2023 Formula One™ Season Recap: Reviewing the Thrilling Races and Unforgettable Highlights

Gears on the Grid
Nov 27, 2023
8 min read

Updated: Dec 11, 2023

YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/Io9BiO2jI-A

Now that the 2023 Formula One™ Season is over, it's time to recap!

Championship Battle:

Who emerged as the World Drivers' Champion™ and the World Constructors' Champion™?

"Max Verstappen became the 2023 World Drivers’ Champion™, and Red Bull became the 2023 World Constructors' Champion™." - Seyi

Were there any surprising twists in the championship battle?

"Due to Max Verstappen winning 19/22 of the races - the others were won by Sergio Perez (twice) and Carlos Sainz (once) - there was not much of a battle for the championship." - Seyi

Race Highlights:

What were the standout moments from key races during the season?

"Some standout moments include Max Verstappen winning his third Championship at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix™ Sprint Race, Red Bull winning their sixth Championship at the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix™, and the launching of the Las Vegas Strip circuit (in decades). Some circuits had their lap record broken, including the Albert Park Circuit (Australian GP) by Sergio Perez, the Miami International Autodrome (Miami GP) by Max Verstappen, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya (Spanish GP) by Max Verstappen, the Marina Bay Street Circuit (Singapore GP) by Lewis Hamilton, and the Lusail International Circuit (Qatar GP) by Max Verstappen. Since the Las Vegas Strip had its first GP this year, Oscar Piastri holds the first and current lap record." - Seyi

Were there any unexpected winners or podium finishers?

"The only unexpected winner this season was Carlos Sainz at the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix™. It was unexpected because he was the only driver to end Red Bull’s winning streak all season. Some unexpected podium finishers were Esteban Ocon (3rd: 2023 Monaco Grand Prix™), Pierre Gasly (3rd: 2023 Dutch Grand Prix™), and Oscar Piastri (3rd: 2023 Japan Grand Prix™, 2nd: 2023 Qatar Grand Prix™, and 1st: 2023 Qatar Grand Prix™ Sprint Race). Other notable podium finishers were Sergio Perez (7 podium finishes and 2 wins), Fernando Alonso (8 podium finishes), Lando Norris (7 podium finishes), Lewis Hamilton (6 podium finishes), and Charles Leclerc (6 podium finishes)." - Seyi

Team Performances:

How did each team perform compared to expectations at the start of the season?

"With the conclusion of the season, it's clear that the battle for supremacy was a close one between multiple teams. However, one team stood above the rest, Red Bull. Although Ferrari and Mercedes had higher expectations coming into the season, Red Bull quickly asserted their dominance and proved to be a force to be reckoned with. Led by drivers such as Max Verstappen, Red Bull showed a level of adaptability and flexibility that set them apart from their competitors. The team’s ability to quickly adjust to changing conditions allowed them to achieve incredible success on the track, ultimately leading to their victory in the championship. With the upcoming season fast approaching, it will be fascinating to see how the top teams continue to perform and how Red Bull's dominance will be challenged. While Mercedes and Ferrari did place in the top three for the constructors’ standing, it is no secret that for the F1 giants having a point difference of 406-409 is not something that is expected from the two teams. While there wasn't a question of the winner of the constructor standing, Mercedes and Ferrari made it a close call of who would claim second and third." - Taylor

Were there notable improvements or declines in team performance?

"The biggest performance improvements came from McLaren and Aston Martin. The car upgrades paid dividends to lift them from the back into the midfield. For Aston Martin, the Brazilian GP showed the skills of not only the driver but also the cars. Out-pacing Ferrari, Mercedes, and even a Red Bull. Referring back to the Brazilian GP McLaren driver Lando Norris placed 2nd. Alpine however declined this season as they failed to build on a promising pace. Haas dropped further behind, while teams like Alfa Romeo and AlphaTauri improved positionally." - Taylor

Driver Performances:

Who were the standout drivers of the season, and why?

"Max Verstappen, Sergio “Checo” Perez, Lando Norris, and Oscar Piastri. Max has won 19 of the 23 (technically 22) races of the 2023 season. Checo negatively stood out, being not nearly as good as his teammate, and not making it into Q1 multiple times this season. Lando Norris within the second half of the season after McLaren got upgrades and figured things out, started getting multiple podiums and was voted driver of the day multiple times as well. A big standout from him was when he led the COTA United States Grand Prix™. Oscar Piastri has had an amazing second half of the season as well after the McLaren upgrades." - Kyleigh

Were there any breakthrough performances from rookie drivers?

"Oscar Piastri, the rookie driver for the McLaren F1 team, has had an outstanding season during this second half of the season. He has gotten multiple podiums, was in pole position for the Qatar Grand Prix™ sprint race, and won the sprint race, his first win and pole position in Formula One™." - Kyleigh

Weather and Track Conditions:

Did weather conditions play a significant role in any races?

"At the Beligian Grand Prix™, at Spa-Francorchamps, it is said that this Grand Prix is one of the riskier ones, and with the rain all weekend, it was much worse. The qualifying for the sprint, and the Sprint Shootout itself, had been delayed due to the weather conditions. Qatar with extreme heat and humidity, resulting in multiple drivers getting sick, including Esteban Ocon, Alex Albon, and Logan Sargeant. According to Mercedes driver, George Russell, the temperature in the cockpit of his car reached 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix™ had been canceled due to extreme weather, including heavy flooding, which had caused many residents to evacuate, and few lives having been taken, making it impossible to race." - Kyleigh

Were there any races with particularly challenging track conditions?

"The Hungaroring located in Budapest, for the Hungarian Grand Prix, and the Jeddah Corniche Circuit from the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix™, are two of the most difficult tracks due to their layout. The Hungaroring is difficult to overtake due to having lots of short corners and being narrow. Meanwhile, for Jeddah, this is due to the lack of visibility during the fast corners, and narrow track. The Las Vegas being a new track is a challenge. The track had to be checked due to a failed manhole cover, resulting in the first practice session ending after 10 minutes, and the second free practice being postponed by 2 and a half hours. During the Grand Prix, a bump on the track caused Lando Norris to spin out and crash out of the race, resulting in him going to the hospital as a precautionary. Luckily, he was not harmed." - Kyleigh

Retirements and Transfers:

Were there unexpected retirements or team changes during the season?

"At the beginning of the season, rookie Nyck De Vries had been driving for AlphaTauri, yet had been released after the British Grand Prix™, the tenth race of the season. He had been released due to not showing improvement and had little chance of improvement for the rest of the season. It was said that it was also due to him having bad results in Austria and Silverstone, Franz Tost having expected a better performance since Nyck knew these circuits quite well. So, after the British Grand Prix™, De Vries was replaced by Daniel Ricciardo, Ricciardo started his first Grand Prix with AlphaTauri, at the Hungarian Grand Prix™." - Kyleigh

How did driver transfers impact the dynamics of different teams?

"Bringing Daniel Ricciardo to AlphaTauri has helped the team gain some points, earning 6 points in the 7 races he participated in, those points being earned at the Mexico Grand Prix™, where Ricciardo finished P7. Also, with Daniel Ricciardo being in the Formula One™ world for many years, since the 2011 British Grand Prix™, he is able to give better feedback so the AlphaTauri team can make better changes." - Kyleigh

Netflix’s Drive to Survive Episodes:

What grand prix do you think would make the best Netflix’s Drive To Survive™ episode?

"For the best potential Netflix Drive to Survive™ episode, both the British and Italian Grands Prix™ featured dramatic and compelling storylines that would make for fascinating and moving Drive to Survive™ episodes. At Silverstone, fans were thrilled to see Carlos Sainz securing his maiden career victory after 150 race starts, all while holding off the fierce pressure from Sergio Perez in the Red Bull. And Zhou Guanyu's terrifying first lap crash at Alfa Romeo, where he flipped upside down and skidded towards the barriers, added a touch of thrills to the proceedings. Capturing Sainz's raw emotions and Zhou's perspective of the crash would showcase both the euphoric highs and scary dangers these drivers grapple with." - Taylor

Which team and driver do you think would get the most focus in the new Netflix’s Drive To Survive™ season?

"Red Bull's and Ferrari's showdown, including Verstappen's pursuit of Leclerc, is sure to be a key focus in the next season of Drive to Survive™. The McLaren's comeback and the highs and lows of Daniel Ricciardo's time there will also make for compelling viewing. Ricciardo has a huge fanbase in the F1 world, so hearing his thoughts on this season, on Drive to Survive™, is definitely a highlight." - Taylor

Statistics and Records:

What statistical records were broken or set during the season?

"At the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix™, Ferrari achieved their 800th podium, with Charles Leclerc’s 2nd place being the 800th podium for the team. At the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix™, McLaren broke the record for the fastest pit stop, with 1.80 seconds servicing Lando Norris during lap 27." - Seyi

Did any drivers achieve significant milestones in their careers?

"Max Verstappen broke many records this 2023 season, including most wins in a season, highest percentage of wins in a season, most consecutive wins, most consecutive wins from pole position, most wins from pole in a season, most laps led in a season, most podiums in a season, and the first driver to lead 1000 laps in a season. Oscar Piastri got his maiden win at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix™ Sprint Race. Charles Leclerc achieved 1000 career points in F1. Lando Norris and George Russell celebrated their 100th race of their F1 careers, at the 2023 United States Grand Prix™ in Austin." - Seyi

Looking Ahead:

What are the expectations and predictions for the next season based on the developments of this season?

"Expectations will be determined by teams attempting to catch up to Red Bull's dominance. The implementation of new regulations could benefit teams such as Mercedes, Aston Martin, and Haas. The eye of the storm will be on Piastri, as all eyes will be on whether he can live up to the hype. Red Bull has set a very high benchmark to beat, having demonstrated superb mastery of the new regulations with an astonishingly fast and reliable car. This will undoubtedly spur other teams to attempt to overthrow Red Bull's dominance, with further strategic investments in base operations." - Taylor

Are there any rule changes or new team/driver dynamics to anticipate?

"The 2023 season also brings more North American races, with Las Vegas added to join Miami, Austin, and Montreal. This indicates the continued growth of F1 across North America both on and off the track. At this current moment there are no eye-catching new rules but, a rule that should stay on the radar is the modifications that include raising the minimum driver weight to account for heavier new hybrid PU components." - Taylor

We're excited to see what the 2024 Formula One™ Season has in store for us F1 fans!! We hope you join us for the fun ride when it begins!