By Alan Baldwin
(Reuters) – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is targeting a third successive Formula One title, rivals Ferrari have a new boss and Las Vegas brings a third U.S. race to the party this season.
Can Mercedes’ seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton add to his record tally of 103 victories?
There are plenty of storylines to the season that starts in Bahrain on March 5. The following looks at some of them.
TRIPLE MAX
Verstappen will start as favourite for a third title in a row. The Dutch driver won 15 races last year. How many can he bag this time? And can team mate Sergio Perez get closer to him?
NEW BOSSES
Four of the 10 teams have new principals since 2022.
Fred Vasseur has replaced Mattia Binotto at Ferrari, joining from Sauber/Alfa Romeo in January.
McLaren’s Andreas Seidl has joined Sauber, appointing Alessandro Alunni Bravo to what is effectively a principal role, with Andrea Stella stepping up at McLaren while James Vowles moved from a strategy role at Mercedes to boss of Williams.
FERRARI
Can Vasseur bring a title to Maranello for the first time since the 2008 constructors’ championship?
The Frenchman’s arrival has drawn comparisons with compatriot Jean Todt, who led the team through a golden era with Michael Schumacher in the early 2000s.
NEW FACES
There are three rookies on the grid.
Australian Oscar Piastri joined McLaren in controversial circumstances after a contract dispute with Alpine while Nyck de Vries has replaced Pierre Gasly (now with Alpine) at Red Bull-owned AlphaTauri.
Logan Sargeant will meanwhile be making his debut at Williams as the first grand prix racer from the United States since Alexander Rossi in 2015.
OLD FACES
Nico Hulkenberg starts his comeback at Haas, his first full season drive since 2019, with the German still chasing a first podium finish after 179 starts.
Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, now 41, and Hamilton, 38, are the oldest drivers. Can either become the first driver to win a race after reaching the milestone of 300 starts? Alonso has made 355, Hamilton 310.
LAS VEGAS
Las Vegas promises to be the big and brash event of the year with a Saturday night race on the Strip in November as the penultimate round of the season and the hype in over-drive.
Formula One’s popularity in America is already surging thanks to Netflix series ‘Drive to Survive’.
NEW TEAMS
Andretti Cadillac are seeking to become the 11th team on the grid from 2026. Will the sport let them in?
MERCEDES
Mercedes, champions eight years in a row, had a tough 2022 with a ‘porpoising’ car that proved hard to handle. Can they close the gap to Red Bull and Ferrari?
NEW DEAL
Hamilton is out of contract at the end of the year and talks on a new one have started. He will be asked about it regularly.
SPEAKING OUT
The governing FIA has tweaked the rules on drivers making political, personal and religious statements. How will they and the stewards react?
DANIEL RICCIARDO
Is he gone for good from the grid or will he be back in 2024 after signing on as Red Bull reserve? This one could run and run.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Christian Radnedge)
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