The new 2023 FIA Formula 1 season may not be starting until the beginning of March but we are getting very excited about what will be coming up this year. After Max Verstappen won his second consecutive Drivers’ Championship in 2022, all eyes will be on the Dutchman to see if he can make it three in a row.
But there are plenty of other stories to look forward to this year. So, as all the best sports betting sites get ready to update their markets, we thought we would explore some of the major plotlines of the upcoming F1 Season.
New Races
This year is all set to host the most Formula 1 races ever – and there was going to be even more before the Chinese Grand Prix was cancelled. But, never fear, there will still be an incredible 23 races to enjoy in 2023. There have been minor tweaks to the schedule – but the big news is the addition to the season.
Formula 1 and Las Vegas were surely made for each other and everyone is getting very excited about the prospect of a Grand Prix in Sin City. There has actually been a race in Vegas before, way back in the early 1980s two grands prix were run in the Caesar’s Palace parking lot. But November’s race is surely one of the most eagerly anticipated motorsports events of all time.
Rule Changes
There are a number of safety-related changes coming in for the 2023 season, ensuring that the drivers’ health is a priority at all times. After Zhou Guanyu’s accident at the British Grand Prix last year, roll-hoop regulations have changed to reduce the possibility of the roll-hoop disintegrating (as happened to Zhou) or digging into the ground.
The ground-effect specifications have changed in a bid to stop teams running their cars too low to the track. There was some pushback from the constructors on this, but in the end a compromise was reached. In more exciting news, there will also be double the number of the shorter sprint races in 2023 meaning we will have six weekends with two points events.
New Drivers
There will be three rookie drivers on the grid this year, hoping to emulate the legends of the sport. Nyck de Vries will be racing for AlphaTauri, while Logan Sargeant and Oscar Piastri will be with Williams and McLaren respectively. They are all sure to want to get off to the best possible start in Bahrain in March.
But there are some other big changes in the drivers’ seats for 2023. After Sebastian Vettel retired at the end of last season, Fernando Alonso made the shock move to Aston Martin while Pierre Gasly fills his spot at Alpine for an all French pairing. And then we have the return of the perennial F1 reserve driver of the past few years, Niko Hülkenberg, who returns to a full time seat at Haas F1.
Can Lewis Hamilton Challenge Max Verstappen?
So that is all the news from the Formula 1 offseason. But what about what might happen in the months ahead? The big question surely has to be whether Lewis Hamilton can come back and win his eighth drivers’ title. He endured a very disappointing 2022 and will be hungry for success.
After failing to secure at least one pole and one win for the first time in his F1 career, Hamilton returns and will need to use all his experience and talent to get past Verstappen at the top of the rankings. Mercedes did slightly improve towards the end of last year so there may be a chance of Hamilton coming through again to take his eighth title.
The Return of Ferrari and Mercedes
Red Bull has been utterly dominant in the last few years but 2023 could be the year when Ferrari and Mercedes put up a bit more of a fight to challenge for the Constructors’ Championship. The Silver Arrows were hugely disappointing last season overall but, as we said above, did show signs of a recovery towards the end when George Russell took his maiden grand prix victory at the Brazilian race.
It could well be, however, that Ferrari holds the best chance of actually competing with Red Bull for both titles. The team started well in 2022 before fading away but consistently looked good in qualifying. With a better strategy in place there could be a chance of the Scuderia coming through on the Sundays as well in 2023.
All in all there is everything to look forward to in the coming season, see you on the grid in Bahrain on the 5th March…
