We've done it, guys. We've made it through yet another F1 Winter Break. Cars have been revealed and testing is done, which means only one thing - this weekend the racing returns and I don't know about you but I am very hyped for this up and coming season.
Towards the end of last year, I wrote a post about five things I'd like to see happen during the 2023 season. And, although they were just five mere hopes and dreams, it has inspired me to make some more realistic predictions for this Formula One season.
So, what predictions am I going to make exactly? Keep reading to find out!
Max Verstappen Third World Drivers Championship
I think this predicition is pretty self-explanatory. Verstappen is the current reigning champion and he and Red Bull looked extremely strong during testing. For the first time in his career, Verstappen is the out right favourite for the season and I think it will be quite a surprise if someone beats him to this year's crown.
Fernando Alonso Podium
Surely this is coming. With 21 seasons and two World Championships under his belt, Alonso is more than capable of finishing on the podium. However, since leaving Ferrari in 2014, Alonso hasn't had the right machinery underneath him to compete at the front of the field. In 2022, we got glimpses of what he can still do when he started on the front row, in an Alpine, for the Canadian Grand Prix. Testing for this upcoming season has also been relatively positive for Alonso and the Aston Martin team with Alonso, himself, stating that their race pace could be quicker than Ferrari's. If this is the case, then surely Alonso will appear on the podium at some point this year.
Teammate Rivalry
Ok, let's be honest, we all love an F1 rilvary. Verstappen v Hamilton kept us on tender hooks for the majority of the 2021 season and I just can't help but feel things may not be as simple for Verstappen this year, as it was in 2022. During the Brazilian Sprint Race in 2022, we got a glimpse of a forming tension between Verstappen and his teammate, Sergio Perez. And, with Perez stating that he has no plans to help Verstappen during this season unless Verstappen returns the favor, Red Bull may have a slight problem on their hands. However, Red Bull are no strangers when it comes to tension between teammates. Remember the Vettel and Webber days? Well, the team may knock any tension on the head before it gets too out of hand.
And, potentially it may not be the Red Bull drivers with that rivalry. I'd keep my eye out for the Alpine and Haas drivers, in particular. They've both got some history there. I'll never forget when Kevin Magnussen told Nico Hulkenberg to suck his balls. What a time to be alive.
Haas To Start Strong But Fade Away. Like Usual
Haas are definitely a team that belong in the mid to back end of the midfield when you look at their performances from recent seasons. However, I don't know if anyone else has noticed this pattern, but Haas seem to start the season strong before fading away. There could be plenty of reasons for this including the fact some teams manage to develop their cars more quickly and more successfully than others throughout the season. Haas has very little money compared to some of the bigger teams so of course they're going to get stung eventually by the development wars. I wouldn't be too surprised to see the same happen again this year.
Williams Become Regular Point Scorers
The Williams team know what it's like to win. They also know what it's like to be backmarkers, struggling to break into the points each race weekend. In 2022, we started to notice an improvement from the long-standing F1 team which saw them finish in the points on a more regular basis. This year's battle in the midfield is looking to be a fantastic one and the effort the Williams team have put in during testing hasn't gone unnoticed, especially as Logan Sargeant finished Day Two's morning session in P2.
Are we about to see them in the points more often? I'd like to think so. The only thing that the team seems to be lacking is overall race pace but still, this is F1 and anything can happen.
Tough Season For McLaren
As we know, results from testing sessions need to be taken with a pinch of salt. For McLaren, however, there is some cause for concern.
During the pre-season testing sessions, the car didn't live up to the team's expectations and spent quite a bit of time being worked on in the garage. It was because of this that a lot of testing time was lost and very few laps were completed in comparison to other teams. And, although the team was adamant everything was ok, they soon admitted that the car "fell short" of their development goals. Other teams also suspect, that come the first race in Bahrain, due to the overall lack in performance, McLaren will find themselves towards the back end of the grid. Ouch. This could be a tough one for the team from Woking.
At Least One First Time Winner
In recent seasons, there has been at least one new winner in Formula One. From Pierre Gasly in the Alpha Tauri in 2020 to Esteban Ocon and Alpine in 2021 and Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari in 2022. There's something magical and heartwarming about a driver winning their first race. And, what's stopping another driver from doing it all again this year? Well, of course there's the machinery for starters but that doesn't always matter. As I've already mentioned in this article, this is Formula One, after all.
Nyck De Vries: Rookie Of The Year
Formula One see's the addition of three rookies to the grid in 2023. And, although Nyck de Vries competed at last year's Italian Grand Prix, he is still considered a rookie for this season. De Vries is a seasoned racing driver. He is older than the other rookies and holds several championship wins such as Formula E and Formula Two, under his belt. His experience is an advantage and to get a full time race seat from just one Formula One race, the Dutchman is doing something right. I honestly think that it would be kind of silly to bet against him for the title of "Rookie of the Year."
So, there we have it. My 2023 predicitions. I should probably apologise to any drivers mentioned in this article as I've probably just jinxed them. I'm good at that.
Will any of these predictions prosper? Time will tell. Let me know any of your predictions in the comments below! In the mean time, let's have a bloody good season of Formula One!
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