Formula 1 2023 season: Presenting the schedule and driver line-ups
The Formula 1 2023 season will witness a record-breaking 23 races, starting with the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 5. The season will conclude on November 26 in Abu Dhabi. Interestingly, there will be a record six Sprint races in 2023. Two-time winner and reigning champion Max Verstappen will be raring to pocket his third World Drivers Championship (WDC). Here's more.
Las Vegas to make Grand Prix debut in 2023
There will be only one pre-season test in 2023, in Bahrain from February 23-25. Interestingly, there were supposed to be 24 races in the 2023 calendar, however, the cancellation of the Chinese GP brought the count to 23, with Formula 1 currently considering a replacement. The 2023 edition features the maiden Las Vegas Grand Prix besides six Sprint weekends.
Six sprint races in the 2023 season
As stated, there will be a total of six Sprint races in the upcoming season: Azerbaijan GP, Austrian GP, Belgian GP, Qatar GP, United States GP, and Brazilian GP. There were only three such races in 2021 (inaugural edition) and 2022. Verstappen holds the record for most Sprint race wins in F1 (3). He steered clear of Valtteri Bottas (2).
A look at the schedule (March-August)
March 5: Bahrain (Sakhir) March 19: Saudi Arabia (Jeddah) April 2: Australia (Melbourne) April 30: Azerbaijan (Baku)* May 7: Miami (Miami) May 21: Emilia Romagna (Imola) May 28: Monaco (Monaco) June 4: Spain (Barcelona) June 18: Canada (Montreal) July 2: Austria (Spielberg)* July 9: Great Britain (Silverstone) July 23: Hungary (Budapest) July 30: Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps)* August 27: Netherlands (Zandvoort)
Here's the schedule for September - November
September 3: Italy (Monza) September 17: Singapore (Marina Bay) September 24: Japan (Suzuka) October 8: Qatar (Losail)* October 22: USA (Austin)* October 29: Mexico (Mexico City) November 5: Brazil (Sao Paulo)* November 18: Las Vegas November 26: Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina)
Here's how the teams will be lined-up
Red Bull: Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez Ferrari: Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Mercedes: Lewis Hamilton and George Russell Alpine: Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly McLaren: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri Alfa Romeo: Valterri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu Haas: Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll AlphaTauri: Yuki Tsunoda and Nyck de Vries Williams: Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant
A look at the 2022 Driver Standings
Verstappen finished the 2022 season with 454 points in his kitty. Leclerc (308) concluded second, with Perez trailing him at third (305). Russell (275) wound up fourth, with Sainz at fifth (246). Meanwhile, seven-time champion Hamilton sealed the sixth spot with 240 points, way ahead of Norris (122).
15 Grand Prix wins in 2022
Verstappen's 15 F1 race wins in a season are the most by an individual in a single F1 campaign. He broke the previous record of 13 races held by Michael Schumacher (2004) and a recently retired Sebastian Vettel (2013) at the Mexican Grand Prix. It's the total number of wins by F1 legends Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna in McLaren's near-perfect campaign in 1988.
5 consecutive race wins in 2022
Verstappen secured five successive races midway through the 2022 season, namely the French GP, Hungarian GP, Belgian GP, Dutch GP, and Italian GP, only for the streak to be broken in Singapore GP. It's the joint-fourth-highest streak by a driver in F1. He equaled Jack Brabham (1960), Jim Clark (1965), Nigel Mansell (1992), Schumacher (2004), and Hamilton (2014, 2020).
