Adrian Newey plays a crucial role in determining the outcome of the game

Jean Alesi, a former Ferrari driver, has stated that the success of this year’s world championship will depend on the performance of the individuals working behind the scenes, rather than the highly-regarded drivers such as Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, and Lewis Hamilton.

In 2021, the championship was a highly competitive and exciting race between Red Bull and Mercedes, with the winner not being determined until the final lap of the last race of the season.

In the previous year, Red Bull faced early reliability issues which allowed Ferrari to secure victory in two of the first three races of the season, this gave Leclerc a substantial lead over Verstappen in the points standings.

However, Red Bull quickly recovered from their early setbacks and Verstappen went on to win an impressive 15 races during the season, ultimately securing his second championship with ease.

According to Alesi, this year’s key battle will be between Red Bull’s chief technical officer, Adrian Newey, and his counterparts at Mercedes and Ferrari, as to who can gain and maintain the advantage throughout the season.

“Red Bull is currently the leader in Formula 1 and is incredibly strong in every field,” Alesi said in an interview with the Italian publication Autosprint this week.

“If we take a closer look at the situation, the real deciding factor is Adrian Newey. Ever since Formula 1 introduced new regulations and gave engineers more freedom, Newey has been making a significant impact,” Alesi said in an interview with Italian publication Autosprint this week.

“Newey has become a crucial element, as he is able to constantly improve the car throughout the season, even if it’s just small changes, more than any other engineer,” Alesi said in an interview with Italian publication Autosprint this week.

However, Alesi also believes that Mercedes would regain its form this year after a poor performance in 2022, due to the detrimental effect of excessive “porpoising” on the W13’s performance.

“Mercedes is getting stronger, especially after George Russell’s victory in Brazil,” Alesi said. “I don’t think they will make the same mistake twice in designing a car.”

This would mean that Ferrari will face a double challenge this season, as Frédéric Vasseur takes over as team principal at Maranello following the departure of Mattia Binotto in December.

Last year, Formula 1 introduced significant changes to its technical rules and regulations. This year, there are fewer changes, mainly concerning the underfloor, which limits the scope for teams to make development improvements.

“In the end, the gains will be small. That’s why I believe the battle will not be between Verstappen and Leclerc, but fundamentally between Newey and Ferrari,” Alesi said.

“If he again manages to come up with a masterpiece, it will be very difficult for Ferrari and the other teams again this year,”

“On the other hand, if this year’s Red Bull car has any weakness or fragility, things could change,”

“Regardless of the outcome, it is important to remember that Newey plays a crucial role in determining success or failure.” Jean Alesi concluded.

Adrian Newey plays crucial Adrian Newey plays crucial

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