Jenson Button and David Croft do not assume that Red Bull Racing will also take the world title in 2023. Button thinks she will be very fast in the beginning, but that she can expect a lot of competition from Mercedes and Ferrari after that. The gentlemen also think that the presence of Daniel Ricciardo may play a role in the tensions in the garage.
The former McLaren driver and Sky Sports analyst are looking ahead ahead of the season. In conversation with JOE, the gentlemen discuss their expectations for the 2023 season. For example, Button thinks that Mercedes will soon be there and that Ferrari will do better under the leadership of Frédéric Vasseur. “Red Bull will start as the fastest, but they will not be able to continue that dominance,” Button said.
“Ferrari will also be very fast at the start. Mercedes has to catch up,” Button continues. In the 2022 season, Ferrari and Red Bull were evenly matched at the start of the season, but the Scuderia could not match the performance of the team of Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez. “They had no consistency in 2022, but Vasseur’s experience will help. Strategy was a weak spot, but everyone knows how important strategy is in Formula 1. He will know what he is doing.’
‘I would not like to see Checo employed by Max’
In addition to the expectation that Red Bull would not be able to extend its dominance in the upcoming season, Button and Croft also think that the presence of Daniel Ricciardo could cause tension. “There is no doubt that Daniel (Ricciardo, ed.) Hopes that he can drive for Red Bull in 2024,” says Croft. ‘But Checo (Pérez, ed.) has that seat, so it also depends on his performance. Red Bull will not want to adjust its driver duo if it is not necessary. In any case, I would not like to see Checo employed by Max (Verstappen, ed.).’
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