Lewis Hamilton has been advised to abandon any hopes of contending for the F1 2024 title, as Red Bull simulator driver Jake Dennis cautions that it might evolve into another unexciting season dominated by Max Verstappen.
In 2023, Red Bull experienced the most commanding season in F1 history, as Verstappen effortlessly secured his third consecutive World Championship, securing a record-breaking 19 victories out of 22 races.
Verstappen has triumphed in 44 of the last 66 races, dating back to the commencement of his inaugural title-winning season in 2021. Hamilton, on the other hand, has not secured a victory since the penultimate round of that season in Saudi Arabia.
Despite experiencing their initial winless season since 2011 last year, Mercedes remains optimistic about regaining title-winning form in 2024. Technical director James Allison has disclosed that the team is determined to be in with a shout for both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships.
Allison also asserted that Mercedes has initiated a rather ambitious programme for the new W15 chassis, anticipated to mark a substantial departure from the team's last two cars under F1's ground effect rules.
However, Dennis, who piloted the RB20 car in the opening practice session at the 2023 season finale in Abu Dhabi, anticipates Red Bull and Verstappen to once again dominate in 2024. This expectation is based on the team's full transition to the new RB21 following the Singapore Grand Prix last September.
“We’ve got an extremely fast race car again at the Red Bull team," he told The Mirror
“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.
“I’d be lying if I said we didn’t switch our attention to the 2024 car quite quickly. We didn’t do any development on the 2023 car after Singapore.”
Dennis combines his responsibilities at Red Bull with his racing engagements in Formula E, having been crowned World Champion with F1 aspirants Andretti in the previous season.
The Nuneaton-born sensation is optimistic that Verstappen's supremacy in F1 will encourage additional fans to gravitate towards Formula E in pursuit of more thrilling racing experiences.
“It’s so dominant from Max right now, it really brings new viewers to Formula E. It brings our Championship alive because we just don’t have that – we have a championship which is extremely difficult and close," he said.
“We have 20 cars within two or three seconds on certain tracks, so it’s a lot more exciting and a lot more enjoyable for the fans, I would say.
“We just need to branch out there to a bigger audience for Formula E and get plenty of exposure, which is what is needed for the championship to take it to the next level.”
