Red Bull on a charge, Alonso in the wings: Three talking points ahead of Aussie GP

The Australian Grand Prix is here, and so are the many talking points that need addressing.

Among the most talked-about is Red Bull's dominance, Aston Martin's resurgence, and where Ferrari and Mercedes-AMG rank in the pecking order.

Let's discuss.

1 Another Red Bull domination?

It is easy to assume that Red Bull will again dominate the third race of the 2023 Formula 1 season, as they did in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The team is a whole upper body ahead of the field, and there seems to be no stopping them.

Max Verstappen won from teammate Sergio Perez in Bahrain, and the two swopped positions in Saudi. But it was Verstappen, who came from 15th to finish second at Jeddah, that caught everyone's eye. And he did it almost effortlessly.

While the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne offers a different challenge to Bahrain and Saudi, the sweeping street track will likely play into Red Bull's hands again. The RB19 is quick in a straight line and utterly planted through the corners - the very nature of Albert Park.

This could make it difficult for anyone to put up a race-long challenge for the win, and we should brace ourselves for another Red Bull 1-2.

Still, anything can happen.

2 Alonso poised for the podium

Fernando Alonso, 41, has been a breath of fresh air in 2023, driving the wheels off his Aston Martin AMR23 and finishing in third place in each of the two opening races.

He is clearly the next best driver after the Red Bull duo, and the hope is there, even from Verstappen, that he will win at least one race this year.

But Alonso is careful not to get carried away with Aston Martin's pace, only saying: "The car has performed quite well on two different circuits so far. However, our feet remain on the ground, and we are realistic