Take a look into this Formula 1 crystal ball and imagine, if you will, the following scenario: we’re approaching the dying seconds of the qualifying hour, under the floodlights at the Bahrain season opener. On the timing screens there is a shock. Both Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc occupy third and fourth places, but the surprise is the large deficit they have to the leaders.
Both are over a second slower than the two Mercedes ahead of them. After a season in the doldrums, the brand-new W14 is now the class of the field. The front row is set to belong to the Silver Arrows and emerging from the garage, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell set off for their final qualifying runs. One of them is guaranteed to take pole position for the first round of the 2023 season – but who
