Formula 1: Teams and Drivers 2023

The start of the F1 race season is upon us; and this year’s championship looks set to have all the drama, suspense and surprises we could hope for. With seasoned drivers and several rookies on the grid together, things could get interesting.

Ahead of Race 1 in Bahrain this weekend, let’s recap the teams and drivers you’ll be getting familiar with over the 2023 season.

Red Bull
Max Verstappen – #1
Sergio Perez – #11

The two-time world champion will be looking to make it three-in-a-row in 2023, with support from his teammate who, while boasting plenty of experience and skill, has yet to bag more than a handful of wins. Can the duo continue their 2022 form?

Ferrari
Charles Leclerc – #16
Carlos Sainz – #55

The Scuderia Ferrari team maintains the status quo for 2023 by retaining drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. A charismatic duo, the Tifosi will be hoping the team will be in the title hunt this year after a disappointing 2022. Will we see a Ferrari back on our podium this year?

Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton – #44
George Russell – #63

Mercedes is also sticking to their 2022 line up with British drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell looking to capitalise on the team’s improvement towards the end of the 2022 season. With Hamilton chasing an eighth world championship and Russell looking for his first, there’s all to play for if the team can move on from their disappointing 2022.

McLaren
Lando Norris – #4
Oscar Piastri – #81

McLaren had one of the more dramatic silly seasons last year, but the youthful duo of Norris and Piastri looks set to give us some fireworks on track, too, in 2023. The only driver outside the ‘big three’ teams to nab a podium in 2022, Brit Norris will be looking to improve on that tally this season.

Alpine
Pierre Gasly – #10
Esteban Ocon – #31

An all-French line up at Alpine reunites Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon in 2023. Fairly evenly matched, both drivers have won a race, though Ocon’s prior experience within the team could give him the edge. Alpine will be looking to edge out main rivals McLaren and lead the ‘best of the rest’ this year.

Alfa Romeo
Zhou Guanyu – #24
Valtteri Bottas – #77

Always a bit of a dark horse, Alfa Romeo put in a strong performance in 2022 with drivers Zhou and Bottas getting the most out of the car to help the team to a sixth-place finish in the championship. Now Zhou has his rookie season under his belt, and after some promising indications in Bahrain testing, what can Alfa Romeo achieve?

Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso – #14
Lance Stroll – #18

Wherever F1 legend Fernando Alonso goes, excitement is sure to follow. That’s definitely what Aston Martin is hoping for this year, after drafting in Alonso to replace departing Sebastian Vettel to partner Lance Stroll for 2023. Alonso has shown some competitive edge in testing, but it remains to be seen whether the AMR23 has what it takes in his capable hands to push the team upwards on the grid.

AlphaTauri
Yuki Tsunoda – #22
Nyck de Vries – #21

Fans of the Gasly/Tsunoda bromance will be disappointed to see Pierre depart for Alpine, but no doubt intrigued as to what rookie Nick de Vries can bring to the team. An impressive performance as a stand-in for Albon at Williams in Italy last year secured de Vries his spot in F1; what can he do at AlphaTauri in 2023?

Williams
Logan Sargeant – #2
Alex Albon – #23

Williams have retained the steady experience of Alex Albon for 2023 but are shaking things up with the introduction of American rookie Logan Sergeant. It’s to be hoped that a bit of new blood will inject a spark into the team and lead to more points gathering this season to avoid the dreaded last-place finish again.

Haas
Kevin Magnussen – #20
Nico Hulkenberg – #27

Nobody expected that! Haas dropped a surprise bombshell announcing that Nico Hulkenberg would partner Kevin Magnussen for the 2023 season. It’s clear the team is banking on experience to push them up the order this year, but with no race wins and only one podium between them, it remains to be seen whether this popular pairing can get the job done.