Max Verstappen expects 'not stupid' F1 rivals to take a step closer in 2024

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen — Photo: © LAT Images

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Verstappen expects 'not stupid' F1 rivals to take a step closer in 2024

He believes he may have a few more battles next season

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Sunday 24 December 2023 10:57

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Three-time world champion Max Verstappen is not expecting the level of dominance that he and Red Bull had in 2023 to repeat itself, saying that his rivals are likely to get closer.

The Dutchman won 19 races throughout the year, breaking multiple Formula 1 records and destroying all other competition to his world championship crown.

While Red Bull were challenged at a few races, including at the Singapore Grand Prix where they lost out to Carlos Sainz, their rivals came and went throughout the season, almost all of them suffering with inconsistent performances.

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Heading into 2024, Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Aston Martin will all be hoping that they can become regular challengers for race victories, and may even be hopeful of challenging Red Bull for the constructors' championship.

Max Verstappen cruised to a third successive world championship in 2023

Max Verstappen claimed 19 race wins in 2023, including 10 in a row

Carlos Sainz was the only man to beat Red Bull in a main race in 2023

Red Bull rivals' path to success

Verstappen himself is wary of this fact, suggesting that his team will need a good start to keep them all behind the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

"The rivals are not stupid, in fact they are everyone learning," he told the Chequered Flag podcast.

"If the regulation remains stable for a long time, the grid will get closer and closer to us.

"Everyone will understand what the right path to success is. We got off to a good start straight away in 2023, but I expect the others to come close in terms of performance in 2024."