Is the F1 audience leaving? 'Red Bull dominance could become a problem'

Another win for Red Bull Racing and in this case (probably) with Max Verstappen. Recently, Formula 1 has been fairly predictable due to the Austrian team's huge power differential compared to the competition. According to Johnny Herbert, former F1 driver and now analyst of OLBG, that could start to have harsh consequences for the sport.

At the last three Grands Prix, no other car was in the lead but a Red Bull. Meanwhile, the Austrians have won all races in 2023, even the sprint race in Azerbaijan. The fans of Max Verstappen and perhaps to a slightly lesser extent Sergio Perez probably think it is all fine. The neutral motorsport viewer - who likes to see some excitement - may think differently.

'Red Bull in complete control'

"If you look at the Netflix and America coming on board we have had a couple of years where we have had a fight on our hands [between different teams]," says the former Sky Sports pundit. "Ferrari were in the mix last year but then it went awry. This year Red Bull are in complete control. If there is a threat that people might turn off because it is predictable then yes, Red Bull’s domination could be a problem."

Herbert himself would like to see a bit more variety up front. The former driver, who won three Grands Prix, says: "It is not what I want. I want others to have that chance to take it to Verstappen. We are not seeing that. There is always that being predictable could lead people to switch off."

Ferrari and Hamilton at the front?

Also in Montreal, the reigning world champion is by far the favourite for victory. Herbert expects most of the opposition is likely to come from Ferrari, as the Italian team, in his view, has the fastest car with the most potential, that unlike Mercedes. On the other hand, the former Le Mans 24-hour winner also points out that Lewis Hamilton traditionally performs well at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.