7 winners and a proper title fight: a 2023 F1 season without Verstappen
Max Verstappen's dominance of the 2023 F1 season often overshadowed the midfield battle. With the Dutchman removed from the equation, who would have come out on top?
We are fast approaching mid-season. Yes, I know, time flies. And the older you get the faster it flies. As a lad, my elders would tell me that the days and weeks rush by when you get beyond a certain age. They were right. I simply mention this for the benefit of our more youthful contributors.
Anyway, I thought it might be useful, amusing, or vaguely interesting to look back on my predictions for the season to assess the accuracy, or otherwise, of how things might go this year. You may remember that I suggested 10 things which might happen during, or by the close of, the 2010 season. I will take them in their original order, as I laid out the magic cards on January 4.
1. Hamilton and Alonso will tangle with each other – well, not yet they haven’t. Alonso has been too busy making mistakes on his own.
2. Rossi will win the MotoGP title – no, he won’t, not after his horrendous crash at Mugello last Saturday. Although badly injured, Valentino has – according to the reliable Rick Broadbent in The Times – “discovered a great rapport with morphine”. Blimey.
3. Schumacher will win a race – not yet he hasn’t, but he still can. If only Mercedes could recapture the magic of Brawn GP.
4. Audi will win Le Mans – this time next week we’ll know.
5. Bernie Ecclestone will prepare to retire – no comment.
6. The Renault F1 team will be a shadow of its former self – just plain wrong.
7. Räikkönen will come back to F1 – still think he might. However Red Bull, which had been linked to Kimi, has now signed Webber for another year alongside Vettel.
8. Vettel will move to Mercedes – I think he will eventually.
9. Lotus F1 will be best newcomer – correct so far.
10. Somebody will run out of fuel before the end of a race – well, not yet, but it’s been extremely close on occasion. Virgin should have paid attention here.
OK, not a great result at this juncture you will no doubt be thinking. And you’d be right. But now we’re off to Montréal where anything can happen, and often does. The walls are very close and the grid will be very tight. And then there’s Le Mans – a close-run thing between Peugeot and Audi for sure.
So, while we’re all stunned by the Rossi accident at Mugello and are suddenly acutely aware – by his absence on Sunday – just what a huge amount of excitement he brings to MotoGP, we have lots of other racing to look forward to.
Max Verstappen's dominance of the 2023 F1 season often overshadowed the midfield battle. With the Dutchman removed from the equation, who would have come out on top?
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