If you are an F1 enthusiast, you should know a thing or two about the new season, even before it starts. The 2023 F1 season will be the longest in history, thanks to new tracks and the return of the circuits that closed due to Covid 19 restrictions.
Here is what we know about the 2023 Formula 1 season.
The Teams
While no new teams will enter the F1 this season, there is a lot to expect from the existing teams, especially after the new regulations. For example, Mercedes struggled in the previous season despite their success in the previous seasons. So, the new season is an opportunity for the team to improve, and Petronas fans have a lot of optimism for George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.
Other teams to watch include the 2022 F1 World Championship winners, Redbull, and the first runners-up, Ferrari. Teams that had a difficult time last season, like Aston Martin and McLaren, may also want to close the gap with the leading teams.
The Drivers
Last season’s leaders, Red Bull and Ferrari are retaining their line-up this season, with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez for Red Bull and Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc for Ferrari. Mercedes has also retained Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
While Alpha Romeo made a wholesale change last season, their drivers, Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas will remain unchanged this season.
On the other hand, most of the other teams are having major driver changes. For example, Fernando Alonso is set to replace Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin. Alonso’s unexpected move to Aston Martin has left a gap at Alpine, which Pierre Gasly from AlphaTauri will fill.
Nyck de Vries will fill Pierre’s gap at Alpha Tauri. Nyck, a reserve driver at Mercedes, now has a chance to make a full debut this season.
Williams has retained Albon, but they have Logan Sargeant as the replacement for Nicolas Lafiti.
Young Daniel Riccardo also won’t be on the F1 Grid this season but fans hope that he will be back in the 2024 season.
The Rules
Due to the new-generation cars, F1 has introduced some new technical rules to promote safety. Most teams rebelled against these rules, but the World Motor Sport Council approved them on 16th August 2022.
These rules include raising the cars’ floor edges by 15mm, raising the cars’ diffusers’ throats and more stringent lateral deflection tests. Other changes include a revised qualifying format to reduce the number of tyres used at the Grand Prix.
Drivers will only use 11 tires, down from 13, and each season will have a mandatory tyre type — hard tyre for Q1, Medium tyre for Q2 and soft tyre for Q3.
The Races
According to the 2023 F1 calendar, the season will kick off on 5th March in Bahrain and proceed to Saudi Arabia. The Monaco Grand Prix will take place one week after the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
The Belgian Grand Pix follows on 30th July, followed by the Dutch Grand Prix in August. The Last on the list is Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi, both in November.
Changes in races this season include pushing the Belgium Grand Prix forward to August to allow a break after the Dutch and Italian GPs. This season, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will also return to the early spring slot.
Moreover, this year’s season will have three more sprint races to make them six. Fans can experience the new cars and drivers during the pre-season testing stage at the Bahrain International Circuit. This event will take place on 23-25 February.
Written by Stephen Taylor, Propaganda CEO
