The 2023 Formula 1 season resumes this weekend with the Dutch Grand Prix commencing a run of 10 rounds across the next 14 weeks to conclude the campaign.
But ahead of the action returning at Zandvoort, it’s time to review how each team shaped up across the first half of the year.
AlphaTauri – E
Constructors’ Championship: 10th (3 points)
Best Result: 10th (x3)
While the main Red Bull-owned F1 team is romping away at the top of the standings, the other is plumb last with a total of only three points from the opening 12 rounds.
The writing was on the wall for the Faenza camp when Team Principal Franz Tost admitted as early as the second round that he had lost confidence in his engineers.
AlphaTauri’s AT04 has fallen short in every department, prompting Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko to insist the side will cooperate closer with the senior side from the 2024 season onwards.
Thankfully for the Italian outfit, the only way is up – but even bringing back the experience of eight-time F1 winner Daniel Ricciardo to replace the underperforming Nyck de Vries is unlikely to elevate the team up the order between now and the end of the season unless the package underneath him and team-mate Yuki Tsunoda drastically improves.
Alfa Romeo – D
Constructors’ Championship: 9th (9 points)
Best Result: 8th (x1)
Alfa Romeo has failed to scale the heights of its form from early in this rules cycle, ending up in the same slump that engulfed the team’s competitiveness late last year.
While neither of its drivers has inspired confidence with a consistent run of form, the car has fundamentally lacked the speed to challenge for regular points finishes. The C43 has not built upon the base promise of its predecessor, with the car struggling for a one-lap pace and the team unable to bridge its deficiency in high-speed corners despite the addition of upgrades.
A trying opening to the season is unlikely to get any better for Alfa Romeo, who could find itself picking up the F1 equivalent of the wooden spoon if other teams, like AlphaTauri, get their acts together sooner than the Hinwil-based squad.
Alpine – D
Constructors’ Championship: 6th (57points)
Best Result: 3rd (x1)
Make no mistake, 2023 has been a catastrophic season for Alpine. Heading in with aspirations of building on its encouraging fourth-place finish last year, Alpine began the campaign with two pointless showings – including a double DNF – in the first three rounds.
Esteban Ocon delivered a welcome third-place finish in Monaco to alleviate some pressure – but that proved to be an exception to its results rather than the start of a revival for the Anglo-French outfit.
The Enstone squad has hit a steep decline since that high in the Principality, registering back-to-back double DNFs at the British and Hungarian Grands Prix – albeit the latter being a consequence of an incident that neither of its two drivers instigated.
Nevertheless, it spelt the end of Otmar Szafnauer’s relatively short tenure, with all eyes fixated on who the Renault hierarchy elects to appoint to its hot seat next.
Haas – C-
Constructors’ Championship: 8th (11 points)
Best Result: 7th (x1)
Haas’ prospects of building upon a return to a more competitive standing from last year immediately took a seismic hit when it became categorically clear its VF-23 creation was unable to transfer the searing speed it possesses over a single lap into race trim.
It’s an issue that has continued to hinder America’s sole F1 outfit, with winter arrival Nico Hulkenberg only able to convert one of his six Q3 appearances into a points finish.
With Haas remaining the only side still yet to switch to the downwash sidepod philosophy, expect its fortunes to remain fairly similar over the rest of the campaign.
Ferrari – C
Constructors’ Championship: 4th (191 points)
Best Result: 2nd (x1)
From retaining the fastest car at the beginning of F1’s latest ground effect era in the early races of last year to slumping to fourth in the Constructors’ standings, 2023 has been an arduous year for Ferrari.
Hopes of reigniting its challenge to Red Bull have been replaced purely by hopes of arresting the inconsistency that has plagued F1’s most indifferent side this year.
On a positive note, new Team Principal Frederic Vasseur has appeared to right one wrong of Mattia Binotto’s failed spell by not being afraid to issue team orders. Meanwhile, the Maranello entity has also propped up near the top of the pit stop timing charts more than in recent years.
However, Vasseur is more than aware an extensive amount of work lies to return F1’s most celebrated team back to the summit.
Williams – B+
Constructors’ Championship: 7th (11 points)
Best Result: 7th (x1)
Having been rooted to the foot of the Constructors’ Championship in four of the past five seasons, it was widely expected that Williams would again be bringing up the rear of the pack with its all-new FW45 car.
However, under the stewardship of the astute ex-Mercedes Strategy Director James Vowles, the Grove-based squad has enjoyed a marvellous upturn in fortunes. After recording points at the opening round for the first time since 2017, Williams has built on that early season promise by developing upgrades that enabled Alex Albon to notch solid points in Austria and Britain.
While there remains a considerable way to go before it can contest former glories, Williams’ first half of 2023 can be viewed as an overwhelming success.
McLaren – B
Constructors’ Championship: 5th (103 points)
Best Result: 2nd (x2)
McLaren was already braced for a challenging start to the year, having admitted at the launch of its MCL60 charger it had missed key development targets.
Subsequently, the Woking side endured a nightmare opening two rounds, failing to register a point to condemn the team to its worst start in six years. However, the starring efforts of the established Lando Norris and rookie sensation Oscar Piastri kept McLaren’s points tally ticking over gradually from the third round in Australia onwards while the pair waited for vital upgrades.
Once those new parts arrived in the form of a heavily altered car from the Austrian Grand Prix onwards, McLaren has not looked back.
The British outfit has catapulted itself into contention at the front of the field, with Norris scooping successive podium finishes at the British and Hungarian Grands Prix before Piastri delivered an impressive drive in damp conditions to trail home second in a Sprint Race at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Although McLaren proceeded to struggle with a wrongful set-up choice on a dry Sunday at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, the former World Champions are still poised for a memorable second half to 2023.
Mercedes: B
Constructors’ Championship: 2nd (247 points)
Best Result: 2nd (x2)
Mercedes entered 2023 expecting to reestablish itself as a title-contending threat after encountering unexpected troubles during the first year of these regulations.
However, a shoddy showing in Bahrain led Team Principal Toto Wolff to declare its ambitious zero sidepod concept would need to be abandoned, with a significant upgrade package – featuring a more conventional sidepod design – debuting in Monaco.
Amid an ever-changing order behind Red Bull, the consistency provided by Lewis Hamilton and George Russell has enabled Mercedes to be poised to finish runners-up come the close of the season – with the side 57 points clear of its nearest challenger.
However, McLaren’s resurgence at Silverstone and the Hungaroring, along with Ferrari’s strong showing in Belgium, suggests that Mercedes has work to do to consolidate its position as the second-fastest car before it can even begin to think about hunting down a dominant Red Bull.
Aston Martin – A-
Constructors’ Championship: 3rd (196 points)
Best Result: 2nd (x1)
After successive placings of seventh since taking on the prestige of the Aston Martin moniker, the Silverstone outfit surprised the entire paddock when it rapidly became apparent its heavily-modified AMR23 had the potential to mix it at the front of the field.
Headline lap times in testing became six podiums in the first eight races by winter recruit Fernando Alonso, putting Aston Martin in the mix to occupy that ‘best-of-the-rest’ position behind Red Bull, whose unrelenting dominance denied the green-liveried camp its coveted maiden race win in Monaco.
However, a sudden dip in form since the Canadian Grand Prix – attributed by Team Principal Mike Krack to ‘side effects’ from its upgrade package in Montreal – has seen Aston Martin only record a best finish of fifth on a Sunday during the past five rounds.
Nonetheless, it’s been a remarkable turnaround by the British marque, who will hope that further upgrades can inspire a return to its early season competitiveness.
Red Bull: A+
Constructors’ Championship: 1st (503 points)
Best Result: 1st (x12)
Even the most ardent of Red Bull detractors would be unable to take away from the stellar achievements of the team in 2023.
Having won 10 of the remaining 11 races to secure both championships with several races to spare in 2022, the Austrian outfit’s competitive advantage has stretched into a different stratosphere entirely this season.
Whilst the breathtaking performance of the RB19 – particularly with Max Verstappen behind the wheel – has been the outstanding differentiator, Red Bull continues to maximise its competitiveness where others don’t. The Milton-Keynes-based camp remains the leading side when it comes to the operational side, deploying the right strategies in high-pressure scenarios and leading the way on pit stops.
With all those factors synergised to the maximum capacity, Red Bull has the greatest chance of any side in F1 history of securing victory in every grand prix in a single season.
