The 2023 F1 Season So Far
The 2023 F1 season is now four months old and we are already starting to get a picture of how everything might go this year. Before the first race in Bahrain, the main question was could anyone stop Max Verstappen from claiming a third consecutive Drivers’ Championship? Racing fans also were also eagerly anticipating the latest addition to the calendar – the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
That penultimate race of the season is still a few months away yet. But the excitement has been just about constant in F1 circles. If you are figuring out how to bet on F1 you will have been reading all the previews and reports that you can to get your information. But here is a quick recap of the 2023 F1 season so far to get you up to speed.
Max Starts Where He Left Off
Max Verstappen had won the 2022 Drivers’ Championship long before the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last November, the final race of the season. But it was fitting that the Dutchman took the chequered flag that day after dominating the sport once again. The first race of this year made for a very familiar feeling.
In a sign of things to come, Verstappen cruised to victory a full 12 seconds ahead of teammate Sergio Pérez. Everything seemed so easy for Red Bull number one as he controlled the race from pole to flag and sent an early warning sign to the rest of the field – he is still the man to beat.
Pérez Steps Up
Verstappen had to contend with driveshaft issues in qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix but still came through to take second. That was undoubtedly a spectacular effort – but it was Red Bull Racing teammate Sergio Pérez that took the ultimate plaudits.
It was something of a revenge for the Mexican driver, as he really should have won this race in 2022. But a first victory of the year – in only the second Grand Prix – backed up his ambitions to become a challenger, not just a foil for Verstappen. Another win in Azerbaijan a month later only helped his cause.
Red Bull Domination
It may be very early in the season but there are plenty of people around F1 that are already predicting that Red Bull could pull off a clean sweep this year. After winning 17 of 22 in 2022, the challenge seemed to be taken on by the constructor and it now doesn’t even feel that unlikely.
Verstappen looks odds on to win another Drivers’ Championship, but Pérez has shown that he will take every opportunity he can to take the chequered flag when given the chance. Fernando Alonso has helped Aston Martin become relevant again – but at the moment it doesn’t seem like anyone is going to rival Red Bull.
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