There's very little left now. Tomorrow is the day when Red Bull will unveil the RB19, the great protagonist for the 2023 season. The goal is naturally obvious: the Milton Keynes team wants to continue to be the first team in the class, both with Max Verstappen and in the constructors' championship.
We leave at 15.00
To do this it is clear that a great car will be needed, which we may not necessarily see tomorrow. Indeed, it is not excluded that the presentation scheduled for tomorrow in New York at 15.00 (Italian time), can only concern the livery, and not the RB19 itself, as did the Haas a few days fa.
Red Bull, will the penalty have had an impact?
Carrying out a more detailed analysis of Red Bull's winter break, let's say that there is no shortage of curiosities. It will in fact be very interesting to understand if the penalty caused by the budget overrun cap whether or not it will affect the performance of the Milton Keynes team. There have always been conflicting opinions on the matter: Ferrari e McLaren, for example, they were convinced that the sentence imposed on Red Bull wasn't that harsh, as Christian Horner believes instead. In fact, the Red Bull team principal admitted a few days ago that the penalty received is causing quite a few problems. “The sanction is limiting us significantly. The team Horner said. he had to adapt his gallery work to this inconvenience. It will be a major challenge, but the team is prepared. It is undeniable that there will be a disadvantage at the beginning of the year, it's up to us to minimize the impact on the track. We have very capable people who are trying to do the best they can and apply themselves as efficiently and effectively as possible. It's definitely a handicap for this year, but also a good challenge".
Marko starts with a bang by snubbing Ferrari
It will therefore be a great challenge that fans hope to see. Naturally, the "dream" would be to have a three-way fight between Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull itself. Who is not exactly convinced of this is Councilor Helmut Marko who, during the winter break, expressed his concern for Mercedes, but not for Ferrari. "I would say we should fear Mercedes more, especially as they have an advantage over Ferrari in terms of strategy and reliability". On what to expect on his team, Marko said: “Obviously we will have to deal with the reduction of hours in the wind tunnel. This means we will have to work much more efficiently as a team, but the team is united and Max continues to improve; therefore, we will approach next season with cautious enthusiasm".
Verstappen, the maturation that leads to concern
Cautious optimism, the same that world champion Max can have Verstappen. The Dutchman's goal is clearly to try to defend the world championship. There maturity had in 2022, following the first title won against Hamilton, it was impressive. And perhaps it is precisely this maturation, which has also grown in the field of communication, which leads Max to a slight concern for the start of this new season, which won't be downhill like last year. “I think it will be difficult to maintain the 2022 levelbut I still believe we can be very competitive again. I expect the other teams to catch up though: I believe that this year really anything can happen".
Perez, will the Australian shadow affect?
It will serve team play, which after all in Red Bull has never failed. The help that Sergio Perez he gave in the first part of the season was excellent, just consider what happened in Spain. The Mexican, with those performances (including the victory in Munich), tore the renewal until 2024. All quiet... if the second part of the season hadn't arrived, in which relations with Max were certainly not idyllic. The declaration: "Se(Max ed) he is a two-time world champion thanks to me“ is clearly very difficult to forget, as well as the inconveniences related to the ungiven position in Brazil. This year, however, the Mexican will also have the shadow of a new third driver: Daniel Ricciardo. Presenting the new season, she was not long in coming Checo's response to this particularly hot topic"I am very relaxed. We are under pressure all the time, for me absolutely nothing changes. I think it's a great achievement for the team to have a rider like Daniel. He can give the team a great hand, he's a good guy: one of the best with whom I bonded the most".
Red Bull 2023, here we are now
Hours go by and curiosity rises more and more. Tomorrow the 2023 of Red Bull officially begins: between certainties, doubts and penalties. Get ready, because it will be fun.
