When the 2022 season got underway last season, Ferrari looked to be the favourites for the championship, such was their improvement under the new regulations.
While the Scuderia did manage to build up an early lead in both championships with Charles Leclerc, their reliability and strategy issues meant that they were eventually no match for Red Bull, who stormed to both championships.
Red Bull have picked up where they left off in pre-season, topping the timing screens across all three days, with the RB19 looking even better than the almost unbeatable RB18.
With all the indicators point to another dominant year for Red Bull and Max Verstappen, former F1 driver Gerhard Berger has suggested that things may not be so straightforward for the team.
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While there is a clear favourite right now, Berger has explained that the championship is never usually a one-horse race.
“Red Bull is the favourite,” he told Krone newspaper.
“But when everything looks so clear, it is also dangerous. There is usually competition coming from somewhere.”
The most obvious competitor for Red Bull this season is Ferrari, who looked quick in pre-season and were clearly holding back their true potential.
When compared to Red Bull, Ferrari lack race pace however, with their tyre degradation hindering them massively during their long runs this pre-season.
Mercedes will hope to take the fight to Red Bull this season but will first have to overcome the W14’s issues, with the car struggling with balance and reliability already.
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George Russell has admitted that it may take until F1 returns to Europe for the W14 to receive the upgrade necessary to make the team competitive once again.
The dark horse to challenge Red Bull this year is Aston Martin, who according to many pundits are the third quickest team on the grid.
The team are also expected to bring minor upgrades to the first race of the season, putting them in a strong position to at least challenge for a podium with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.