The Formula 1 season, which became one of the worst seasons in recent years in terms of intrigue, is over. However, following the results of the championship, interesting points can still be noted.

The best driver and team of the season. What alternatives might there be?

We already had material about Max Verstappen’s performances this season. Of course, the driver had the best car in the championship, but Max had a flawless season without making a single significant mistake. 19 wins, record for most wins in a year, record winning percentage in a season, record winning streak, third most wins in history and many other achievements, big and small.

There is nothing to talk about here; A player who deserves to be a three-time world champion. There is nothing less deserving of the Constructors’ Championship for Red Bull. While other teams try to copy the Bulls’ solutions, the team continues to improve the car and stay ahead of its rivals. Mercedes has already abandoned its failed car concept and will come up with something else for the 2024 season; It’s almost the same situation at Ferrari.

Having copied many of Red Bull’s decisions, McLaren is closing in on the favourites, but is it realistic for the copy to surpass the original? Maybe McLaren can come up with something new for next year. True, many experts do not recommend waiting for changes in F1 until the 2026 season, when new engine regulations will come into force.

Disappointment of the season: Sergio Perez, Ferrari

If it can be said that Ferrari has been a disappointment of this or that season, then Sergio Perez has presented a truly unpleasant surprise. With rivals Red Bull behind, only the Mexican driver could make this season interesting and competitive. It didn’t work. Even in the seasons where Lewis Hamilton excelled, the same Valtteri Bottas offered more challenge and intrigue than Perez, not to mention Nico Rosberg. Bottas at least did not miss a place in the top 10 in qualifying and was constantly on the podium.

It’s hard to say what happened to Sergio (he talks about a car that doesn’t suit him), but Red Bull would certainly have terminated the contract with him long ago if they could. It looks like the compensation amount is huge, so we’ll have to rely solely on Perez returning to form in 2024.

As for Ferrari, the team lost the design war to Red Bull. If the Scuderia was even better in some periods in the 2022 season, Red Bull was ahead in this championship. It was Ferrari in Singapore that enabled the Bulls to win 21 races in the season, not 22, but this is due to the very rare characteristics of the track. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are not very optimistic about the chances in the new season in their comments.

Season progress: McLaren

There’s nothing to even discuss here. McLaren made the biggest progress in the championship. In the early races the team was among the worst in terms of speed, especially on the straights. However, McLaren did not give up and finished in the top 4 of the Constructors’ Championship. The British made the biggest breakthrough after the Austrian Grand Prix, where they introduced the biggest upgrade to the car. It was he who helped him take a step forward and become the second force in the championship after Red Bull.

At the same time, while McLaren introduced updates almost until the end of the season, Red Bull had long moved on to the 2024 season, so it is difficult to hope that in the new season McLaren will make the necessary changes to compete with it on equal terms. Red Bull. However, the team has a very important asset: Young and stable pilots. Lando Norris is already considered one of the best drivers in the championship, and Oscar Piastri has been called the best new F1 driver since Verstappen.

It seems that Mercedes and Ferrari have more resources to prepare the car for the season, but perhaps the British can manage to remain the second force in the new year. It’s still hard to believe that anyone can compete with the Bulls in 2024.

what’s next

In the 2024 season, Formula 1 will once again try to break a record with 24 races. In recent seasons, the series has established a racing calendar of 23-24 Grands Prix, but something has always stood in the way. Either the coronavirus in general, the coronavirus in China or the weather in Italy, so there were 22 races this year.

The 2024 season starts on March 2 in Bahrain. It will be the first time a race in China will return to the calendar since 2019. Pre-season testing will begin in Bahrain at the end of February.