F1 2023 Season: Manav’s Predictions
Credit: Mercedes-AMG F1
Formula One and pre-season predictions don’t mix well. I’ve watched 14 full seasons, so I think it’s safe to say I’m no stranger to surprises but also a lot of domination. Having grown up during the domination of Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton directly afterward, I hope we can have a varied and interesting 2023 season. So without further ado, here are my predictions for the upcoming F1 season.
Driver’s Championship Final Standings
World Champion - Max Verstappen
The safe choice for 2023, Max Verstappen dominated most of last year so this should come as no surprise. Despite Red Bull receiving a 10% reduction in aerodynamic testing, I think Verstappen will push the limits of the RB19 and will come out on top.
Although I do think Red Bull will struggle against Mercedes and Ferrari considerably more this year. Verstappen will most likely dominate a few races and will 100% aim to win the title as quickly as possible.
2nd Place - George Russell
After his maiden win last year, I think George will win a few races but will eventually finish a few points behind Max Verstappen. Russell has also displayed his excellent racecraft multiple times across his seasons with Williams and Mercedes so I think he’ll be a difficult opponent on the track this year.
With Brazil 2022 in mind, he is undoubtedly capable of going wheel-to-wheel with Lewis Hamilton and won’t yield without a fight.
3rd Place - Lewis Hamilton
Sir Lewis Hamilton, what a driver. I believe 2023 will be a much more competitive year for the seven-time world champion however I fear that Hamilton will have a subpar start to the season thanks to unreliability and backmarker clashes.
However, I do hope that we get to see more Hamilton/Verstappen battles this year. Hamilton will finish the season with a handful of wins and will pose a great challenge to teammate George Russell.
4th Place - Charles Leclerc
Where will Ferrari go? Nowhere. I don’t think Ferrari will be as competitive as it was last year as Mercedes and an even more determined Red Bull will be much further ahead. With Fred Vasseur replacing the outgoing Mattia Binotto, Leclerc will hopefully gel with the team and create an amazing foundation for the next few years.
Leclerc will win a race or two but will generally chase podiums alongside his teammate.
5th Place - Carlos Sainz
Equally, for Carlos Sainz, I’m not sure whether Ferrari will have the package to challenge Red Bull and Mercedes. The Spaniard will definitely make progress honing his racecraft but will most likely fail to beat his much faster teammate.
However, races like Britain 2022 have shown if Sainz is given a good car and the right conditions, he is able to deliver to the standard Ferrari is accustomed to.
6th Place - Sergio Perez
I think 2023 might be a season to forget for Checo. His tyre management and defensive driving have produced some brilliant performances but he often lacks the overall pace to match his Dutch teammate. Perez has also been under pressure following the signing of Daniel Ricciardo as a third driver.
Perez has since shrugged off the pressure of Ricciardo replacing him but he is probably aware of what Red Bull does to drivers who don’t perform when they’re needed.
7th Place - Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso joining yet another team is nothing new to F1 fans. What is interesting though is that Aston Martin has shown signs of becoming a superpower in F1 and is currently developing its personnel and facilities.
Alonso somehow has the ability to outdrive cars that are hideously slow such as the terrible Ferrari F14 T, the troublesome McLaren MP4-30, and the explosive Alpine A522. I’m sure Nando will have a few surprises up his sleeve.
8th Place - Lando Norris
With 2022 being a disappointing year for Norris and McLaren, I think Lando will be determined to make 2023 a year to remember. He’ll be motivated to beat his younger teammate Oscar Piastri, who has displayed amazing results in previous racing series.
Norris will also want to push McLaren to P4 or higher in the constructors having lost to Alpine last year. I think the Brit will pick up a podium or two and maybe even a pole position.
9th Place - Esteban Ocon
Defeating Fernando Alonso isn’t something many people can say. Ocon has always been an excellent choice for developing a midfield team so Alpine retaining the French driver is a no-brainer. Alpine look in good shape to be at the front of the midfield however I think the French outfit will struggle to keep up with McLaren and will probably fight with teams like Aston Martin and Alfa Romeo.
I think Ocon will get a surprise podium somewhere and will get a few points finishes here and there.
10th Place - Zhou Guanyu
China’s first F1 driver made a great case for himself last year. Despite the various DNFs Zhou and teammate Bottas faced last season, I feel 2023 will be kinder to Alfa Romeo Sauber. Bottas is a proven race winner and is capable of delivering when his team needs him but I think he’ll lose out to his younger and talented teammate who has shown a few examples of his amazing racecraft.
Overall, I think Zhou will have a standard 2023 and will beat Bottas by only a few points.
Potential Surprises and Upsets
Now, I think 2023 will throw up some pretty surprising moments. We’ve got a mixed-up grid with a few tweaks to the cars so we’re not really sure of the pecking order just yet. So here’s what I think could happen this season.
Alpine wins a race
With the current direction Alpine is heading in, I’m sure this might not be too outrageous of a prediction. Both Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon are amazing drivers and proven race winners. Put those two in a fast car and you might have a very successful team. Although Alpine had issues with reliability, they still managed to finish P4 in the constructors which sounds like a good achievement.
However, the points gap between McLaren in P5 would have been much larger had it not been for the dammed water pump which caused Fernando Alonso to retire from a few sessions. Prior to the 2023 car launch, Alpine engine boss Bruno Famin says a revised water pump is coming for 2023 with the hope of making the PU reliable for Alpine.
Alfa Romeo Sauber will get a podium
It seems strange to say that Alfa Romeo Sauber is now within the midfield as a few years back, the team was fighting for almost no points. With two amazing drivers on board, I think either one of them will take advantage of a crazy race and will score a podium for everyone to remember. The Sauber team hasn’t scored a podium since Kamui Kobayashi’s home podium at Suzuka in 2012.
I think the experience of 10-time race winner Valtteri Bottas will shine through this season as it’s something Alfa Romeo Sauber really needs in order to push to the top of the midfield. Zhou Guanyu also makes a great case for a potential podium as the Chinese driver has shown some amazing pace despite his continuous retirements.
Russell and Hamilton will not get on well
I think given the fact that both Russell and Lewis aim to win races and even championships this year, they will collide at one point. Although I don’t think this will happen in the first few races, I suspect that team orders and general pride will mean that the love between the Mercedes boys will fade away this season. Now, what Mercedes pairing does that remind you of? Of course, I don’t think Russell and Hamilton will ever turn out like Rosberg and Hamilton but I can sense that there will be some unfriendly competition at Mercedes this year.
As with any predictions, these are being written before the cars have even started pre-season testing. I’m sure we’ll find the true pecking order in Q1 in Bahrain. Until then, we’ll cover it all here on Race Reaction.
