Red Bull simulator driver Jake Dennis has told Lewis Hamilton that he will renew his Formula 1 title rivalry with Max Verstappen this year.
The Formula E champion has helped to develop Verstappen’s machine for the new season and doesn’t think Hamilton should get his hopes up for a title tilt in 2024.
When asked via Mirror Sport what F1 enthusiasts can expect from the RB20 after driving the progression car in the simulator, he replied: “We have an incredibly fast race car in the Red Bull team.
“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.”
Red Bull won just one of the 22 races held last year, while its RB19 device swept the festival. Verstappen himself was guilty of 19 of those F1 record-breaking victories.
Their dominance allowed them to launch the RB20 months before any of their rivals could start thinking about their 2024 cars. “I’d be lying if I said we didn’t focus our attention on the 2024 car temporarily enough,” Dennis said. “We haven’t made any progress on the 2023 car after Singapore. “
That race took place in September; Then there were seven more in which Red Bull didn’t even bother to paint their car. And the fact is that they had already moved some progression resources to the RB20 at least a month before.
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It’s a worrying situation for Red Bull’s rivals, who face another season of being unable to battle the reigning champions. Dennis, 28, has been the engine of the team’s progression since 2018 and would like his prediction to come true.
And he has another explanation for why to expect a boring F1 season, as he strives to protect his Formula E name this year. He said: “It’s so dominant from Max at the moment that it’s bringing new audience to Formula E. It brings our championship to life because we just don’t have it – we have an incredibly tough, hard-fought championship. “
“We have 20 cars in two or three seconds on some tracks, so it’s a lot more exciting and fun for the fans, I would say. We just want to expand to a wider audience for Formula E and get a lot more. ” of them. “which is mandatory for the championship to go to the next level.
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