Max Verstappen has undeniably delivered one of the most dominating performances in the history of the sport. The Red Bull driver secured the drivers’ championship with six races to spare, setting a new record in the process.
Reflecting on the 2023 season, it is evident that it deviated from the classic norm. From the inaugural race to the concluding one at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi, Red Bull’s unmistakable dominance permeated the entire Formula 1 grid. Despite halting development on the 2023 car as early as June, the Milton Keynes team continued to assert its supremacy with the formidable RB19 car.
According to assessments from AutoSport.com, this stands as the greatest single season by any driver or Formula 1 team in the sport’s storied history.
So, what are the takeaways from the 2023 F1 season? Who fared best and who was the most underwhelming driver from the class of 2023 in the longest season of F1 we have ever had? FLOS takes a deep dive into the 2023 season and ranks them accordingly.
Driver of the Season — Max Verstappen
The title of the season’s standout driver unequivocally belongs to Max Verstappen. At 26, the Dutchman executed a stellar performance, backed by impressive statistics. Although having the fastest car on the grid undoubtedly played a role, Verstappen’s ability to consistently deliver results cannot be overlooked.
His unwavering consistency, coupled with an unrelenting approach, deserves admiration. With an astounding 19 victories and 575 points, Verstappen unequivocally outshone his peers on the F1 grid. ESPN F1 reports a historic feat for Verstappen: he became the first driver in F1 history to lead over 1000 laps in a single season (precisely 1003 laps) with the combined laps led by the other 21 drivers branding at 264.
Moreover, only 8 Constructors in F1 history have recorded a higher percentage of laps led in a season than Verstappen alone in 2023. To cap it off, Verstappen graced every podium in every race bar the Singapore Grand Prix, where he finished fifth due to a team setup error.
Team of the season — Red Bull Racing
Once again, it’s not too hard to claim that Red Bull Racing were the most imperious team of the season. When you clinch victories in 21 out of 22 races in a season, there aren’t too many alternatives left on the grid that stand as competitors.
This achievement is further magnified given that the team were allotted less development time is worthy testament to their dominance and thus also making them favourites (unsurprisingly) for next season.
As reported by Formula1.com, the Red Bull team recorded 21 race victories, 5 Sprint race victories, 14 pole positions, 30 podiums, 11 fastest laps and 860 points in total which stands as a record for any F1 team in the sport’s 73-year history.
Surprise Team of the Season — Aston Martin
If there was an ‘early-season title’ handed out after the first few races of the season, then Aston Martin would have been the standout choice. The Silverstone-based team made an immense stride from their struggle of the 2022 season to finish with a total of 280 points on the constructors’ standings, despite a midseason struggle, which was characterised by the dip in performance, the team came back alive at the Brazilian Grand Prix, with both drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll finishing P3 and P5 respectively. Their end-of-season form gives them a perfect platform to take the next step in terms of challenging for bigger prizes in the future.
Underwhelming Team of the Season — Mercedes
It has been a story of doom and gloom narrating about Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes AMG, who failed to secure a win throughout the season.
The Brackley-based team, who dominated the turbo hybrid era including storming to eight consecutive Constructors’ titles between 2014 and 2021 failed to come alive since the shift to the ground-effect era.
While they still did well to finish as the ‘best of the rest’ in second place in the Constructors’ Championship after a difficult season, their performances through 2023 left many at the German team scratching their heads, leading to an admission that the team had fundamentally misjudged their concept and were planning to start all over again with next season’s car.
The one positive was they managed to tie Hamilton down to a two-year contract extension at the end of August till 2025.
Most Disappointing Driver of the Season — Nyck de Vries
The most disappointing performer of the season undoubtedly goes to Nyck de Vries. This revelation shouldn’t be overly surprising, considering the 28-year-old was the sole driver to lose his seat during the season, managing only a best finish of P12 in Monaco. It raises questions about whether Helmut Marko acted hastily in signing de Vries, possibly swayed by his points finish in the wildcard 2022 drive at Monza.
It’s worth acknowledging that the AlphaTauri hasn’t proven to be the car of choice, a stark irony given that its sister team, Red Bull, is shattering records. However, Nyck exhibited minimal growth leading up to his dismissal after Silverstone, failing to score any points throughout the season. Consequently, it comes as no surprise that he has been shown the door.
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