F1 | Alesi: “It will be a battle between Newey and Ferrari, not between Verstappen and Leclerc”

Last season ended in the name of Red Bull and Max Verstappen, with the Milton Keynes team and the Dutchman dominating the scene (especially in the second half of the championship) winning their respective world championship crowns. A year, 2022, which saw the Anglo-Austrian single-seater recover the initial gap from Ferrari by making the right changes and updates that made the difference.

He discussed the new season, and the battles that should characterize it Jean Alesi. The former Ferrari driver in fact wanted to underline the work he will see in action Adran Newey. With the introduction of the new regulation, which brought ground effect single-seaters back onto the track, the English designer was once again unmatchable for the competition as 2022 demonstrated.

Alesi himself, speaking about the contribution that Newey will give to the new Red Bull, admitted that it will be a battle between the engineer himself and Ferrari, overshadowing a possible fight between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. Words, similar in substance, to those pronounced by Fernando Alonso a decade ago. The Spaniard, when he was a Cavallino driver, attributed most of the successes in Milton Keynes more to the work of Newey than to Vettel's handle.

“If we really look at how things are, the real factor to consider is Adrian Newey – declared Alesi, interviewed by Autosprint – Since F1 announced that there were new rules and the engineers were given freedom, Newey did the difference. Newey has become the decisive factor, because he is capable like no one else of continuing to improve the car during the season, even if it is only small changes. In the end, however, they are small gains."

Alesi, completing his analysis, then added: “This is why I don't think it will be a battle between Verstappen and Leclerc, but fundamentally between Newey and Ferrari. If he comes out with a masterpiece again, everything will be very difficult this year too. However, if this year's Red Bull has something fragile, things could change. In any case, let's not forget that, whether things go well or badly, Newey is a fundamental factor in winning or losing."