Red Bull gave a death blow to Mercedes domination ever since the start of ‘ground effects era’, and they have been profiting from the fact that Mercedes can’t solve their problems. It was an immensely dominating year from the Bulls, as they breezed their way through the season with a massive 860 points.
Red Bull’s success this year made every other constructor look shoddy, as they tried to chase behind the RB19 in vain. However, amidst all this chaos there was one constructor that managed to snatch away a win from the Bull’s near perfect season.
Red Bull’s 2023 success marks the end of Mercedes’ unique streak
Mercedes has been a part of Formula Racing since 2006. Yes, you heard it right, they might’ve joined the sport as an official team in 2010 but they have been engine suppliers in the sport for a long time now. Mercedes currently supplies engine to McLaren, Williams and Aston Martin. The Williams maybe a back-marker team mostly, but McLaren and Aston Martin have had their exploits with numerous podium finishes throughout the season.
The combined worth of British union was able to grab a total of 25 podiums this year, but none could reach the top step of the podium. In fact, Red Bull dominated the sport in such a way, that for first time in 17 years, a single Mercedes powered car didn’t win a race.
This was a unique achievement that Mercedes had held on to somehow last year by winning the Brazilian GP. This year they came close to victory in Singapore but ultimately lost it to Ferrari. As of now Red Bull have successfully ended Mercedes’s long-standing streak, a feat that will be hard to replicate with new manufacturers joining in future.
Sainz won Singapore GP amid Red Bull dominance
Red Bull may have won 21 out of 22 races this season, but there was one race where they couldn’t even manage to challenge for the lead, let alone win it. The Singapore GP remained as a little mark of grey in Red Bull’s perfect 2023 season.
Right from free practice, the Austrian outfit had encountered troubles and Max Verstappen was extremely agitated about the persistent issues with his car.
For the first time in 2023, it felt like the race victory would go to another constructor and Ferrari proved itself worthy of the win. Carlos Sainz rallied his car to victory in the streets of Singapore and gave the fans a moment to rejoice and breathe after the continued domination of Max Verstappen.
Sainz’ unexpected win was the only spot in the perfect season of Red Bull which otherwise would’ve meant a 100% win rate for the Milton Keynes team.
What are your predictions about Ferrari’s next season? They’ve extended Charles Leclerc’s contract to 2029 in hopes of another championship, but will they be able to provide him with a competitive car?
