F1, Bahrain GP: Tough To Look Beyond Max Verstappen And Red Bull In 2023

The longest season in Formula 1 history starts this weekend with the Bahrain Grand Prix.  With the Netflix show 'Drive to Survive' being a catalyst to a massive wave of interest in the sport around the world, the twenty cars and drivers descend upon the Sakhir circuit to kickstart the season. The 10 teams have already been in Bahrain for three days of pre-season testing, giving us some early signs into who's hot and who's not as we head into the first race.

The results from these test days come with a caveat as the teams are always reluctant to show their true form to their rivals. This gamesmanship means that the actual picture will only emerge during Sunday's Grand Prix.

It's going to be very hard to look beyond Max Verstappen and Red Bull as the favourites, heading into the 2023 season.

As a driver, I thought that Max raised his game in 2022 to a new level where there really was a calmness and a methodical approach we hadn't seen from him before. From when I saw him race in Formula 3, it was abundantly clear that this guy is one of the most gifted drivers on the planet, but he's now added experience and the confidence that world championship success brings.

The Red Bull RB19 has looked ominously fast in testing with both Verstappen and team-mate Sergio Perez exuding an inner confidence.

The team has stability on the driver and technical front, with Christian Horner at the helm and the design genius Adrian Newey as motivated for success as he was 31 years ago when his car first won a World Championship.

Mercedes once again head into the season with the best driver line-up on the grid. It has two race winners on its books, and the inner harmony that it lacked during the Nico Rosberg/Lewis Hamilton era.

They had a