It’s that point of 12 months once more, when the earlier season begins to vanish into the rear-view mirror and the calendar ticks over with a brand new quantity on the finish of it to kick off anticipation for the subsequent marketing campaign. In order we put together to say goodbye to 2023, let’s replicate on every crew’s strengths and weaknesses.
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RED BULL
The nice: Trying again at how I referred to as final 12 months’s stage of efficiency “outstanding”, it’s astonishing that Crimson Bull has moved the goalposts a lot additional this time round. The automotive itself was extraordinarily robust, however its true benefit was in its all-round talents. Reliability was rock strong, pit stops have been persistently fast, technique was on level and Max Verstappen exploited all of it to the utmost in a shocking show of driver and crew concord.
The dangerous: There’s hardly something you may put on this class this 12 months, however maybe Sergio Perez’s performances want extra consideration. Crimson Bull appears to suppose it may discover methods of getting him performing extra persistently, and whereas Verstappen stepped up one other stage, the Perez of the primary few races was not the Perez of the vast majority of the remainder of the season. Oh, and Singapore. One off weekend leaves a tiny little bit of room for enchancment.
RATING: 10/10
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MERCEDES
The nice: Mercedes is one place greater up than it was a 12 months in the past, and that was constructed on a primary a part of the 12 months the place it was frequently the third-fastest automotive whereas different groups moved round extra erratically. It additionally appeared to have a extra comfy Lewis Hamilton this 12 months than final, and that translated right into a tilt at second within the drivers’ championship that will have been a major achievement if he’d pulled if off and gotten the higher of a Crimson Bull.
The dangerous: Classes weren’t discovered with the automotive idea and Mercedes was no nearer to Crimson Bull, admitting its faults instantly in the course of the first race weekend. Whereas Hamilton regarded nearer to his greatest, George Russell struggled extra, and there wasn’t a victory for the primary time since 2011. Fewer factors resulted in second general, and even that was as a result of inconsistency of others opening the door greater than Mercedes making features.
RATING: 7/10
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FERRARI
The nice: This was a 12 months when Ferrari really confirmed some actually constructive indicators, regardless of shedding out to Mercedes in the long run. In contrast to 2022, the automotive received higher because the 12 months went on, and the crew discovered extra consistency in addition to making fewer strategic errors. Carlos Sainz took a superb win in Singapore and had a extra constant 12 months than Charles Leclerc, however the latter had the vast majority of the crew’s seven pole positions and regarded again to his greatest within the ultimate phases.
The dangerous: The primary a part of the season was not good, and Ferrari didn’t actually kick on from final 12 months’s platform initially – though managerial adjustments may have produced instability on that entrance. Reliability was additionally poor in a time of frozen energy unit rules, with two failures to start out a race within the ultimate six rounds in the end costing it second place to Mercedes.
RATING: 7.5/10
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McLAREN
The nice: Let’s be sincere, the automotive improvement was fairly unimaginable, as McLaren went from being an everyday Q1 casualty to preventing for podiums, pole positions and even being within the body for victory on just a few events. Pair that with one other extraordinarily robust season from Lando Norris and a massively spectacular first 12 months from Oscar Piastri – together with a Dash win in Qatar – and there’s plenty of momentum behind Andrea Stella and his crew.
The dangerous: To be blunt, the place McLaren began the 12 months was horrible, and suggests the crew was not in an important place previous to the crew management adjustments. There have been nonetheless just a few off weekends too, although not many, and the door was nearly reopened to Aston Martin within the ultimate few rounds. It could be unfair to quote just a few qualifying errors from Norris as being overly pricey, however tied to the odd little bit of poor execution and there are areas to scrub up on either side.
RATING: 8.5/10
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ASTON MARTIN
The nice: After a great 12 months of improvement final 12 months from a low start line, it was a whole reversal in 2023. The automotive was wonderful out of the field and remodeled Aston into Crimson Bull’s nearest challenger early on, with Fernando Alonso in gorgeous kind all 12 months. To go from 55 factors in 2022 to 280 this 12 months – with eight podiums inside that – is sensational progress over your entire interval.
The dangerous: What that progress hides is the general slide from competitiveness because the season went on. Of the eight podiums, six have been scored within the first eight rounds, and the automotive’s efficiency didn’t at all times sustain with Alonso’s stage. Lance Stroll additionally had a very damaging droop alongside the automotive struggles, with out which Aston Martin would nearly actually have held McLaren off for fourth general after having fun with such a head begin.
RATING: 7.5/10
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ALPINE
The nice: There was an actual steadiness to Alpine within the sense that its drivers have been separated by simply 4 factors come the top of the season, and each Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly picked up a podium end. These standout outcomes additionally got here when the crew’s again gave the impression to be towards the wall amid upheaval or controversy, and the latter a part of the season did see a largely extra secure crew.
The dangerous: A scarcity of stability on the very high from the beginning of the 12 months led to stress being cracked up very early on, and the place of Otmar Szafnauer changing into untenable. It nonetheless feels just like the crew lacks route from Renault, with Pat Fry’s departure for Williams – citing an absence of ambition inside Alpine to maneuver greater than fourth – the right instance of how that may be damaging. Removed from being fourth, Alpine dropped a good distance behind the highest 5 and there have been additionally too many retirements on its approach to a distant sixth.
RATING: 4/10
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WILLIAMS
The nice: What a 12 months it was for Williams, given the place the crew was coming from. Eight factors in 2022 left it 27 away from the subsequent crew (AlphaTauri on that event), and showing to be adrift of the remainder of the sector. So to complete seventh – its greatest end result since 2017 – was a significant step ahead because it scored much more frequently, taking nearly each alternative. Alex Albon was the standout performer with 27 factors on his personal, however the arrival of James Vowles additionally seems to have given the crew a transparent route.
The dangerous: Williams remains to be inconsistent and had quite a few races the place it was the slowest automotive too, one thing that was accentuated by a largely robust first marketing campaign from Logan Sargeant. There have been plenty of costly crashes from the younger American mid-season, though he ironed these out, and seventh would have been much more comfortably secured if he’d backed up Albon with greater than a solitary level.
RATING: 8/10
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ALPHATAURI
The nice: There was a powerful turnaround from AlphaTauri that took it from clearly final to just about successful the combat for seventh within the closing rounds. That was actually helped by Daniel Ricciardo’s return, as he received nearer to Yuki Tsunoda than both of the opposite two drivers that raced that automotive, however Liam Lawson’s stint was additionally a spotlight. None of that ought to overshadow how spectacular Tsunoda was although, scoring on six events to steer the crew.
The dangerous: The automotive was a good distance off early within the 12 months, significantly in race trim, and Nyck de Vries struggled because of this. The Dutchman would nearly actually have carried out higher within the improved automotive, nevertheless it gave AlphaTauri a call to make. A bit like Williams, inconsistency additionally harm within the closing rounds, and because it prepares to rebrand it does really feel like a crew missing identification – one thing new crew principal Laurent Mekies and CEO Peter Bayer will look to deal with.
RATING: 6/10
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ALFA ROMEO
The nice: We’re moving into the realm the place highlights are harder to return by, however Zhou Guanyu continued his improvement and was even nearer to Valtteri Bottas this 12 months, offering Alfa Romeo with two drivers who may rating if given a aggressive automotive. Whereas that was uncommon, an improve after the summer season break did present a stronger providing, as double factors in Qatar confirmed.
The dangerous: Alfa Romeo appears like its in limbo, simply because it returns to the Sauber title earlier than later evolving into Audi. As thrilling because the final half is, it appears like there’s an absence of quick funding whereas ready for Audi’s arrival, and that confirmed in a poor automotive this season. The partnership of Andreas Seidl and James Key additionally wants to point out indicators of constructing momentum subsequent 12 months after the McLaren turnaround since their departures for Hinwil.
RATING: 4/10
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HAAS
The nice: Nico Hulkenberg’s return was designed to provide Haas extra certainty in its driver line-up and it actually did that, with wonderful performances significantly in qualifying. Factors in three of the primary 5 races – break up throughout each drivers – prompt a crew taking its probabilities, and there was a dedication to a significant mid-season improve that confirmed a bit extra ambition than has maybe been apparent lately.
The dangerous: That improve didn’t work, actually not in efficiency phrases in comparison with any of the Haas rivals that additionally up to date vehicles in the course of the 12 months. That Hulkenberg reverted to the outdated spec when given the possibility speaks volumes, whereas Kevin Magnussen was happier with the brand new automotive however that was as a result of he was going through such a tough season. Race tempo and tire put on have been each horrible, and it appears like outdated issues rearing their heads in a repeat of previous Haas weaknesses. The large fear, although, is perhaps the shortage of any impression that severe funding is being put in to maintain up with the remainder.
RATING: 3/10
