Despite starting the season on a low, Red Bull and Max Verstappen put up one of the most dominant displays F1 has ever seen. As they, for the most part, went uncontested by Mercedes, the going got easier. However, as Silver Arrows took home victory in Brazil, F1 pundits have warned Max Verstappen of the looming Lewis Hamilton threat next year.

The threat from Ferrari in the initial stages of 2022 waned off pretty quickly. Mercedes, for the first time in many years, looked toothless as well. However, as they introduced the final amendments to the car ahead of the weekend in the US, the pace picked up. Not only did they win the penultimate race at Interlagos, but they also took the perfect 1-2 podium finish.

Lewis Hamilton itching to bounce back

Before 2022, Lewis Hamilton never had a winless season. Staying away from the top spot is not something we know him for and with the way Mercedes has performed of late, we can never rule out a comeback for the Briton.

Discussing the next year’s prospects with Simon Lazenby while reviewing the 2022 season, Sky Sports F1 pundit, Karun Chandhok said, “It’s [Hamilton/Russell] the best driver lineup on the grid, isn’t it Simon? They are the best pairing on the grid.”

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Simon Lazenby too believed 2023 could well be round 2 to the epic 2021 battle between Hamilton and Max Verstappen. “Next year, from a neutral perspective if Mercedes are back at the level of Red Bull, ding dong round two, isn’t it?” he asked.

1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve also thinks Hamilton could bounce back next year. In his Formule 1 column, he wrote, “Next year I expect a lot from Lewis Hamilton, we are going to see the best Lewis yet.”

“He ended the season without a pole position or a victory. That will have done something to him, I think.”

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On top of the Mercedes threat, Red Bull will also have to cope with the cost cap sanctions. The reduction of wind tunnel time could prove costly for the Milton-Keynes-based outfit’s car development.

Christian Horner warns team Red Bull against resting on their laurels

After breaching the budget cap in 2021, Red Bull were slapped with a $7 million fine and had their wind tunnel time reduced by 10%. Team boss Christian Horner called the punishment ‘draconian’ and urged his team to pull up their socks.

As per GPFans, he said, “You learn in this business never to expect a quiet life, especially when you are running at the front.”

“Never be complacent about winning and enjoy every result, enjoy every victory and enjoy every moment because it is so well earned and it means so much that they should never be underestimated.”

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It will be interesting to see how much of a threat Lewis Hamilton and cost cap sanctions will pose for Red Bull next year. Some competition, from any quarter, will surely be welcomed by the fans.