The Red Bull Racing team celebrate in the Pitlane after the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on November 26, 2023 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Mark Thompson | Getty Images)
Red Bull Racing in 2023
Coming off a dominant season in 2022, which saw Red Bull Racing pick up the Formula 1 World Constructors Championship, the goal for 2023 was to go back-to-back in the WCC and pick up their first one-two World Drivers Championship finish.
Red Bull Racing entered the 2023 F1 season with the same lineup as the previous two years. The team was, once again, led by the reigning two-time WDC champion, Max Verstappen. His teammate, Sergio Perez, hoped to continue his rise to becoming a consistent race-winning contender in 2023.
Even before the season started, Red Bull Racing announced that beginning in 2026, with the upcoming changes in engine regulations, they would be switching to Ford as their engine supplier. However, their goal was still to win with Honda in the meantime.
Immediately in the first four races of the season, Verstappen and Perez exchanged wins in what was shaping up to be a title fight between both Red Bull drivers. However, as the season progressed, the two-time WDC would clear away from the field and his faltering teammate to secure the 2023 WDC and WCC before the season was completed.
2023 was a record-setting year for Red Bull as the team tied and broke a record set by the 1988 McLaren team by winning their 12th race in a row at the Hungarian Grand Prix. This record extended to 15 consecutive races won before Carlos Sainz and Ferrari snapped the winning streak at the Singapore Grand Prix.
As the winners of 19 out of 21 races, Red Bull only had flaws in their inconsistent second driver who was unable to challenge Verstappen. This is an obstacle that they hope to overcome in 2024.
Max Verstappen (First in points with 575 points)
By the time the checkered flag flew for Verstappen’s 19th victory of the season at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, he had broken multiple records that many thought were impossible to break. He had not only passed over a thousand laps led in a single season, matching the 1988 McLaren pair of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost at 1,003 laps, but he was the only competitor on the grid who completed every lap of competition in 2023.
By the end of the year, Verstappen had out-placed his teammate at the checkered flag 20-2. Starting from the fifth race of the season at the Miami Grand Prix, he would then click off 10 wins in a row, ending at the Italian Grand Prix, breaking Sebastian Vettel’s record of nine wins in a row. And even after his worst finish of the year of fifth at the Singapore Grand Prix, he would win the remaining races, putting him third on the all-time wins list in F1 at 54 Grand Prix victories.
Verstappen also ended the year out-qualifying his teammate 20-2, garnering 12 pole positions. He started as low as 15th at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix (a race he would ultimately finish second in) and 11th at the Singapore Grand Prix.
Even after securing his third consecutive WDC on a Saturday after the Qatar Sprint Race, Verstappen’s point totals set even more records by the end of the year. By the time it was all said and done, he had set a record of 575 points, as well as another record of a difference of 290 points between first and second in the standings.
Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB19 performs donuts on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on November 26, 2023 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Clive Rose | Getty Images)
Sergio Perez (Second in points with 285 points)
2023 started as perfectly as possible for Perez and Red Bull, having traded Grand Prix victories with his teammate in the first four races. Despite looking to put up the best fight possible for the WDC, the season quickly unraveled for him. Starting on the streets of Monaco ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, Perez struck the barriers and became a non-factor through the rest of the weekend. A string of poor qualifying efforts regulated Perez to the back of the field, allowing Verstappen to pull ahead of him and the rest of the grid.
Perez out-placed his teammate on track only twice in all of 2023, and both were his race victories. One came on the course in Jeddah at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and the other on the streets of Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Once he finally righted the ship mid-way through the season, Perez could only focus on securing second place in the driver’s championship.
Perez also out-qualified his teammate only twice throughout the year, and both came in the two races he won. His consistent weak point throughout 2023 was qualifying. Getting knocked out in the first or second rounds of qualifying put Perez at the back for the Grand Prix while his teammate started up front. But heading into 2024, Perez is focused on having better Saturdays, leading to better Sundays and a chance to race for the WDC.
Race winner Sergio Perez of Mexico and Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrates in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan at Baku City Circuit on April 30, 2023 in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Photo by Mark Thompson | Getty Images)
Looking ahead to 2024
As dominant as Red Bull Racing’s 2023 was, one might think there is not much that they can improve upon outside of completing a clean sweep and breaking even more records in 2024. However, there is always room for improvement. Red Bull’s outing in Singapore showed weakness in the team, especially at bumpy tracks in extremely low-speed sections. The team hopes to fix those issues and create a more complete car for the upcoming season.
Red Bull has set the benchmark for the previous two seasons and an equally high mark for themselves entering 2024. However, behind them are Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, and Aston Martin, all looking to take the top spot on the podium.
