F1 pundit Martin Brundle feels that Max Verstappen will dominate the title battle despite his teammate Sergio Perez challenging him in the 2023 F1 season. The Dutchman is still dominating the field and is miles ahead of any other driver in the championship table.
Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 podcast, Brundle feels Max Verstappen will maintain a consistent performance throughout the season. Moreover, Checo himself admitted that he had not been driving well prior to the 2023 F1 Miami GP. The F1 pundit further explained that the only factor that can stop the reigning world champion is unreliability. He said:
"I think over a season long, I think we all know that Max will turn up all day every day. And on Saturday, he had Sergio saying, 'Look, I'm not driving well.' in his own press release. So, you know, I'm not getting it to get there, and it's indicative of what's going to happen if you look at the points last year because of Max's unreliability issues in the early part of the season and then where it ended up by the end of the season."
Sergio Perez has been closest to Max Verstappen in the 2023 F1 season in terms of points and performance. He is currently only 14 points behind him in the drivers' championship.
Max Verstappen confident of Red Bull's race pace in the 2023 F1 season
Max Verstappen is confident that Red Bull can dominate any race with their unprecedented pace. He understands that some teams and drivers can beat them in qualifying sessions, but they can easily beat them with their race pace. He said:
"I mean, I think we have a decent advantage, especially in the race. I think over one lap in some tracks, definitely some cars will be close or in front, like you could see in Baku. But yeah, that race pace advantage, I think is quite big at the moment."
He also mentioned how Red Bull are bringing in upgrades, just like every other team. That said, the flying Dutchman's odds of bagging his third consecutive world championship in 2023 seem increasingly likely.