The Formula 1 2023 season continues with the British Grand Prix at Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire, England. Max Verstappen will head to this historic venue with an 81-point lead in the drivers’ championship, as well as Red Bull leading Mercedes by 377 points in the constructors’ race.
Charles Leclerc has just two podium finishes this year, but SportsLine’s prediction model is backing him to make the top five here. See who else it’s backing below.
What to Expect
There are no great surprises in the 2023 calendar, with most of the usual events making a return. The season starts in the Middle East – Bahrain and Saudi Arabia – before a trip to Asia for Singapore, Malaysia and Japan. Then there’s a trip to the US for Miami and Austin, before F1 heads to the desert for a new race in Las Vegas.
The return of the Chinese GP in 2023 also seems likely, though the ongoing Covid restrictions in the country make a quick return to Beijing seem unlikely. Nevertheless, the new layout at the Shanghai International Circuit means that there’s a chance for some truly spectacular racing.
Having been bottom of the pile in recent years, Williams will need to make a big step forward this year. The team has a talented driver in young American Logan Sargeant, but their financial viability remains in question. Having already lost their CEO and technical director, it’s going to take a lot of resource to turn things around.
It’s also going to be fascinating to see how Nyck de Vries fares with his new team AlphaTauri. The 2020-21 Formula E champion is more mature than the average rookie and has proven his mettle in previous junior categories. He’s got the potential to give the Williams backers a run for their money, but he needs a strong season to do so.
It’s worth noting that Spa-Francorchamps has been saved for 2023, but it’s a temporary reprieve. The Belgian Grand Prix had looked in danger of being dropped, as the sport looks to expand beyond its European heartland. But an agreement was reached to extend the contract for a further year, and negotiations are underway to secure a long-term deal for the iconic race.
Preparation
After one of the biggest overhauls in technical regulations that F1 has ever seen last season, 2023 is a year that promises to bring plenty of intrigue and excitement. There are key driver market changes, a new race in Las Vegas and even an 11th team on the grid with the Andretti family hoping to join the sport.
Red Bull enter 2023 as reigning champions but they will need to fight back against a renewed challenge from Mercedes and Ferrari. Aston Martin are looking to be the surprise package of 2023 after bringing in two-time world champion Fernando Alonso and putting him behind the wheel of the AMR23. Haas have also brought in a major boost with the arrival of former Renault and Force India driver Nico Hulkenberg as a replacement for Kevin Magnussen.
F1’s return to the United States is a hugely exciting prospect and the addition of the all-new Las Vegas Grand Prix will have fans chomping at the bit. The street circuit will run down the famous Strip, past casinos and iconic landmarks, and it’s sure to be a spectacular spectacle.
There is a chance that some teams may have to battle reliability issues this year, particularly on hotter circuits. A small change to the rules for 2023 will allow teams more freedom when it comes to cooling their fuel, which could have a big impact on reliability in warmer races.
In other news, Lewis Hamilton looks to be getting into the groove of his new Mercedes, and is second fastest in this morning’s session. Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda continues to impress for AlfaTauri, with 53 laps under his belt. That is far more than fellow rookie Logan Sargeant, who has just 36 laps to his name.
Practice
After a summer break Formula 1 is back and preparing for its 2023 campaign. Following the most extensive overhaul in technical regulations in recent times, it will be intriguing to see what battles erupt in the field this season. There are also a number of other key changes to note, including key driver market moves and an expanded race calendar.
Max Verstappen will be looking to extend his drivers’ championship lead at the British Grand Prix with Red Bull. He’s currently 81 points clear of Mercedes team-mate Sergio Perez with the Dutchman set to continue his assault on the title from Silverstone.
The 2023 GP calendar is set to feature 23 races. That’s up from this year’s 21 with the additions of Qatar and a race in Las Vegas, which will be held on a Saturday evening to boost US TV coverage.
Following the accident involving Zhou Guanyu last week, the FIA has tightened the requirements for main roll hoop structures. The new rules require the hoop to be capable of withstanding a frontal impact of 15G and a rearward-facing impact of 10G. The FIA is also making it harder for teams to use ‘extreme’ designs, such as the Mercedes front wing which featured a unique shaped connection between endplates and flaps.
Another change is a drop in the minimum weight to 796kg, down two kilograms from 2022. This is in response to fuel temperature issues that plagued the sport last season.
This weekend’s races are all being broadcast live by Sky Sports F1. You can watch the action from the UK at 3pm on Friday, then again from 3pm on Saturday for FP2 and FP3. Sky has near exclusive rights across the United Kingdom so be sure to check out their listings for full details of how to watch.
Qualifying
Qualifying is one of the biggest parts of a Formula 1 weekend and it’s where the grid for Sunday’s race is determined. It takes place in three sessions, Q1, Q2, and Q3. Each session lasts 18 minutes and the top 10 drivers advance to the final qualifying shootout. The driver with the fastest time starts on pole, while those who don’t make it into Q3 are arranged in descending order.
F1 has made some major changes to its weekend format over the last couple of years. For example, sprint races were introduced to spice up certain events by allowing circuits to run their weekends more like those of other sports. This involved having qualifying on Friday, a short Saturday race and the main event on Sunday.
The FIA is also trying out a number of experiments this season that will see the sport change some of its existing rules. After porpoising dominated the headlines in 2022, the governing body has tightened up the rules for this year and is experimenting with a number of changes.
The first of these is an experiment that will see teams only permitted to use specific tyre compounds in qualifying. Pirelli’s Motorsport Director Mario Isola has spoken at length about this and explained how it will work. GPblog will feature an extensive interview with him at the end of the weekend in which he goes into this in more detail and talks about more new tyres, feedback from the drivers and other changes to the calendar for 2023.
The Race
Formula 1 has always been a highly unpredictable sport, and the 2023 season is expected to be no exception. Fans are eager to see how the team and driver dynamics evolve, and it could be a very exciting year with new frontrunners emerging.
Max Verstappen will be aiming for a hat-trick of victories for Red Bull Racing while Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez are both targeting championship success at Mercedes-AMG Petronas. Meanwhile, Lando Norris is hoping to replicate his impressive performance at McLaren, after a tug-of-war that saw him leave Renault and join the Woking outfit.
The calendar has a few changes for the season, with the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix marking the series’ first visit to America. The circuit will weave past world-famous landmarks and casinos while drivers push their luck at breaking points at speeds of up to 212mph.
After the GP in the US, the teams will head to Asia, with Singapore, Japan and Qatar all on the calendar. The season will then re-enter Europe with a double header in Mexico and Brazil before finishing in Abu Dhabi on November 26th.
One of the most intriguing developments this season is the return of the Belgian Grand Prix to the calendar, following a long-held rumour that it might be dropped for 2023. The Circuit of Catalunya will also run without its awkward final chicane, allowing for cars to race in single file through the tight section that featured in Nelson Piquet Jr’s famous deliberate crash to help Fernando Alonso win the 2008 race.
It seems unlikely that Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton will leave the sport, despite being in an unenviable position after failing to win a title last year. However, the paddock consensus is that he will sign a new contract at the German manufacturer to stay on board beyond this season.
