Formula 1 Season Preview/What to expect.
As the start of the 2023 Formula 1 season approaches, fans and pundits alike are eagerly anticipating what is sure to be an exciting year of racing. With the preseason testing now complete, teams and drivers are ready to head to Bahrain for the opening race of the season. In this season preview, we will take a look at the key storylines to watch out for as the season unfolds and what to expect from each team.
Mercedes
As an eight-time constructors’ champions, Mercedes are one of the teams to contend with this season. The team has retained their formidable driver lineup of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, and the car looks to be quicker after pre season testing compared to the 2022 season. However, there are some concerns about reliability. Still, Mercedes is expected to be at the front of the field and will likely be the team to beat.
Red Bull: full Red Bull Racing RBPT
Red Bull, led by superstar driver Max Verstappen along side teammate Sergio Perez, is expected to mount a serious challenge to Ferrari and Mercedes this season. The team has been working hard over the winter to retain the title of reigning champions, and the RB19 looks to be a significant improvement over last year’s car. With Verstappen hungry for another championship title, expect Red Bull to be fighting for race wins and podiums throughout the season.
Ferrari
After a disappointing 2022 season, Ferrari will be hoping to bounce back in 2023. The teams driver lineup for the season will remain Charles Leclerc who is paired with Carlos Sainz Jr. in the hopes of reinvigorating the team’s fortunes. The car looks to be a step forward, but it’s unclear if it will be enough to challenge Mercedes and Red Bull. Expect Ferrari to be fighting for podiums and the occasional race win, and no doubt they are well in for the title challenge.
McLaren: full McLaren Mercedes
McLaren had a strong 2022 season, finishing fifth in the constructors’ championship behind rivals Alpine in fourth, and they will be hoping to build on that setback this year. The team has a solid driver lineup in Lando Norris and new intake Oscar Piastri replacing Daniel Ricciardo who couldn’t deliver up to mclarens expectations and is now left without a seat in Formula 1, and the car looks to be competitive once again. However, they will face stiff competition from the likes of Aston Martin and Alpine, so they will need to be on their A game to secure a top-three finish in the championship.
Aston Martin: full Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes
Aston Martin, formerly Racing Point, had a tough 2022 season, finishing seventh in the constructors’ championship. The teams driver lineup consists of former Alpine driver Fernando Alonso replacing now retired Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll, and the car looks to be a strong package this season. With Alonso looking to bounce back now that he feels he is seated in a more competitive car and Stroll continuing to improve, expect Aston Martin to be a force to be reckoned with in 2023.
Alpine: full Alpine Renault
Alpine, formerly Renault, had a solid 2022 season, finishing fourth in the constructors’ championship ahead of long-time rivals McLaren. The team’s driver lineup consists of New Intake from AlphaTauri Pierre Gasly replacing Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon, and the car looks to be a step forward from last year’s model. However, they will face stiff competition from McLaren and Aston Martin, so it may be difficult for them to improve on their 2023 finish.
Williams: full Williams Mercedes
Williams had difficult 2022 seasons, finishing in the bottom spot in the constructors’ championship. However, the team has undergone significant changes over the winter, with a driver lineup consisting of Alexander Albon and new intake Logan Sargeant replacing Nicholas Latifi. It’s unclear if they will be able to improve on last year’s performances, but they will be hoping to make progress and move up the grid.
Haas: full Haas Ferrari
Haas had a rather competitive and productive 2022 season with a driver line up of Kevin Magnussen who replaced the russian rookie Nikita Mazepin whose contract was abruptly terminated as a result of the rising war between Russia and Ukrain as at the time, alongside Mick Schumacher, son of the legendary seven-time Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher. They were able to finish two spots from the bottom for the first time in many years, which can be assumed to be as a result of a significant restructure, including the appointment of former Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn as a consultant to help with their long-term strategy. The team are becoming a force to be reckoned with and only time will tell in this coming 2023 season.
Alfa Romeo: full Alfa Romeo Ferrari
Alfa Romeo had a tough 2022 season, finishing sixth in the constructors’ championship. The teams driver lineup consists of Valterri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, and the car looks to be a strong package this season. With Bottas also. looking to bounce back and Zhou continuing to improve, expect Alfa Romeo to be a force in 2023.
AlphaTauri: full Scuderia AlphaTauri RBPT
AlphaTauri is a Formula 1 team that has consistently improved over the past few years in the 2022 season momentum stalls and loses ground to the likes of Alfa Romeo and Haas, dropping to P9 in the final constructors’ championship standings, with just 35 points to 2021’s tally of 142. Pierre Gasly took the season’s best result with a fifth place in Baku, but departed the squad at the end of the year making the new driver lineup Nyck De Vries and Yuki Tsunoda. Come this 2023 season with new talents and old ones looking to prove themselves worthy to retain their seats AlphaTauri are another team to watch very closely as of pre season testing they have started proving to be worthy of a championship.
Overall, the 2023 Formula 1 season looks to be an exciting one, with Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari all looking to fight for the championship. Alpine, McLaren, Aston Martin and Alfa Romeo going into the battle of the mid fields. And lets not forget the likes of Haas, AlphaTauri and Williams who will be competing to move up the championship ladder.
