“It will take too long” - Schumacher dismisses Ferrari's title chances in 2023

Red Bull took a dominant 1-2 finish in Bahrain, with Max Verstappen cruising to another victory.

It now means Verstappen has won 15 of the last 20 races in F1.

Red Bull’s nearest competitor was Fernando Alonso, who finished 38 seconds off the lead, highlighting how dominant Red Bull were in Bahrain.

Ferrari saw Charles Leclerc retire from the race on Lap 40 with an engine-related issue, while Carlos Sainz was only fourth.

Schumacher - who raced in F1 between 1997 and 2007 - fears that 2023 will be a “relatively boring season”.

“I don’t think so,” Schumacher told Formel1 when asked if Ferrari could challenge for the title.

“I think it will take too long [to close the gap] and that Red Bull will time is already out of the picture unless, of course, there is technical bad luck.

“I would like it, but I fear that this will be a relatively boring season. It will revolve around two fighting teammates.”

Even though Aston Martin started the season strongly, Schumacher doubts they will be able to consistently compete at the front of the field because they’re a “young team”.

“I’m sure there will be races where they can’t get all the potential out of the tyres,” he added. “We must not forget that it is still a relatively young team.

“In addition, even Alonso cannot do everything with that car. They have to compete against an experienced Red Bull.

“That team has grown due to the battle with Mercedes . That process is ahead for Aston Martin.

“What I noticed was that Alonso was very strong at the end of the race with less fuel. The potential is there.”