It’s that time of the year again! summer? Not just that! F1 is back for 2023. In fact, the 2023 season has already somewhat begun as the teams have just wrapped up the final days of testing at the Bahrain GP circuit.
With testing wrapped up the next event is the start of the season itself, which is slated to be on March 5, 2023, also taking place in the Bahrain GP Circuit.
If you’re an avid F1 fan you’ll know that 2022 was quite the spectacular season, but 2023 is when things will get more interesting. Here’s what we think will go down.
Ferrari vs. Red bull vs.?
The story of 2022 was the titanic battle between the Scuderia (Ferrari) and Red Bull. While the former started the season strong, they eventually struggled to stay consistent and suffered internal issues along the way. Red Bull eventually found their stride after a few reliability concerns to take both Drivers and Constructors championships in 2022.
For 2023 we know Ferrari has made some big changes, specifically by axing Mattia Binotto and taking in Fred Vasseur as the new team principal. The goal is to bring in better leadership and stability to the team, and possibly also to appease Ferrari star Charles Leclerc who raced under Vasseur before in Sauber. Based on the results of final testing, the 2023 Ferrari F1 challenger seems to pick up where it left off last year, albeit probably with better reliability. After all, the team’s issues last year were internal and not with the car, so with a better strategy 2023 might just be Ferrari’s year.
Red Bull on the other hand clocked in the fastest time during the whole testing period. This is no surprise given that the team seems to be the only one comfortable with F1’s new regulations. However, coming off the back of a scandalous 2022 season wherein they were found to have breached certain regulations, could their 2023 performance be hampered in the long run? maybe, but with Adrian Newey still heading the technical side, the team is still in legendary hands.
Besides the top two teams who could challenge for wins? Well, based on testing results the third-best team could either fall to Mercedes-Benz or (surprise, surprise) Aston Martin. Mercedes-Benz has been desperately trying to regain its former dominating self, but with a few speed bumps and a cautious approach to testing, it seems that they’re still trying to find the right balance for the 2023 car.
The surprise competitive package seems to be coming from the Aston Martin F1 team who struggled throughout the 2022 season. There was a session during testing where new Aston Martin Driver Fernando Alonso broke into the top three fastest times set. While some might consider it a fluke or a “one-off” there are whispers in the paddock that it’s indicative of the true pace of the Aston Martin 2023 car.
The rest of the F1 field seems to be still playing catch up with the top dogs, but with a long season ahead who knows just who might break through from the mid-field and join the top teams?
And the champion is?
Most of the grid retains the familiar faces present from last season, apart from some new additions. With regard to who will be champion though is still out in the open. Of course, the early favorite will be Max Verstappen but with an eagerness to prove himself Charles Leclerc is on the rise, so it won’t be easy for the defending champ.
Not to mention that the majority of the field is all very talented and should never be counted out, the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Sergio Perez, George Russell, Carlos Sainz, and (dark horse) Fernando Alonso are all eager to join in on the title hunt should they get the right cars.
With a long and tiring season ahead it will all come down to a battle of wits, skills, and ultimately patience to be crowned the 2023 champ. It won’t be easy, but the above-mentioned drivers are ready and hungry.
Fearless forecast
The 2023 season is still all to play for and with F1 normally taking on formulaic and processional characteristics Red Bull and Max Verstappen could end up triple champions at the end. However, if Ferrari and Charles Leclerc find the sweet spot of both the car and team dynamics then it might just be them winning it all. Unfortunately, I believe Mercedes-Benz is still somewhat finding its footing with the new regulations, and apart from a few podiums might even eke out a handful of surprise wins this F1 season.
