2023 Formula One Predictions
With the season opener in Bahrain upon us, Joe, Luke and Tom look ahead and make their predictions for a potentially thrilling 2023 F1 season. In this blog, they each pick out their potential champions, as well as the teams and drivers they expect to overachieve, and underachieve.
Drivers Champion
Joe says…
I expect Max Verstappen to secure his third successive title. Red Bull produced a car worthy of a place amongst the greatest ever last season, and I fully expect them to do so again in 2023. In addition, even if Ferrari and Mercedes have closed the gap, their driver hierarchy isn’t anywhere near as established as Red Bull’s, meaning that Sainz and Leclerc, and Hamilton and Russell may spend the early part of the season taking points away from each other, while Perez is likely to be forced to wave Max through. (In theory, at least. Remember Brazil last season?)
Luke says…
Max Verstappen, easy peasy. It’s hard to see any way that he is beaten this season, I fully expect to see his 2022 dominance continue. He appears to have a car that is more than capable of delivering results again this year and has developed the maturity and racecraft of a true champion.
Tom says…
Max Verstappen just can’t seem to lose at the moment. He was far too dominant last season for me to see anyone being able to lay a glove on him in 2023.
The boys are fairly unanimous in their prediction of Max Verstappen completing the three-peat.
Constructors Champion
Joe says…
I expect Red Bull to win the constructors championship again, but not at the canter they won it last year. Ferrari and Mercedes will have worked hard over the winter to close the gap, but Red Bull got to grips with the new regulations so quickly last year that I can’t see anything other than Mercedes style dominance for the next few years. I feel that a recharged and refreshed Ferrari will pose the biggest threat, but Red Bull’s experience and winning mentality will carry them through once again.
Luke says…
Red Bull. They just don’t have enough competition at the moment, and considering the excitement before testing is actually really disappointing.
Tom says…
It’s hard to look past Red Bull for the constructors. For similar reasons as to why I’m tipping Max for the drivers’ crown, I can only see their impressive form continuing. They were so dominant last season, it would be hugely surprising if anyone else can get close to them.
Everyone is confident that Red Bull have built another rocket ship.
Overachievers
Joe says…
There has been a lot of talk around Aston Martin’s potential after testing, so choosing them would be too obvious! For that reason, I would like to choose a driver who I think will overachieve this season, and I have faith in Nyck De Vries delivering some consistent, if not spectacular results for an Alpha Tauri team that I predict will struggle on the whole.
Luke says…
As a team, it would be Aston Martin. They look really fast and I think they’re going to get a few podiums. As a driver, I think Lando Norris, despite being in a midfield car I can see him sneaking onto the podium on occasion. Given the fact he spent last year plodding around the midfield, people are beginning to disrespect how good he actually is.
Tom says…
Alex Albon drove beyond the capabilities of his car last season and I expect him to do the same this year. He is a solid driver, who fell victim to the Red Bull conveyor belt and was clearly low on confidence after 2020. A year off clearly did him the world of good, and he now appears to be pretty confident behind the wheel, and sounds optimistic about his chances this season.
Underachievers
Joe says…
I believe that McLaren will be a massive disappoitment in 2023. The new regulations seemed to come at the wrong time for them in 2022, as they were just beginning to peak in 2021 with a great third place. With Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes all likely to be consistently strong, and Aston Martin and Alpine extremely confident about their chances, McLaren will be in real danger of regular Q1 exits and scraping around for 10th.
Luke says…
Sergio Perez. Not necessarily because he is a bad driver, but Red Bull’s expectations are notoriously high, and failure to live up to them can cast a shadow on a driver’s future. With Daniel Ricciardo waiting in the wings (pardon the pun), any drop in performance could see Checo out and Danny given an unlikely lifeline back into thee sport.
Tom says…
Lando Norris. I believe that the car will hold him back from delivering his full potential. Norris is now at an age where he is no longer the fresh faced youngster making his name in the sport. With the departure of his more experienced team mate, Lando now finds himself as the senior figure in the team. If the car is not up to scratch, it will be largely down to him to get them back on form. Will the greater expectations hinder his progress?
