What to expect from F1 2023

A new year is upon us and we are just weeks away from the first car being unveiled ahead of the 2023 season.

Red Bull and Max Verstappen will enter the campaign as favourites following their sheer dominance last year, but can Ferrari or Mercedes fight back to challenge?

Here, GPFans takes a look at what can be expected this year.

Verstappen aims to join elite F1 group

Max Verstappen may have proven himself as a generational talent last season, such was the level of his performance, but a further level to his greatness is within reach for the Dutchman.

A third title would make Verstappen the 11th driver in F1 history to achieve the feat and would put him level with Sir Jack Brabham, Sir Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Nelson Piquet, and Ayrton Senna.

It would be hard to bet against this happening, given the margin Red Bull holds over Ferrari and Mercedes ahead of the second season of the new regulations. Both teams would need to make a significant improvement to contest with new machinery.

Team-mate Sergio Perez should take a step forward after enjoying a positive first half to his 2022 campaign, but whether the Mexican can push Verstappen all the way remains dubious.

Vasseur to help steer Ferrari to success

Following the upheaval at Ferrari, a new perspective from eyes coming from outside the Scuderia could be the spark needed at Maranello.

Mattia Binotto has moved on from his team principal role, replaced by Fred Vasseur, who steered Alfa Romeo to a top-six finish in the constructors' standings last year.

There is plenty to do for the Frenchman if Ferrari is to clinch either championship for the first time since 2008, although the title race will be a lot closer if he can organise the strategic team from the word go.

The positive for Vasseur is that he inherits two top-quality drivers in Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz who will both be able to hit the ground running, should the new car be up to scratch.

Mercedes to ride wave of 2022 momentum

Not a good season last term for the Silver Arrows but George Russell’s win at the penultimate round proves the team at Brackley knows what to do.

The W14 will provide a somewhat clean slate to put right what was so wrong with the W13 by ironing out fundamental issues with the predecessor and instantly challenging the top two teams.

Crucially, development across the season won’t be focused on eradicating porpoising which should allow Mercedes to look to adding performance upgrades to the car. This should also put an end to experimentation in free practice sessions.

Winning the title may be a stretch too far from where Mercedes is coming from, but anything other than a major step from last year would be a surprise.

All-French charge to take Alpine to the top

Alpine’s A522 was an extremely quick car and, when the environment allowed, it was able to compete with at least Mercedes and Ferrari.

Only reliability held back the French manufacturer from easily beating McLaren to fourth in the constructors’ standings.

With updates likely to solve those issues, it would be no surprise if Alpine could join the fight for regular podiums and fill the role Mercedes performed last year, bridging the gap between the top teams and the midfield.

That middle ground may provide Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly with some boring races, but it would be a leap in the right direction as Alpine aims to live up to its big-name status.

Norris fighting against McLaren tide

Andreas Seidl leaving could spark a downfall for McLaren off the back of what was a largely disappointing season.

The departure of the respected team principal comes ahead of a season that will see a need for an instant bounce back on track, with Lando Norris and new recruit Oscar Piastri eager to fight toward the front rather than the back.

But crucially, the team now has a new direction under Andrea Stella at a time when vital infrastructure upgrades are being completed, and when the future of the team is being moulded. A wrong step now and years of pain could fall McLaren’s way.

The best the team can aim for will be to keep pace with Alpine and then wait for its wind tunnel to become fully operational before making its move toward the front.

Alfa Romeo open to development

Seidl now finds himself at Sauber, which enters its last year running an Alfa Romeo F1 team as the Swiss company shapes up to become the Audi works team from 2026.

Valtteri Bottas was a crucial cog in the uptick in form for the Hinwil-based outfit last season and with the Finn driving beautifully in an underdeveloped car, the potential for improvement should be huge come the opening half of the new campaign.

Zhou Guanyu will also be far less green coming from his rookie year. The ability to consistently develop throughout the season will be a limiting factor, though, and consolidating sixth should be the team’s target.

Aston Martin will feel Vettel absence

Before any complaints are made, we are by no means demeaning the ability of Fernando Alonso to lead a team. The Spaniard is, after all, a great of modern F1.

But Sebastian Vettel had this galvanising power no matter where the team was on the grid to lift and inspire the entire workforce.

Alonso may have been one of the standout performers on track last year but with Aston Martin’s factory close to completion, the two-time champion will need to get his hands dirty to develop the team.

Lance Stroll showed glimpses of his potential alongside Vettel but will need to become more consistent alongside Alonso, otherwise, his end-of-year results will be ugly reading for the Canadian.

Haas to capitalise on cash injection

Finally, Haas seems to have found a dependable primary sponsor to largely fund its operations by signing up with MoneyGram.

If last year was a taster for what the American team could achieve when on a level playing field, then the future is bright for Haas.

The move to bring Nico Hulkenberg back from a sabbatical is an intriguing one, but points to a focus on car development for the team that may see its best form shine through from 2024 onwards.

Team principal Guenther Steiner has labelled Ferrari’s new engine as “the bomb”, so consistent points scoring will be the aim.

De Vries out to prove F1’s mistake in late promotion

You would be hard-pressed to find anyone who believed Nyck de Vries didn’t deserve a spot in F1 after his F2 championship-winning campaign.

The Dutchman has since forged a championship-winning career in Formula E whilst also impressing in sportscars. He is essentially lighting fast behind the wheel of anything that moves!

But the stand-in performance for Williams at Monza last season was the day that likely ensured his place on the grid this year.

He joins an AlphaTauri team in disarray after a difficult 2022 filled with weight issues on the AT03. This will almost certainly be improved in a car that did show flashes of pace, which bodes well for de Vries and team-mate Yuki Tsunoda.

There should be a four-way fight for sixth in the constructors’ standings and de Vries will be AlphaTauri’s key. He will be out to prove wrong those who denied him an initial chance.

Williams face a fight to avoid being bottom - again!

Williams should have taken a step forward last year but ended up falling further behind.

Alex Albon was a shining light for the team but a car that was woefully uncompetitive was ultimately the straw that broke the camel's back for owners Dorilton Capital, with Jost Capito stepping down as CEO and team principal, followed out of the door by technical director FX Demaison.

In Logan Sargeant, the team has commercial viability and a very talented young American who has proven his worth in the junior categories.

But that attention will be no good if the cars are trundling around at the back of the grid.

Williams may be well informed to turn focus to a reset in 2024.

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