Is Max Verstappen’s victory in Driver’s Championships inevitable?

The Formula 1 season is back! Whereas the season of speculations, rumors, and has been running simultaneously since the end of the 2023 season. From a certain point of view, it was one of the most boring preseasons ever, because none of the 20 driver seats had its owner changed. This happened for the first time in the whole F1 history. Unsurprisingly, the aim of most of the questions asked during those three months without racing was: What will happen after we saw the most dominant performance in the history of F1? Max won 19 of 22 races, missing only one podium in the whole year. A memorable achievement was also that he managed to finish all of the Grand Prix'. But we shouldn't forget that in 2023, we saw just one victory of a non-Red Bull pilot (Ferrari's Carlos Sainz Jr.). We have never witnessed a season with one racing stable winning all of the races in one season till now. Those were the main topics in the preseason talks. Now, we will move on to the actual beginning of the 2024 season.

Most of the F1 fans expected a Red Bull win. But they hoped that some of the constructors would build a competitive car, which would be able to at least work Red Bull hard. The results were disappointing for the fans of tight racing. Max Verstappen smashed his competitors. In the Bahrain GP, he beat his stable companion by 22 seconds, with the Ferraris finishing third and fourth. The disappointment of a major part of the racing community was great. Instead of thrilling racing, we will get another solo rides, many people thought. In the second race of the season, Verstappen confirmed his supremacy by winning with an advantage of 13 seconds in Jeddah.

Race number three gave us a hope that even the Red Bull monopost isn't perfect. Reigning world champion had to withdraw from the race after his car's brakes started producing a blueish smoke. Ferrari took a double in Melbourne, with Sainz winning, and Leclerc finishing second. McLaren became the third team to gain a podium when Norris finished third. Two weeks after Melbourne we saw another dominant performance by the whole Red Bull team on the Suzuka circuit. Verstappen P1, Pérez P2, followed by the Ferrari drivers.

The question is: Does it all make sense? We have an absolutely dominant driver in the best car on the grid. Their technological advance is just in another world compared to the 9 other teams. The rules' changes, which came in 2023 were supposed to bring more equal racing. At least the FIA promoted it that way. The outcome was the absolute opposite. So, what can solve this situation? There will be another rules' change in 2026, but does anybody believe that it will really help to end Red Bull's hegemony? While the other constructors are working on improving their present cars, Red Bull's engineers under the baton of Adrian Newey are already preparing for the 2026 season.

If anything can stop Red Bull's supremacy, it's their inner conflict. The "Holy Trinity" of the team (Christian Horner - team principal, Adrian Newey - main engineer, Helmut Marko - team director) doesn't have the best relationships according to the newest information. They were also part of several lawsuits at the beginning of the 2024 season. And foremost, the relationship between Verstappen, and Horner is very unfriendly nowadays. Something that appeared like science fiction after the end of the last season, starts making sense now. Max Verstappen might leave. Where? Mercedes is suffering this season. Fourth in the Constructors Championship, no podiums in the first four races. Their biggest star of the last decade - 7 time World Champion - Lewis Hamilton is leaving for Ferrari. Therefore Mercedes' team principal Toto Wolff made a very generous offer for Max Verstappen. The winner of the last three Championships officially didn't respond, but rumors say that this transfer looks more and more real, as the situation in Red Bull doesn't improve. There might be a very interesting "transfer circle" completed in the next season. Verstappen from Red Bull to Mercedes, Hamilton to Ferrari, and… the only man who was able to defeat Red Bull in 2023, and 2024 doesn't have a team for the next year. A Red Bull seat would be a great opportunity for Carlos Sainz to show he is capable of winning the Championship, and beating Max Verstappen.