Schumacher believes the team will struggle to keep up with Red Bull throughout the season.
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Aston Martin impressed the German despite being a ‘young team’
He even spoke about the impressive showing that Aston Martin had displayed. “Even though Aston Martin started the season strongly, Schumacher doubts they will be able to consistently compete at the front of the field because they’re a ‘young team’,” he added.
“I’m sure there will be races where they can’t get all the potential out of the tyres. We must not forget that it is still a relatively young team. In addition, even Alonso cannot do everything with that car. They have to compete against an experienced Red Bull. That team has grown due to the battle with Mercedes. That process is ahead for Aston Martin,” he continued.
Ferrari’s reliability problems from last season have carried over into this season, with the team still striving to improve. While the team has shown promise in qualifying, their race pace remains marginal, and they have struggled with tyre degradation. This has put them at a significant disadvantage in comparison to Red Bull, which has dominated both qualifying and race pace.
Aston Martin, on the other hand, has had a promising start to the season, with Fernando Alonso finishing third in Bahrain. However, Schumacher believes that the team’s lack of experience will limit their ability to compete at the front of the field on a consistent basis.
According to Schumacher’s remarks, Ferrari may struggle to catch up to Red Bull this season, and the championship may become an inter-team mate battle. However, given the unpredictable nature of Formula 1, anything is possible, and it remains to be seen whether Ferrari can turn their fortunes around and challenge for the championship.
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Justin P Joy
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