Red Bull couldn’t have asked for a better start to the 2023 Formula One season, having secured 87 out of a possible 88 points in the first two races.
Max Verstappen currently holds the lead in the Drivers’ Championship on 44 points, while his teammate Sergio Perez is close behind on 43 points.
Perez had the opportunity to take the lead in the Drivers’ Championship for the first time in his Formula One career in Jeddah but was denied it when Verstappen took the fastest lap point on the final lap.
The dominant performance from Red Bull has led some to believe that the only challenger to Verstappen this season is his teammate.
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Despite having equal machinery, former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa believes that Perez can’t compete with Verstappen for the title due to his “inconsistent” performances in races.
“Their second driver, Sergio Pérez, is too inconsistent. Just like Carlos Sainz from Ferrari,” Massa explained.
Instead of Perez, Massa believes that, if Ferrari could give Charles Leclerc a title-level car, the Monegasque is the only one who could unseat Verstappen.
“Like Max and Lewis, Charles is an exceptional driver,” Massa told German outlet Bild. “He is currently the biggest title challenger for Red Bull.”
Looking across the rest of the grid, Massa predicts that Lewis Hamilton could be in for another rough season, as his teammate George Russell could outscore the seven-time world champion for a second consecutive season.
“I trust him to do that,” Massa added. “One must not forget: Last year, in his first season at Mercedes, he left Lewis behind in the world championship.”
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Heading to Australia, the fight for the one-two in the Drivers’ Championship seems to be Red Bull’s to lose but the fight for third place is all to play for.
Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso sits in third with 30 points, while Sainz is in fourth on 20, followed by Hamilton, also on 20, and Russell, close behind on 18.
Alonso’s teammate Lance Stroll is far behind in seventh with 8 points, while Leclerc languishes in eighth place on 6 points, after both drivers suffered DNFs that cost them valuable points.