Triumphs, Turmoil, and Tenacity: Lewis Hamilton's 2023 Season

F1 in 2023 saw a roller coaster ride for seven-time world champ Lewis Hamilton. While his Mercedes car struggled to keep up with the pace of frontrunners Red Bull, Hamilton was able to showcase his driving talent as he took the W14 to the edge of its capability. His driving remained as sharp as ever, reflecting his unwavering determination to fight at the front of the pack.

Hamilton still sits amidst a drought in race wins, but this hasn’t stopped him from putting on fantastic show and fighting right up to P3 in the championship, at times nearly beating out Red Bull’s Sergio Perez for P2. Following a low in 2022 where the Brit was only able to secure P6 in the standings, 2023, despite its dramas, showed promising improvements from both Hamilton and Mercedes.

Let’s take a closer look at our highs and lows from Sir Lewis Hamilton’s year, and what we’re excited for in 2024…

The Highs

Australian Grand Prix

A chaotic race in Australia saw Lewis Hamilton claim his first podium of the season. After a strong start by both Mercedes drivers and clever strategy calls throughout the numerous incidents on track, Hamilton was able to showcase his driving talent and eventually work his way onto the podium. On the way up he provided plenty of on track entertainment, with the closest battle with Aston Martin yet in the season.

Bagging much needed points that would ultimately secure his position as the ‘best of the rest’ after Red Bull in the final standings, this was certainly a highlight in the opening stages of the 2023 season.

Canadian Grand Prix

Starting P3 alongside teammate George Russell, the Canadian Grand Prix proved another successful outing for Lewis. Fighting hard with Alonso throughout the afternoon, Hamilton had to eventually concede P2 to Alonso, but not without a fight that provided plenty of entertainment for those watching! It was great to see these two F1 veterans battle it out, wheel-to-wheel, for top points in a race weekend. Hamilton showed consistent performance throughout the race, pushing the car to the absolute limit against an arguably faster Aston Martin.

British Grand Prix

Putting on a stellar show for his home crowd, Hamilton made his way up the order throughout the race, and, thanks to a well-timed pit stop during a virtual safety car, was able to jump into P3 and overtake the faster McLaren of Oscar Piastri in the pits. In the closing stages of the race, Lewis, on softer tyres, kept the pressure on Norris in P2, resulting in a spectacular battle that left us British fans feeling a little conflicted! Eventually finishing in P3, the British Grand Prix resulted in a double-Brit podium for the home crowd, getting us all very excited!

Mexican Grand Prix

A consistent and fast drive from Hamilton during the Mexican Grand Prix saw his P6 start translated into podium finish in P2. Following a crash involving Magnussen’s Haas, the red flags were brought out and when the race restarted, Hamilton was sat ready to go on medium tyres, pushing past Leclerc and ultimately claiming second position behind Verstappen. Lewis and the team were impressed by the performance of the car throughout the weekend, reflected in a fantastic result for the driver.

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The Lows

United States Grand Prix

The US Grand Prix saw Hamilton in a close battle with Max Verstappen in the closing stages of the race, looking like the closest Hamilton would get to a victory since 2021. Starting P3, Hamilton made his way up to second after a late overtake on Norris, and was running towards Verstappen’s rear wing towards the end of the race. Giving it absolutely everything, and ultimately settling for P2, the race showed the driver and car in good competitive form. However, all was to little avail and due to a breach of technical regulations, Hamilton was later disqualified from the race and received no points. Not the end to a great weekend he or the team were hoping for.

Qatar Grand Prix

Following a strong qualifying performance from both Mercedes drivers, the Qatar Grand Prix looked set to provide a solid result for the Hamilton and the team. However, following a strong start from both, Hamilton was left having to retire from the race at the first corner following a collision with his teammate, leaving him with a DNF on his record.

A year that, on the surface, appeared to be another sub-par outing for Hamilton and the team, but on closer inspection, a P3 in the Drivers’ Championship, P2 in Constructors, and several seriously impressive drives from Hamilton made 2023 the promising beginnings of a more competitive Mercedes. Will Red Bull continue their incredible dominance into the new season? Only time will tell, but we’re certainly excited to see what Mercedes and the other teams have in store to take on Red Bull in 2024.