A Red Bull development driver has warned Sir Lewis Hamilton and the rest of the Formula One grid that his team and Max Verstappen will likely dominate the 2024 season.
After a very impressive but also very dull 2023, fans are hoping that this year will provide much more entertainment in regards to the title race.
Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Aston Martin all ran pretty close last season but none could hold a flame to Red Bull, who won 21 of the 22 races, with 19 of those going to Verstappen.
And unfortunately for those who don’t support the Dutchman, 2024 could be more of the same.
That is according to Jake Dennis, who has been testing the new RB20 car on the simulator, having made his F1 debut for Red Bull during practice at last season’s finale in Abu Dhabi.
‘We’ve got an extremely fast race car again at the Red Bull team,’ the 28-year-old told the Mirror.
‘I would expect us to become Champions again, unless someone like Ferrari or Mercedes somehow manages to find about a second [per lap] overnight.
‘I think it’s going to be quite a dull season in Formula 1 with Max probably dominating.
‘I’d be lying if I said we didn’t switch our attention to the 2024 car quite quickly. We didn’t do any development on the 2023 car after Singapore.’
This certainly isn’t want Hamilton and co. want to hear, nor do fans who have scarcely been treated to a close title fight over the past few years.
F1 2024 odds:
Drivers’ Championship:
Max Verstappen – 1/4
Lando Norris – 13/2
Lewis Hamilton – 11/1
Oscar Piastri – 20/1
Charles Leclerc -20/1
Constructors’ Championship:
Red Bull – 2/7
McLaren – 11/2
Mercedes – 7/1
Ferrari – 9/1
Aston Martin – 33/1
As well as being a Red Bull team member, Dennis is also the reigning Formula E champion, with the new season of all-electric series already up and running.
And the British driver admits that he’s hopeful for another ‘dull season’ as it could drive more fans toward his motorsport, adding: ‘It’s so dominant from Max right now, it really brings new viewers to Formula E.
‘It brings our championship alive because we just don’t have that – we have a championship which is extremely difficult and close.
‘We have 20 cars within two or three seconds on certain tracks, so it’s a lot more exciting and a lot more enjoyable for the fans, I would say.
‘We just need to branch out there to a bigger audience for Formula E and get plenty of exposure, which is what is needed for the championship to take it to the next level.’
The 2024 season gets underway on 2nd March with the Bahrain Grand Prix.
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