Predictions for 2023 by Joe Man
With the new season fast approaching its time to turn our thoughts to this year’s predictions!
There is a strong feeling that this year could be a battle for the ages involving Formula One’s top three teams.
It’s hard to make predictions before testing but here goes!
Red Bull
2nd Max Verstappen
6th Sergio Perez
The two time F1 champion is going to have his work cut out this year to make it three!! He was simply brilliant in 2022 however his rivals had a shocker!! Mercedes built a car similar to a 2002 Ford Transit and Ferrari’s strategists could barely agree that four wheels were a good idea.
For Max to make it three in a row he is going to need to be at another level again. If Mercedes and Ferrari are as quick as expected then the Dutchman has a problem.
Looking at the 6 drivers in the top teams, Sergio Perez looks most likely to be sixth. This is a problem for both Verstappen and Red Bull. It leaves them very vulnerable to other teams having two drivers to manipulate Red Bulls strategy.
On the plus side Max is the most number one driver of the three teams. There is no doubt at Red Bull that Verstappen is their guy no matter what Sergio thinks. Mercedes and especially Ferrari have a much bigger chance of wasting points with their own drivers fighting.
Max also continues to deal with team problems with a very aggressive nature and could easily blow his top if things start to go wrong. The start of the season will be crucial.
Ferrari
1st Charles LeClerc
4nd Carlos Sainz
Anyone who watched Ferrari last year would probably look at this prediction and say ive lost my mind!! Hear me out!!
I am basing this theory on a couple of things.
If Ferrari can fix their tyre, engine reliability issues and strategy, then they have a rocket!
The arrival of Fred Vassuer as team principal could go a long way to fixing things. He is a smart operator and has a very clear understanding of what needs to be fixed.
Someone has to be in charge of strategy. Last year seemed like no one wanted to make a firm decision. The person in charge of that area in Ferrari must be qualified enough it just needs a process.
The tyre and engine issues were well understood by the end of last year but couldn’t be changed in time. If they are fixed then they clearly were the quickest car especially over one lap.
Charles Leclerc has another year of experience under his belt and just needs to eliminate the mistakes and a serious title run should be his.
Sainz I expect will give him a run for his money but may not have the raw speed of Leclerc. He is a clean driver though so a quick car should see him following on his team mates heels!
The other thing I believe will play into Ferraris hands is a dirty battle between Mercedes and Red Bull.
I was initially going to predict that Verstappen would win again but if Mercedes are back then Hamilton and Verstappen are back to their tricks. Add to that George Russel being just as aggressive as Max and there are going to be some DNF’s!
Mercedes
Hamilton 3rd
Russell 5th
The big question here is simply, the car. Everyone except Ferrari and Red Bull hope that the Merc is back to its best. If they are then they have the best driver pairing on the grid. Russell and Hamilton have had one harmonious season together but they weren’t fighting for anything. If they are within reach of the championship it will be fascinating to see how the two drivers get on.
Russell could very well finish higher than fifth but I believe he will loose points due to incidents with other drivers. We have only got to see him up against Verstappen once and it was spicy.
Lewis is an older head and will have to find his own way of dealing with Max. They seem destined to crash anytime they are anywhere near each other and this will eventually cost them both a run at the title. Hamilton will get close but I don’t see the Mercedes having enough pace to hold onto the Ferraris.
Alpine
Ocon 9th
Gasly 10th
Alpines new French partnership will be one of the fascinating stories of 2023. The old enemies from the past will need to work together to get the best out of the season. This however I don’t believe will happen. Esteban Ocon now has a long history of fighting dirty with teammates and there is no reason to think this will change. It could actually be even worse. These drivers look very evenly matched and if they spend most races near each other on track then there will be trouble. The Alpines should finish higher than 8th and 10th but they will take too many points off each other and I would be surprised if management aren’t required to calm things down!
McLaren
Norris 8th
Piastri 12th
Nothing is sounding good coming out of the Mclaren camp in the off season. There seems to be genuine concerns on the car and I fancy they will fall behind Alpine and Aston Martin. I have Lando in 7th purely on his driving ability alone. He has shown that he can drag the car to places it shouldn’t be over the last two few seasons and no doubt will do it again. Mclaren are going to have their work cut out to keep Norris if this season goes as badly as expected. For Piastri he will need a solid season to prove he has been worth the cost of getting his signature. It is however his rookie season and his success will purely be based on how close he can stick to Lando.
Aston Martin
Alonso 7th
Stroll 11th
This should be the year that Aston finally start fighting to be the best of the rest. With Alonso now in the team they have a driver that can fight with the best. Add to that the huge financial backing behind the team and they can make the big step. It will be key for the team that the drivers together and they don’t loose points through scrapping with each other. I don’t see it being a big issue for Aston as Alonso will be well up the road compared to Stroll!
Alfa Romeo
Valtteri Bottas 13th
Zhou Guanyu 15th
Alfa can finish a lot higher than this if things go their way. Expect a solid season from these two drivers.
Alpha Tauri
Nick De Vries 14th
Yuki Tsunoda 17th
A sparkling season for De Vries will sadly end Yuki’s F1 career!
Haas
Niko Hulkenberg 18th
Kevin Magnussen 16th
I think it will be more of the same from Haas. A strong start before slowly disappearing over the season!
Williams
Alex Albon 19th
Logan Sargeant 20th
The battle for last once again belongs to the two Williams drivers. Although Albon will be too strong for his rookie team mate, it could come down to one lucky result as to who comes out on top!
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