Welcome Drivers!

Race week if finally here and we are only a couple days from the first practice sessions of the season! Given that we are so close to the start of the 2023 season, we have started going through all of the drivers who will be taking part.

This post is part 2 of the Driver Profile series. We covered the “Pretenders” in our previous post. These are the drivers that we feel will not be competing for wins or championships this season. If you missed it, follow the link below and have a read.

This post will be covering who we think we be the main players this season. All but one of the drivers mentioned below already have race wins to their name and we think their teams have given them a car that will be able to compete for wins again this season.

We are calling these drivers our “Contenders.” Each one of these drivers are capable of winning races when given a quick car. We have provided a driver overview for each driver and also give our thoughts on their chances in 2023.

Lets get started going through our Contenders this season! We are anticipating that one of the names mentioned below will be standing on the top step in 2023!

The Contenders: Driver Profiles

Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

The two-time defending driver’s champion Max Verstappen is looking for his 3rd title in as many years and it looks like the RB19 is up for the challenge. Verstappen was flat out dominant last season racking up 15 wins on his way to his second championship and Red Bull’s first constructors championship since 2013. This season has the potential to be more of the same for the Dutch driver. The RB19 was outstanding in testing this past week and there is no reason to think that Verstappen isn’t the favorite to start the 2023 season.

Sergio Perez (Red Bull)

Sergio “Checo” Perez has arguably the best driver pairing with Verstappen. Their styles compliment each other and it is the primary reason Red Bull was able to take home the constructors championship last season. He finished in P3 last season with just 3 points separating him and Leclerc. Checo has pulled in 3 wins in the past 2 seasons with Red Bull and certainly will have more opportunities to keep winning this year. Checo will be eyeing to close the gap to his teammate and give himself a shot at the driver’s championship this season.

Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

Charles Leclerc was the leader in Ferrari’s resurgent season last year. He was able to finish runner-up to Verstappen last season in what was his best season in F1. He will be looking to close the gap to Verstappen this season. He had a hefty lead at the beginning of last season but that faded throughout the year. Leclerc will be looking to get out to a fast start again this season and would prefer to keep pace with Red Bull for the entirety of the season. Given Ferrari’s pace in testing, he will be Verstappen’s main challenger for the title.

Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

Sainz had an up and down year for Ferrari last year. He was able to get his first win in F1 at Silverstone but ended the year with 6 DNFs to his name. He will be looking to become more consistent in the SF-23 this year and hopefully propel himself into the top 3 of the championship. The Spanish driver has it in him as he was able to beat his teammate Leclerc in the 2021 season. As long as he can finish races, Carlos should be right up with the leaders throughout the season.

Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

The 7-time world driver’s champion Lewis Hamilton had a frustrating season in 2022. It was his first year without winning a race which is an absolutely ridiculous stat. Mercedes suffered from severe bouncing and only really recovered near the end of the year. The W14 looks to be much improved and anytime Hamilton gets his hands on a capable car he is always in the hunt for a championship. Don’t count him out just yet.

George Russell (Mercedes)

George Russell is F1’s newest race winner after he was able to bag Mercedes only win last season. He performed well in his first year at Mercedes and actually scored more points than Hamilton. He is a strong driver that makes the most of any opportunity he is given. If the W14 is up to par with the other top teams, we expect Russell to be coming away with more than just one win this season.

Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

Fernando Alonso is the most tenured driver on the grid. The two-time world champion is now with Aston Martin and showcased their supposed new-found pace in testing. Alonso has been leading the hype train around Aston Martin this offseason and if that hype is legit, expect Alonso to be fighting with Mercedes and potentially Ferrari. He has the most experience of anyone out there and we could see him on the top step for the first time since 2013.

Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

This may come as a surprise to most F1 fans but if Aston Martin has a competitive car then we think Stroll is talented enough to make the most of it. He has finished on the podium three times in his career all with a car less competitive than the AMR23 supposedly is this season. If he ends up competing at the top it would be one of the largest jumps season over season as he placed 15th in the drivers standings last year with a weaker car.

Esteban Ocon (Alpine)

Esteban Ocon is looking to realistically fight for wins for the first time in his career. He has one win under his belt at the Hungarian GP in 2021 but that was more a result of crazy circumstance than a legitimate win. Alpine didn’t overly impress in the testing but there are rumors that they are holding back pace. If Alpine have a quality car that is reliable, expect Ocon to get more opportunities at the front.

Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

Gasly will be on a truly competitive team for the first time since his short 2019 stint with Red Bull. Gasly also has a race win at Monza and has shown many times at AlphaTauri that he deserves a car that is worth his talent. We think he is finally getting that with Alpine. The team struggled with reliability last year but if they can get that under control we know Gasly has the pace to go for wins in 2023.

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We will be back tomorrow with a brief overview of the Bahrain GP and what the race results have foreshadowed for the last 6 seasons. Later this week we will reveal our Bahrain GP predictions!

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