Formula 1 Season 2023 Preview: Part 2

Part 1 here

By Chelsea Wintle, Gavin Huet, Kiwi Kali and Aiden McLaghlin

Grand Prix you’re most looking forward to this year

Chelsea:

Vegas, baby, Vegas! Where else? Even better if the championship’s still on the table by then. On a more technical note, Barcelona-Catalunya returning to its original layout could lead to more exciting racing there.

Aiden:

I’m a sucker for tradition, so Monaco remains the crown jewel for me, despite its lack of overtaking opportunities.

Gavin:

Normally I would say something like Monaco because, well, it is Monaco. But this year there is Las Vegas baby! And I imagine it will be the most extravagant thing ever to happen to Formula 1.
Personally though, for me it is the Hungarian Grand Prix, a twisting track that makes overtaking difficult therefore qualifying is all important. Oh, did I mention I have tickets to go and watch, well I do.

Kali:

Can I say Bahrain? This is my first full off-season as a Formula 1 fan, and I miss it! I can’t wait to see how the teams actually perform on the track. Also, I may be the only person who has been to Vegas and hated it (I don’t drink, smoke or gamble, which may have had something to do with it).

 

Will Mick Schumacher have a seat by season 2024?

Chelsea:

I hope so, but I can’t see it happening. I would love to be wrong.

Aiden:

I think he will. There’s a few drivers towards the back of the grid that have contracts expiring at the end of 2023. I think Alex Albon may find himself under pressure at Williams by mid-2023 and Schumacher might end up there.

Gavin:

No, Mick comes across as a nice guy but you know what they say about nice guys. Maybe if he had had some luck and got into a top team for a race or two to prove his worth (I am thinking George Russell here) then it may be different, but there will be a bunch of other drivers coming through with all kinds of monetary options for the smaller teams to choose from so no, I do not believe he will have a seat next season.

Kali:

I don’t think so. Sadly, the weight of expectation of the family name has not been kind to young Mick, and there are younger, talented drivers coming up through the ranks all the time. Meanwhile, it will be good to see him in the Mercedes garage this year.

 

Will Daniel Ricciardo have a seat by 2024?

Chelsea:

I love Daniel, but no. There’s so much exciting new blood in the lower formulas, I can’t see there being room for him any time soon.

Aiden:

No. I think he’ll do two years at Red Bull and see what his options are in early/mid 2024 for 2025 and beyond. I expect Sergio Perez to extend his time at Red Bull past 2024, so I think Aston Martin might be where he goes (see below).

Gavin:

Yes, the thing that Daniel has that Mick does not, is a track record. And of course the other thing in his favour is his marketability. Daniel is a PR dream with his big smile and personality, and I can see a team be very interested in what that could bring. Also, as reserve driver in Red Bull there may just be a hint of a possibility as the relationship between Max Verstappen and Checo Perez seems a bit, umm, fraught.

Kali:

To the tune of thousands of Drive To Survive devotees’ breaking hearts, I have to say no. But that doesn’t mean we’ve seen the last of him, just not in Formula 1.

 

More likely to retire by the end of season 2023: Fernando Alonso or Lewis Hamilton?

Chelsea:

Does Fernando ever really retire? Still, I think he’s more likely to be reclining on a deck chair than Lewis, who’s still hungry for that eighth championship.

Aiden:

Fernando is more likely, although I think he’ll see out his two year contract at Aston Martin which lasts through 2024. I expect to see Lewis and Mercedes announce a new contract early this season.

Gavin:

As much as it pains me I think it would be Lewis before Fernando. I say this because I just do not see Lewis moving to any other team, and any team he could move to would be one of the smaller teams who would not have the car or the budget to match his ambition. The other aspect is that he has a full workload outside of Formula 1 which he could slot right into without a second thought.
Fernando is a different beast, he wants to race and push himself in other formats, and he is happy to do this for teams on a limited budget.A season is a long time though, and anything can happen. I don’t think anything these two do at the end of the season would surprise me in the least.

Kali:

Bearing in mind that retirements mean nothing in F1, Lewis, having been crowned with a record eighth World Driver’s Championship title.

 

Predictions for season 2023:

 

– Drivers’ Championship

Chelsea:

Max Verstappen.

Aiden:

Max Verstappen – but only with a couple of races to spare this year. I expect Russell and Hamilton to be his main competition (in that order).

Gavin:

If I was a betting man I wouldn’t look past Max Verstappen. I might not like the bloke, but he is fast, and more importantly, consistent.
Charles Leclerc will be runner up, with Checo Perez taking third.

Kali:

Lewis Hamilton (if wishing made it so).

 

– Constructors’ Championship

Chelsea:

Red Bull.

Aiden:

Mercedes – Russell and Hamilton to take enough points from Sergio Perez to deny Red Bull consecutive championships.

Gavin:

And if I go for Max then that must mean a Red Bull championship, surely. Unless Checo has a shocker of a season in which case we may be seeing Daniel Ricciardo again.Honourable mention will go to Ferrari who despite everything will end second, with Mercedes making up the podium places unable to porpoise their way any higher.

Kali:

The benefit of collating everyone’s responses is getting to read them. While I was going to say Red Bull through gritted teeth, Aiden’s logic (and my own fandom) has swayed me. Mercedes.

Tune into the first Formula 1 Grand Prix of Season 2023 on Sky Sport, with practice starting on 4 March, and the Bahrain Grand Prix from 4 am on Monday 6 March NZT.

Follow Gavin  Chelsea  Kiwi Kali  Aiden on Twitter