Buckle Up for F1 2023
An Introduction to the Major Players, Teams, Hype and Controversy
Last weekend after the sun had set in Bahrain, the floodlights illuminated the spectacular desert circuit and the start of the 2023 Formula One Championship commenced. Current World Champion Max Verstappen managed to seal victory in style after Red Bull dominated the race with team-mate Sergio Perez coming in P2. Red Bull were a class above the rest of the grid, and this was not unexpected after a thoroughly impressive pre-season. With Ferrari's Charles Leclerc retiring from the race, Fernando Alonso managed to get himself onto the podium passing the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz to claim a brilliant third place on, what was his Aston Martin debut. Incredibly although Alonso finished third, he was over 40 seconds behind Max Verstappen which emphasises the huge gap between Christian Horner’s team and the rest of the paddock.
Of all the seasons to play catch up, this is the year with this Championship set to feature a record-breaking 23 races with the addition Qatar, as well a Saturday night race in Las Vegas. The third American race will be the penultimate race of the season and will see the cars battle along the famous strip which will certainly be a sight to behold.
The French GP, Circuit Paul Ricard, is the sole circuit that is being cut which is a huge shame considering that the only French F1 manufacturer Alpine now has two French drivers, with Pierre Gasly joining Esteban Ocon.
Monaco and Belgium have both managed to retain their places on the calendar amid speculation that these two circuits were to be cut. FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said that the presence of 23 races on the 2023 FIA F1 World Championship calendar is “further evidence of the growth and appeal of the sport on a more global scale.”
With the increase in popularity of the sport throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, the owners of F1, Liberty Media Corporation, wanted to expand the calendar and seize the opportunity as the fanbase increases. The Netflix show ‘Drive to Survive’, a series which gives insights into tensions and dynamics behind the paddock has widened the F1 audience. Additionally, Formula One was one of few sports that kept competing throughout the pandemic.
F1 had announced that it wanted to make the 2023 schedule more regional to avoid unnecessary travel around the world however some of the races remain extremely spread out, especially in North America. F1’s credibility when it comes to doing its bit to help reduce its emissions is not helped when great plays are initially made of the regional scheduling, and we end up with a seemingly bizarre calendar which sees the F1 circuit travel from Azerbaijan to Miami and then back to Italy for the Grand Prix in Imola. Although I understand it is the last two races of the season, it still seems ludicrous to have a race in Las Vegas and then days later one in Abu Dhabi – that’s 8,200 miles, a 17 plus hour flights & an 11-hour time difference!
An important consideration that has been made is for the F1 schedule to avoid a direct clash with the Le Mans 24 Hours. This prestigious endurance-focused sports car race is held annually near the town of Le Mans, France, and is the world’s oldest active endurance racing event. It is due to take place on 10-11 June, which will be the week between the Spanish and Canadian Grand Prix. There has also been a discussion about whether there are too many races in the calendar with the 2023 calendar having 23 races in comparison to the 16 circuits in 2003.
This weekend Formula One heads to Saudia Arabia for the second race of the season and if you want to watch with fellow fans the Motorsport Society have race viewings which take place in Sandys Bar in the SU.
Image: Wikimedia Commons