Mercedes STAR and fan FAVOURITE among drivers who MUST improve after summer break

Formula is preparing to return this weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort and there will be plenty of drivers looking for redemption.

The title race is all but over already with Max Verstappen winning 10 out of the 12 races so far this season, and he's not the only driver to be on fire this season.

On the other hand, a number of drivers on the F1 grid know they need to up their game after what could been seen as disappointing starts to the season.

We take a look at three drivers who could do with a boost in performance as the summer break ends.

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Kevin Magnussen

Arguably the most disappointing driver of 2023 so far, Kevin Magnussen's F1 future could be on the line if he doesn't buck his ideas up.

The Dane dominated Mick Schumacher in 2022, causing Haas to get rid of the German and bring in Nico Hulkenberg instead.

Two years on the sidelines for 'The Hulk' hasn't quashed any of his speed and Magnussen has been swamped all year, really struggling in the Haas.

If he can't get back to his 2022 form, the Dane might find himself under threat of an early F1 exit.

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Daniel Ricciardo

This might seem harsh given he has only done two races but there is no question that the Australian needs to up his levels when F1 returns.

Ricciardo has his sights set on a Red Bull return further down the line but he won't get there by failing to beat Yuki Tsunoda, who has shown flashes of promise in amongst a pretty ordinary season himself.

As an eight-time race winner, Ricciardo should be comfortably beating his relatively inexperienced team-mate on a weekly basis, if he has any hope of getting back to the big time.

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George Russell

On the face of things, Russell is doing ok with a Mercedes which can be excellent one week and average the next.

But Lewis Hamilton has upped his game from 2022, when he gave Russell an easy ride thanks to some radical setup gambles.

The 25-year-old is starting to be put under pressure for the first time by his seven-time world champion team-mate, and now is the time to fight back if he wants to be the main man at Mercedes when Hamilton retires.

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