The 2023 Formula 1 season was a rout, with Red Bull dominating and winning 21 of the 22 races. Max Verstappen rarely looked threatened as he cruised to his third consecutive championship. But as the new 2024 season begins, Red Bull’s rivals are optimistic they can mount a stronger challenge to the reigning champions.

Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Aston Martin are the teams most fancied to take the fight to Red Bull this year. Each spent 2023 playing catch-up but also gathering valuable data to better understand the new technical regulations that were introduced in 2022.

Mercedes in particular struggled in 2022 and 2023 to unlock the performance promised by the new aerodynamic philosophy focused on ground effects. But the team believes its radical redesign for 2024, including a new monocoque and rear suspension, can finally provide the answers. “Catching Red Bull is like climbing Mount Everest,” said team boss Toto Wolff, underlining the enormous challenge but also that it is achievable with the right preparation.

Ferrari emerged as Red Bull’s closest competitor by the end of 2023, albeit still some distance back. New team principal Fred Vasseur has been tasked with ironing out the operational issues that prevented Ferrari from maximizing its race pace and converting pole positions into wins more often.

McLaren made massive strides in 2023 with in-season upgrades and hope the upward trajectory continues at the same rate in 2024, aided by input from recent high-profile technical hires.

And Aston Martin showed flashes of promise early in 2023 before losing its way. But the team is optimistic that with its new factory now operational, lessons learned in 2023 can translate into a more consistent challenge in 2024.

Of course, Red Bull will be pushing to extend its advantage, having prioritized development for this year while rivals played catch-up in 2023. The technical regulations remain stable through 2025, offering a window for the chasing pack to reel in the world champions – but that is easier said than done against the mighty Red Bull team.

The new season kicked off last weekend in Bahrain with Verstappen winning by 22 seconds over second place and fellow RB teammate Sergio Perez. While the other teams will look to play catch up it would appear Red Bull is on their way to another dominate year in 2024!