My 2023 F1 Predictions - The Verdict

Before the beginning of the 2023 Formula One Season commenced, I did something brave. Very brave. I made a handful of predictions for the season that was ahead of us, and boy, did I make some absolute shockers. Ok, not all was bad. In fact, some were spot on. In this post I am going to be looking back at my, said, predictions and decipher the good from the bad and whether they have any chance of repeating themselves in 2024. Shall we begin?

Let's kick things off with that all important championship. After his performances in 2022, it was hard to think of anyone, bar Max Verstappen, whom would take home the 2023 Championship trophy. And, after a challenge by teammate; Sergio Perez, in the earlier stages of the season, not one driver managed to get close to Verstappen, with the now Triple World Champ breaking numerous records and taking home 19 out of the 22 wins possible. There is no denying that Verstappen has earned his place in the F1 history books, and it's more than likely he could continue with his current performance into 2024 and beyond.

Max Verstappen Will Win His 3rd Consecutive World Championship ✔

My next prediction was something that I have wanted to see happen in Formula One since Fernando Alonso's departure from Ferrari back at the end of 2014. Low and behold, the Spanish drivers fulfills this "prophecy" during the first race of the season in Bahrain.

One of the biggest shocks came in the Winter break, between the 2022 and 2023 seasons, with Alonso announcing a move from Alpine to Aston Martin. Was it a good move? Who knew. After a third place finish at the Bahrain Grand Prix, Alonso and Aston Martin would go onto score a total of eight podiums throughout 2023. However, it's a shame that the car development dropped off in the second half season. Could've we seen a win for the Double World Champ? Unfortunatley, that's something we will never know. Regardless, I can't wait to see more Alonso battles and podiums in the upcoming season. So, get working on that car, Aston Martin!

Fernando Alonso Will Get A Podium ✔

A teammate rivalry is always a happy sight in Formula One. Maybe not for the team involved, but for fans it adds a touch of spice. In 2023, things were on the quieter side, with the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell getting closest in the "who falls out first" battle. There were also slight glimpses of tension down at Ferrari, but nothing fully evolved, in what was probably the preferred outcome with new contracts for both drivers on the horizon. Of course, the likes of social media and journalism create and emphasis pointless drama. But, with things reportedly just touching the sidelines in some teams, could 2024 become explosive?

A New Teammate Rivalry X

Haas. I'm sorry I made a prediction about them, as they endured one of their most difficult seasons to date. In 2023, although the team had a decent driver line up in the form of Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg, the race pace failed to materialse, and the team finished last in the constructors standings with a dismal 12 points. If recent seasons are anything to go by, the team start strong before dropping off about a third of the way through. It's a sorry sight and the trend didn't continue, with only 7 points scored between both drivers in the first 3 races. Can they have a better start to 2024? Or, how about a better 2024 in general?

Haas Will Have A Strong Start to the Season X

Williams' 2023 season was nothing more than "bittersweet." With one driver clearly out-performing the car and the other, well, not, the team's finishing position in the championsipship (7th) couldn't be bettered. It's fair to note that driver, Alexander Albon, had a stellar season in a car that wasn't fanatstic, scoring all the team's points bar one. Unfortunatley though, although the team seem to be improving compared to recent years, they're still not quite there, with point finishes few and far between. Standard for the current crop of back markers. If they continue their current upward trend, surely they'll feature in the points on a more regular basis.

Williams Will be Regular Point Scorers X

This prediction started strong and looked to be one that would continue to develop over the course of the season. Luckily for McLaren fans, it didn't. A tough start to the season saw a couple of DNFs and several zero point finishes. However, the team from Woking never gave up and when updates were brought from Silverstone onwards, they became Red Bull's strongest competitor, with both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri proving they are the real deal with the nine podium finishes between them. Not to mention the excellent sprint race results. Could McLaren be the team to take it to Red Bull next year? We NEED more competition!

A Tough Season for McLaren X

As I've already discussed, 2023 was Verstappen and Red Bull's year, with VER winning 19 races and Perez, 2. Carlos Sainz was the only driver, outside of Red Bull, to take home a win. That means there were only 3 winners in 2023, all of whom have won races before. The only drivers that are yet to win that got close are the McLarens of Norris and Piastri. However, Piastri did take the win at the Sprint race in Qatar. Unfortuatley for the rookie, it wasn't the main Grand Prix. I have no doubt that a win is coming for the McLaren duo. Could 2024 be their year?

A First Time Winner X

Shall we just all admit now that our expectations for Nyck de Vries were too high in 2023? With a Formula 2 and Formula E championship under his belt, you can't blame anyone for having such high expectations on him, especially Red Bull who took him on as an Alpha Tauri driver for the season. Unfortunatley, after a string of bad performances, he was dropped and replaced by Daniel Ricciardo. Standard for the Red Bull team. But, with a car that severely under-performed and a driver that failed to score points during his short F1 career; Nyck de Vries is definitely not Rookie of the Year and I would like to apologise to him for jinxing his career with this prediction.

Nyck de Vries: Rookie of the Year X

Well, if there is anything I have learnt from this post is that I am really bad at making predictions. Jinxing, I am good at. Will it stop me from making predictions for the 2024 season? Heck, no. Stay tuned for that one.

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.