Your F1 Winter Break Survival Guide!

You've literally just survived an F1 winter break and now you're having to do it all over again. That's how fast this year has gone. I struggle to believe it as well. However, you're now stuck for things to do within these next few months and actually have to live your life how it was intended. Fear not race fans; my Winter Break Survival Guide is back for another year.

So, what can you do to keep yourself busy while getting that all important motorsport fix? Well, if you do enough research, the possibilities are endless. So, get your notepads and pens ready, I'm about to make your winter break the best one yet!

🏎️ Watch season reviews such as the one on Sky Sports F1. You can also prowl YouTube for ones made by content creators.

🏁 Read motorsport related blogs, books and magazines.

🏎️ Go shopping for F1 related goodies.

🏁 Go racing at a kart track or rally school!

🏎️ Volunteer! Try asking your local kart track if they're taking anybody on, especially in the festive season!

🏁 Go to the Autosport Show! It's on at the NEC in Birmingham on the 13th-14th January. Tickets are now available.

🏎️ Watch F1 docu-series such as Drive To Survive and Brawn: The Impossible Formula One Story. Available on Netflix and Disney+, respectively.

🏁 Go to the F1 Arcade. Now open in Birmingham and London.

🏎️ Visit a motorsport museum. There's plenty around from the Silverstone Interactive Museum and the Donnington Grand Prix Collection to the Museo y Circuito Fernando Alonso in Spain.

🏁 Talk all things F1 on social media. Twitter and TikTok are the more prevalent social media channels in the F1 community.

🏎️ Watch old races. Trust me, they're the best!

🏁 Finally, tune into Formula E in January!

So, do you feel more prepared now? I'd like to think so! Keeping yourself busy will make the off-season fly by!

Feel free to share with friends, family and other F1 fans, alike. Or, do you have any other suggestions? Leave them in the comments below! I look forward to reading them!

Formula One 2023: My Season Review

Isn't it crazy that 2023 is nearly done and another Formula One season has come to a close? In a season, which can easily be described as "marmite," we've seen it all. From long standing records being smashed, to a struggling team fighting their way through the field and becoming a top team by season's end. There have been highs and there have been lows, and there is no denying that the season has felt long. And, that's coming from a fan, sat at home, watching via Sky Sports F1. So, shall we dig a little deeper into what was a record breaking season?

It was a strong start to the season for Red Bull, locking out the front row of the grid at the Bahrain Grand Prix with their drivers, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. Verstappen would make his mark, continuing the season where he left off in 2022 by winning the first race of 2023, by over eleven seconds to his teammate. This would become the story of his season. Breaking records left, right and centre became his mantra and only once did he not appear on the podium. In fact, he would have scored enough points to win himself the Constructor's Championship as well as the Driver's - if eligible, of course. Love him, or hate him, there is no denying the excellence that is Max Verstappen. As for his teammate, Perez's season couldn't have shaped up more differently. A promising start for the Mexican reignited peoples hopes that a proper Championship battle was on the cards. Alas, this was not meant to be, with Checo experiencing struggles and bad luck throughout 2023. Prone to crashes, an unexplained lack of speed and consistent critiscm, one could have easily felt his pain as he watched his teammate drive off into the sunset with nineteen out of twenty two wins and another championship trophy. Many questions have been asked as to what happened to Perez this season, but very little has been revealed. Although he seems to be confirmed to race for Red Bull in 2024, a question mark still hangs predominantly above his head as to whether he actually will.

Another driver with a potentially decent season ahead of them was Fernando Alonso. With five podiums in the first six races of the season, his move to Aston Martin seemed to be paying off, after many thought that it wasn't going to work. But come mid-season, other teams were excelling with their updates and Aston Martin was left behind. For Alonso, podiums became a luck of the draw and a third place finish in the Driver's Championship was ripped from within his grasp, by none other than ex-McLaren teammate; Lewis Hamilton. Did Aston Martin let Alonso down this year, or was the Spaniard outdriving the car's abilities from the beginning? Both are plausible, especially the latter when you compare his performance with his teammate; Lance Stroll, who's behaviour towards members of the Aston Martin team made headlines in the motorsport world in the later stages of the season. The pressures of Formula One seemed to have a negative effect on Stroll in 2023, with reports suggesting that he could make a switch to tennis (?). Interesting.

Social media has been rife this season with fans complaining of boring and repetitive races. But has it been as boring as many are making out? Do they still hold a gruge against Verstappen and Red Bull over the, dare I say it, events of Abu Dahbi 2021? There have been plenty of races out there that have been a stark reminder as to why we love motosport, specifically F1. Take Monaco, The Netherlands and Austin; three fine examples as to where strategy played an important part of the racing. And, what about Australia, the race with the most red flags in Formula One history? You've also got Silverstone, Monza, Singapore, Brazil and Vegas, where there were some fine battles for the win and podium places. It's easy to say that a race is boring when the same driver and team is winning, I get it, but this season has been one that will live on in F1 history. It's been an honour to witness it.

There has been one problem, however, with the amount of street tracks that are starting to appear on the F1 calendar. For some, this may not be a problem, but for others it's a travesty. In 2023, the Formula One calendar was the longest it has ever been with twenty three planned races. (Twenty two excluding the cancelled Imola Grand Prix.) And, seven of these were on a street track. There is no doubting, some street racing can be exhilarating. This includes Vegas. There I said it. Talking of Vegas, it was evident from the start that this race weekend wasn't about motorsport. It was about the show and how much money Liberty Media could make from it. For newer F1 fans, they won't know any difference. This is normal F1 for them. However, for long term fans, it's off-putting. F1 has always been described as a "travelling circus," and, specifically in Vegas and Miami, it lived up to the circus hype. Let's just thank the racing gods that the racing, itself, was worth watching.

That's enough street track moaning. Let's talk about McLaren. The team that impressed many in the second half of the season. In recent seasons, McLaren has shown glimmers of hope for a return to success. At the beginning of 2023, they couldn't have been further from it. A tough start to the season saw both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri only occassionally finish races in the points. However, come the British Grand Prix and it was like someone had flicked a switch when they found themselves suddenly fighting Verstappen for pole position and the race win. The British team kept this going for the rest the season, managing to climb their way into fourth in the Constructor's Championship. McLaren's improvement in form is one of the biggest stories to come from 2023, and frankly, the talent that beholds their driver line up is severly underrated. Surely, they are one of, if not, the strongest pairing on the grid? If McLaren can go into 2024 with a strong package, Red Bull and Verstappen may just need to watch their backs.

As I've mentioned, Red Bull was on a role this season, and it wasn't only McLaren that attempted to put up a fight. Big names such as Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and Charles Leclerc attempted a valiant effort but, at the end of the day, only one driver managed the feat - Carlos Sainz. Despite Ferrari's lack of competence and Sainz's lack of incompetence, the team and driver were the only ones to win this season that didn't have a Red and Bull in their name. Unfortunatley for Sainz, his consistency continues to fly under the radar. Could he be the most underrated driver currently in Formula One? I think so. Which begs the question as to why? His teammate; Leclerc, although fast with bundles of talent, isn't exactly setting the track on fire. At the end of the day, both Ferrari drivers are another strong pairing. The team just needs to get their act together. And, as for Sainz's penalty in Vegas... Let's not open that door.

I've babbled on a lot here, but we need to discuss the fate of Alpha Tauri driver Nyck de Vries and his successor, the returning Daniel Ricciardo. Simply, for de Vries, the expectation of what he could have been capable of was too high. He was in a car with poor performance, which in time made his life with the Red Bull family a "living hell." But maybe Formula One was never his destiny. It was just something that needed to happen for the Dutch driver to find his true calling - Formula E. As for Danny Ric, he was also quick to find himself on the sidelines. By pure accident, of course. A broken wrist during practice at the Dutch Grand Prix saw him replaced by ex-Formula Two driver; Liam Lawson. Lawson impressed many immediately and it was a "bittersweet" feeling when he had to give his seat back to Ricciardo. But, if rumours are to be believed this is all apart of Red Bull's long-term plan to get Ricciardo back into the main team. Personally, I'm not convinced he could do a better job than Checo. He already left once because of Verstappen's success. He may just find himself being number two all over again. I kind of hope I am wrong.

Besides from what I have already discussed, we've also seen an improvement from the Williams team, Alexander Albon proving he's not the same driver as he was in his Red Bull days, a potential rift between the Mercedes' drivers and Haas having one of their worst seasons to date. When broken down, a lot has actually gone on. But is it really a shame that it's all been overshadowed by the success of Max Verstappen and Red Bull? Absolutely and absolutlely not. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Max Verstappen isn't your average Formula One driver. But, people won't accept this because of the villain he and the Red Bull team are perceived to be. That's sport, for you. To round things up, I don't believe this season was a total bore. At times, yes, but not all the time. Maybe it's because I also focus on the mid-field battles and strategies, etc as well as the fight for the championship. Regardless, the winter break has arrived with a welcome and it's time to have a life on a Sunday. What will 2024 have in store for us F1 fans? Who knows. Until then.

Race Report: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2023

Well, we have made it. Formula One is over for another year. But, before we log off for the Winter Break, there's the matter of recapping the somewhat-entertaining Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where numerous championship positions would need deciding on and Max Verstappen ending the season how he started, starting on pole position. Also, continuing his streak of front row starts is Charles Leclerc, lining up second for Ferrari. With everyone lined up on the grid and the formation lap completed, for the final time in 2023, it's lights and away we go. (Crofty does it better than me.)

It's not the easiest of starts for Verstappen as he goes into turn one with Leclerc climbing all over the back of him. After his mistake in qualifying, Lando Norris passes fellow Brit - George Russell, for fourth, while further back, Pierre Gasly moves his Alpine further up the grid, passing the faster cars of Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez, both of who had poor qualifying performances. As the leaders head towards turn five, Leclerc attempts a move on Verstappen. However, the Red Bull driver defends with all his might, leaving the Ferrari to drop back into the clutches of Oscar Piastri's McLaren, who then tries his move, with the aid of DRS, on lap three. The Australian cannot get by and is instead passed by Norris, his own teammate, who has just posted the fastest race lap thus far.

Lap five and the first driver comes into the pitlane. It's Kevin Magnussen pitting for Haas. He locked up his tyres on the previous lap which could explain why he is in so early. He swaps his medium compound for hards and returns to the track. By lap seven, other drivers start to complain of degredation, with Alpha Tauri bringing in Daniel Ricciardo for his stop due to a tear off in one of his brake ducts. It gets removed and he is on his way once again. On track, Verstappen is 1.5 seconds clear of Leclerc. The closer racing seems to be at the back of the field with Magnussen, Logan Sargeant, Alexander Albon and Zhou Guanyu, all noted for forcing each other off the track. However, they all get away with it.

On lap nine, Russell tries a move on Piastri but ends up running wide at turn nine. Lelerc and Norris, sitting in second and third respectively, have had their most recent lap times deleted for, you guessed it, track limits. McLaren are on the radio to Piastri, praising him for his good tyre management. As they say that, Russell makes the move again, this time making it stick and moving himself up to fourth. With Russell leaving Piastri behind, the McLaren is now falling into the clutches of Alpha Tauri's Yuki Tsunoda. Another driver on the move is Perez, passing Gasly for eighth, as he attempts to salvage his weekend.

More pitstops and this time it's Fernando Alonso who's followed in by Oscar Piastri the following lap. They both ditch the medium tyre for the hard and find themselves back on track side by side. Using DRS, Alonso tries to pass at turn six but the McLaren locks up his fresh tyres, stopping the Spaniard from passing. Meanwhile further pitstops take place for Nico Hulkenberg, Zhou, Norris and Russell. However, it's disaster for Norris with a slow stop, handing his on track net position to Russell. Despite the pitstops all around them, Verstappen and Leclerc choose to carry on.

Hamilton and Gasly are now battling in the mid-field. They make slight contact after Gasly locks up into turn six, damaging Hamilton's front wing. The latter pits at the end of the lap for fresh rubber, he doesn't change his front wing. Verstappen and Leclerc also pit, handing the lead to Tsunoda. Perez and Gasly are the next to come in, but Gasly is the real loser here, being jumped by his teammate while he is in for new tyres. "I don't get how you can undercut me with the other car [Ocon]," Gasly tells Alpine over team radio. Teammate Esteban Ocon, originally a number of positions behind, pitted numerous laps ago.

Carlos Sainz, who was out in Q1 in qualifying, is yet to pit and is passed by Verstappen. The Ferrari team advise him to let Leclerc by, which he does. Verstappen, after also passing Lance Stroll, is back up to second, on the hunt for Tsunoda and the race lead. The gap is currently 3.4 seconds. As one Red Bull edges closer to the lead, the other one, Perez, posts the fastest lap of the race.

More pitstops are triggered when race leader Tsunoda dives into the pitlane. With the hards now fitted, he returns to the track down in twelfth. After going long by starting on the hards, Sainz also pits, fitting another set of hards. That's a two stop confirmed. Meanwhile, Perez is still flying, diving by Alonso at turn six to take sixth from the Aston Martin driver.

With everyone, bar Bottas, now on new tyres, the order is looking somehwhat back to normal. Verstappen leads with a 5.3 seconds lead over Leclerc and Russell, who complete the top three. Gasly is still having issues after being jumped by his teammate in the pits. "Where are we losing time? Why are we so **** slow?" He is told that he picked up some damage in his earlier clash with Hamilton, which is now hindering his race pace.

Several drivers are now making moves through the field. Tsunoda is let through by teammate; Ricciardo, who is then passed by Stroll. Sainz is past Hulkenberg for a miserable fifteenth and Perez, still flying, makes it past the McLaren of Piastri. Meanwhile, Bottas finally makes his stop, swapping his hard tyres for the mediums. This triggers yet more pitstops with several drivers, including Norris, Russell and Leclerc, coming in to cover themselves from any impending undercut. With a number of front runners coming in, this has given Perez the jump into second. His teammate, Verstappen, is happily chipping away while in the lead. He tells the team; "You can box Checo ahead of me if you want."

Going down the straight, Hamilton passes Alonso for eleventh. "We have the slowest car on the straight by far!", is the Aston Martin driver's complaint. However, Hamilton is less than impressed with the Spaniard, accusing him of brake testing as he (Alonso) exited the pits ahead of the Mercedes driver. Replays show that Alonso did indeed slow before the braking zone heading into turn five. The stewards note the incident who decide that no further investigation is neccessary.

It's taken some time but the first black and white flag has been shown for track limits. Albon is the unlucky recipient. Looking at the Championship standings, Ferrari are currently ahead of Mercedes. However, they still need to pit Sainz who has been told; "Try to go as long as possible. Waiting for a safety car." Elsewhere, Red Bull bring in Perez for his final stop. he returns to the track in sixth. But, with fresher rubber than those around him, he could be about to prove that Red Bull does, in fact, give you wings. Tsunoda, in the sister Red Bull car, is instead on a one-stop strategy and is starting to struggle, Norris and McLaren make their way past the Alpha Tauri for fourth. Verstappen pits from the lead, returning to the track, well, in the lead.

Race control have been pretty busy noting incidents this evening, with Hamilton their next victim, for a pit stop infringement. Perez is still on a mission to finish the race on the podium, he passes a struggling Tsunoda for fifth, still with some way to go. Sainz, still waiting for that safety car, is also struggling on his tyres. He has just has his eighth place taken by Alonso. As for Hamilton and his pitstop infringement, he has been joined by Gasly who will be investigated for the same thing, after the race.

Perez is now within DRS range of Lando Norris. He dives down the inside at turn six, making contact with the McLaren, forcing him onto the run off area. Norris retains his position, but did he gain an advantage? The Red Bull tries again the next time around, but this time making it stick, cleanly. He is up to fourth. However, it's not all good news as he also finds himself under investigation for the clash with Norris the lap before. As for Hamilton and Gasly; Verstappen, Sargeant and Zhou have now joined the frame. All their pitstop infringements reportedly refer to their pitcrews not wearing the required eye protection during the pitstops. In the meantime, Perez has been slapped with a five second time penalty. Despite this, he's now onto the back of Russell and passes into turn nine. If he can build a five second gap then the podium is his.

After being told about Perez's penalty, Leclerc suggests he drops back to allow the Red Bull to overtake and build a five second gap to Russell. As friendly as this sounds, it's all in the plan to help Ferrari gain second in the Constructors Championship. If Russell fails to finish on the podium, Ferrari have done it. As for the second Ferrari, he finally pits on the penultimate lap, but doesn't return to the track. He's the first retirement of the race.

Onto the last lap and Leclerc has let Perez through. They are currently three seconds clear of Mercedes which, right now, is not enough. Verstappen, still out front, comes around the final corner to take the last win of the season. Perez comes through in second, ahead of Leclerc, but it's not enough. The Red Bull misses the five second gap by one second and falls to fourth. Leclerc takes second and Russell third, handing second place in the Championship to Mercedes. Norris and Piastri come home in fifth and sixth for McLaren. Then comes Alonso, Tsunoda, Hamilton and Stroll, as the final point scorers for 2023.

So, there we have it folks. The 2023 F1 season is complete. Love them or hate them, there is no denying that Verstappen and Red Bull have achieved wonders this season, winning every race bar one. Nineteen of those were Verstappen alone.

What does 2024 hold for us? We have some time to wait but it will be worth it!