FORMULA 1 SINGAPORE GP LEWIS HAMILTON RUMOURS

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F1 season resumes: THESE are our boldest predictions!

13:00, 22 Aug 2023

byGPblog.com

The second half of the season is now upon us: this Sunday, the F1 season resumes with the Dutch Grand Prix. Before the drivers return to the track, GPblog 's editors look ahead to the second half of the season. They predict what could just happen in the coming Grands Prix.

Matt Gretton (UK)

"The Las Vegas Grand Prix will live up to its hype and actually be the best race of the season. Just like some of the years during Lewis Hamilton's period of dominance, we need something external to happen, like switching on the sprinklers as Bernie Ecclestone once suggested. We've had lots of rain in the 2023 F1 season, but that hasn't troubled Red Bull either. Instead, we'll have to wait until the ice cold temperatures in Las Vegas. With qualifying starting at midnight in the second half of November, temperatures could be down to 5c and the Grand Prix weekend could be in contention to be the coldest ever. If anything is going to produce some drama at the front, that's surely it? Getting heat into the tyres will be a unique challenge for the drivers, especially in qualifying or on lap one."

Norberto Mujica (SPA)

"With Red Bull stopping development on the RB19, and Mercedes and Aston Martin still continuing to develop their current challengers, it is not ludicrous to think that Perez will fail yet again to give Red Bull their first 1-2 in the World Driver's Championship, with Max Verstappen looking set to wrap up his third World Championship as early as September in what has been as dominant a season for the Dutchman as we have ever seen in modern Formula One. In fact, Perez has been the only weakness shown by the otherwise utterly dominant Austrian team, with mistakes, inconsistency and his inability to come to full terms with the RB19, being the Mexican driver's most obvious areas of opportunity, which might just be enough to allow his pursuers, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, to reel him in and surpass him, ripping the very much desired 1-2 in the Driver's standings from Red Bull's grasp."

Ludo van Denderen (NL)

"Max Verstappen and Red Bull are too strong to even expect this success combination not to win all the remaining Grands Prix. These days, F1 cars are so reliable that crashes are no longer as frequent as, say, a decade ago. If Verstappen stays out of contention at the starts, it is not crazy to think he will at least finish all the remaining races, and given his strength is usually going to be the best. On the contrary, in the sub-top and midfield, the differences between them are small and the stakes are high. That is going to produce another big starting crash this season, forcing a number of (sub)top finishers to abandon the race early on. There hasn't been a huge surprise on the podium yet this season, so that's why: in that case, a driver from a smaller team like Alfa Romeo or Williams is going to finish very surprisingly on the podium."

Simone Tommasi (IT)

"In the current world championship, we have reached the point where saying Red Bull will not win every race is a bold prediction. So far the Austrians have won all 12 Grands Prix contested and it would seem that nothing can stand between them. I believe, however, also for a pure fact of probability, that between now and the end of the season there will be a failure, an error by the pit wall or the two drivers, or even simply an underwhelming race for Red Bull which will cause them to lose out. However, it is neither Ferrari nor Mercedes that will take advantage of this, but McLaren. While the two 'big teams' of Formula 1 have never seemed able to challenge Verstappen this season, the British team has made enormous progress before the summer break and in the past few GPs Norris and Piastri have seemed to me to be the only ones to have that little bit extra to beat, even if perhaps helped by a bit of luck, Max Verstappen and his Red Bull."

Oliver d'Arcy (UK)

"Lando Norris went into the summer break as one of the most in-form drivers on the grid. Since the Canadian Grand Prix, the 23-year-old amassed 57 points, with the only drivers to win more being the Red Bull pair of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. Those points came from a 4th place in Austria, a brilliant second place at his home race at Silverstone, which he repeated at the Hungary Grand Prix, and then a 6th and 7th place in the Sprint race and main race at the Belgian Grand Prix, respectively. If Norris can keep these superb results up, a top-five finish will be well and truly in sight"

Anouck Muller (FRA)

"For this second part of the season, I would like to think that surprises await for us. However, I can see a season with 100 percent of the wins belonging to Red Bull. Indeed, Max and Red Bull will still beat all records. In my opinion, if you want to dominate, you might as well do it in style. This year, as Helmut Marko said, “Being second behind Max is like a win.” So let’s focus on the fight for second. Aston Martin have already shown us everything for this year. The second and third place will be between McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari. For Alpine, unfortunately, I do not see their big summer cleaning work in their favour. The drivers in danger and to watch are for me Magnussen, Zhou and Sargeant, who might not go beyond 2023. But we are in F1, anything can happen, and that’s why we love it. But a little less rain wouldn’t be too much to ask."