Another season has come to a close, and thus Formula 1 fans are granted a brief pause while being lulled to sleep by the Dutch and Austrian National Anthems. The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last Sunday added to this season’s consistency as Max Verstappen secured his 54th race win, claiming Sebastian Vettel’s previously held third-place position for most races won by a single driver. Verstappen’s dominance needs no more coverage, but rather it is time to give credit where it is due and identify the winners and losers of the 2023 season.
LOSER: Sergio Perez
Sergio Perez had an uncomfortable season up against the unparalleled success of Verstappen, especially as Red Bull’s reserve driver and fan favourite Daniel Ricciardo made a comeback mid-season to replace Nick DeVries’s seat at AlphaTauri. Although he earned second place in the Driving Championship, Perez’s underperformance was amplified by earning less than half the points of his teammate in equal machinery and consistently poor showings in qualifying, sparking questions regarding his security in Red Bull for the coming seasons.
WINNER: Carlos Sainz
Carlos Sainz was the only non-Red Bull driver to win a Grand Prix this season with his victory in Singapore. Ferrari’s lacklustre and confusing strategy this year has disappointed many, including both of its drivers, but Sainz demonstrated tactical genius in Singapore by keeping former teammate Lando Norris within DRS range as a means to prevent overtakes by Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, entertaining viewers frustrated with the predictability of a monopolised season.
WINNER: Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, and McLaren Racing
Both McLaren drivers achieved mass success after some exceptional updates were made mid-season to the MCL60. Oscar Piastri won the sprint race in the Japanese Grand Prix, racked up 97 points in the Driver’s Championship, and was on the podium twice, rounding out the best rookie season the sport has seen since Hamilton in the same livery.
Piastri’s teammate, Norris, outperformed all expectations by regularly receiving podium positions and was the highest point scorer behind Verstappen towards the tail end of the season.
LOSERS: Nick DeVries and Logan Sargeant
This year, three rookies joined the grid, two completed the season, and only one has received a contract extension. DeVries was replaced by Ricciardo in July of this year due to underperformance, disappearing to the back of the grid so regularly that Sainz thought there was “debris” on the track rather than his competitor in an Austrian radio clip. As for Logan Sargeant, Williams only announced on Friday evening that they would be continuing their relationship with the first American point receiver in over three decades, possibly due to an overall underwhelming season performance.
WINNER: Alexander Albon and Williams Racing
Alexander Albon had a fantastic season, earning all but one of the points needed to solidify Williams’ seventh-place result in the Constructors championship. From a fantastic display of defensive driving in Montreal to qualifying fourth in Spa, Albon has proven himself capable of providing consistently miraculous results in what is largely considered one of the least advanced cars on the grid.
The future of many drivers remains uncertain – will Perez keep his seat for next season now that Ricciardo is back on the grid? Will Ferrari and Mercedes make the dramatic comebacks they’ve been dreaming of? Will Norris finally win his first race in Formula 1? Regardless of who remains on the grid or what the 2024 season will bring, we will all be waiting patiently for lights out in Bahrain.
“Montmelo F1 2023” by jmiguel.rodriguez is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.