The Verstappen Era ? - DRC's 2023 Mid Season Review for Formula 1
Max Verstappen and Red Bull’s domination continued as the team won every single race this season, while others have been left to scrap for the other podium places.
Max Verstappen won the 2023 F1 Belgian GP to kickstart the summer break. We're at the halfway mark of the season as the drivers and the teams enjoy their well-deserved break. There have been a couple of races where Red Bull's superiority has been usurped in qualifying.
It happened in Baku when Charles Leclerc secured a pole position for Ferrari and then it happened in Hungary where Lewis Hamilton put together a magical lap to secure his first pole position in almost 600 days.
In all of this though, how was the first half of the season? Which F1 team proved to be a surprise package and what was one of the more shocking moments of the season?
Let's take a look at our midseason review of the 2023 F1 season.
Redbull's Unstoppable Reign
The 2023 F1 season has been defined by Red Bull Racing's incredible run, clinching an unprecedented 12 consecutive victories. This impressive achievement surpasses the legendary McLaren MP4/4's record of 11 wins in 1988. The team's absolute dominance on the track has left competitors struggling to keep up.
Although many teams previously tried to match that record but failed—Ferrari in 2002 with 10 straight victories at the height of Michael Schumacher’s dominance. Mercedes has managed to get 10 wins in a row 3 times but always came up short with the 11th win. Red Bull’s previous best attempt was last year when they got 10 wins in a row with Verstappen getting 9 wins (not consecutively) and Perez getting 1 out of those 10.
Red Bull looks unbeatable this season by not leaving a single chance for any other competitor to win a single race. If they continue to win all the races this season, it will be the first time since 1952 the British anthem hasn’t been played either for the team or for the racer at least once.
Max Verstappen's exceptional driving has been the driving force, while Sergio Perez, though behind in wins, has been consistent in the races. However, Perez's struggles in qualifying have raised concerns, prompting Red Bull to evaluate their second driver options for 2025.
How Did RB Break the Consecutive Race Win Record of McLaren?
Red Bull has broken the record for the most consecutive race wins in Formula 1 history after Max Verstappen secured the side’s 12th in a row at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Verstappen went on to win the Belgium Grand Prix and now has increased the tally to 13 wins.
The 1988 McLaren MP4/4’s iconic record holds a major contribution from the late legend Ayrton Senna. He won 7 out of 11 races leaving his teammate Alain Prost to win only 4 races in that strike.
The strike began at the maiden race of the season with Prost winning the Brazillian GP followed by Senna’s win at the San Marino GP. Further, the French man won back-to-back in Monaco and Mexico with Senna’s double win at Detroit and Canada. After that Alain Prost only grabbed a win in France which was followed by Senna 4 win strike at the British, German, Hungarian and Belgian Grand Prix.
Compared to that Red Bull win strike Sergio has contributed lesser than Prost with him only winning at Saudi Arabia and Baku. Now with the second half of the season starting soon, it would be exciting to see what Red Bull does and how Sergio saves his 2025 seat with Daniel making his return on the grid with Alpha Tauri as well.
McLaren's Phoenix-like Resurgence
The journey of McLaren in the first half of the season has been akin to a phoenix rising from the ashes.
The Woking-based team had scored just 17 points in the first seven rounds compared to last season where they scored 59. The start of the season was terrible for them, being seven-tenths slower in Monaco despite both the cars finishing in the points.
The upward trajectory for them began at Red Bull Ring. Since then, they've consistently outperformed expectations, with Lando Norris leading the charge. Norris' commendable podium finishes in the British and Hungarian Grands Prix have underscored McLaren's resurgence.
The rookie driver of the team, Oscar Piastri is the best-performing rookie currently scoring a maiden Sprint podium in the Belgian GP.
The results have been impressive so far and it looks like the team will move up the order in the championship table once the season resumes.
Mercedes: A Radical Redesign
Mercedes, initially grappling with a sluggish start, showcased a resurgence in pace, culminating in Lewis Hamilton's record-extending 104th pole position in Hungary. Although Verstappen managed to gain the edge in the first corner, Mercedes' improved performance is evident. Notably, George Russell's exceptional 12-position gain in the Hungarian GP demonstrated the team's enhanced competitiveness.
Mercedes introduced significant modifications to the front wing at Silverstone, followed by another adjustment to the endplate in Hungary which is designed to improve airflow to the rear of the car. The team also made alterations to the front suspension, decreasing the camber for better airflow along the chassis side and front of the floor, resulting in higher downforce.
Mercedes revealed revised side pods ahead of Formula 1’s Belgian Grand Prix, as it chases further gains with its W14 car.
This has a knock-on effect on how the tire wake generated by the front tire is managed.
Mercedes' performance although not enough to challenge the might of Verstappen has been that of frequent podium finishes. George Russell has had a share of bad luck, but his 7-time world champion teammate seems to have gained back the confidence in the car and has been ahead of George. Lewis got 4 podiums vs George 1 podium and now stands at 4th in the championship with 148 points vs P6 with 99 points of George.
Aston Martin’s Enigmatic Trajectory
Aston Martin embarked on the season with promises of a strong showing, with Fernando Alonso emerging as an unexpected force. In the hand of Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin was a surprise package even for its own engine manufacturer Mercedes with now him sitting behind the Red Bull duo on driver’s standing. The two-time world champion has scored 5 podiums in the initial 6 races but was now only able to climb the podium twice in the last 5 races.
Team Principal Mike Krack has pointed to a step backwards with the recent upgrade package that has dented their results allowing their rivals to race for second in the Constructors Championship. The emergence of McLaren has further threatened their position to claim P10 in race results.
In all of this chaos, the one thing that stands out is the improvement of AMR under the new Technical Director Dan Fallows. Dan Fallows is one of the ablest men in Formula 1. He previously served as head of aerodynamics in the Red Bull team and achieved a tremendous stint with them.
The results achieved by Dan Fallows and his team are there for all to see: Aston Martin has become the second force on the grid within a year, behind a seemingly unbeatable Red Bull, but ahead of automotive giants like Mercedes and Ferrari. These two teams, in particular, seem to be desperately searching for a technical identity after their respective concepts, developed at the beginning of last season, are not leading them to the desired performances.
33rd Victory for Fernando? Still Far Away.
Alonso has long stood on 32 victories in Formula 1. His last victory was in Spain in 2013, which is now more than a decade ago. This year, a 33rd win seems closer than ever at Monaco.
Alonso narrowly missed out on the pole position, which again went in Max Verstappen’s favour. Despite being in P2 for the majority of the race, he had a chance of taking the lead in the closing stages, before a failed Aston Martin strategy acted as his Achilles heel.
Alonso said, “I don’t think we’re aiming for a weekend, in Canada or any other, where we have a better chance of winning. Monaco was probably, to be honest, on our calendar, our best opportunity.”
“We were very close, just 40 or 50 milliseconds from pole position. And then in the race, obviously the opportunity with the weather that came at the end.”
Had Aston Martin fitted intermediate wet-weather tyres to his car on Lap 54 instead of slick medium-compound tyres, and had he then completed a clean out-lap with Max Verstappen pitting on Lap 55 (as he did in reality), Alonso would have emerged in the lead with 23 laps to run.
In reality, Aston Martin realised its tyre choice mistake a lap later, called Alonso back into the pits on Lap 55 and he emerged still in second place but 22 seconds behind Verstappen -- a gap that only grew over the remaining laps.
Ferrari's Qualifying Prowess vs. Race Struggles
Ferrari's enigma lies in their impressive qualifying performances. Yet, this speed has frequently eluded them on Sundays, preventing them from converting pole positions into consistent podium finishes.
The team has improved entirely from their 2020 downfall one would expect to at least be a contender for the title but, it doesn’t look like that.
The spectre of slow pit stops looms over their prospects, and the untimely departure of key personnel has further hindered their operational efficiency.
Racing Director Laurent Mekies has left the team to become AlphaTauri's next Team Principal, while Senior Design Engineer David Sanchez is heading to McLaren.
Not only this but a highlight of the operational changes that are going on has to be the departure of Mattia Binotto. He has been replaced by Fred Vassuer from Alfa Romeo. Binotto held this post from the start of 2019 to the end of the 2022 season making him 5th principal after Jean Todt in a decade.
The new addition to the pit wall has been the Indian-origin Strategy Director Ravin Jain. He has served as Race Strategy Engineer since 2016 before joining the put in 2022. The decision to appoint him as a new Strategy Director was taken after a series of blunders that cost the team the World Constructors Championship last season.
The team hasn't been able to provide a title winner car for either of the drivers with Charles ending up on the podium twice in the first half of the season and Sainz only once. Unlike Charles, there have been rumours that Sainz would be departing the team in the future most probably in 2025 to join Audi ( now Alfa Romeo Sauber ) where he would be joined by Andres Seidl with whom he has worked before in McLaren.
Alpine's Leadership Shuffle and Performance Peaks:
Alpine experienced a shakeup in leadership as CEO Laurent Rossi transitioned to specialized projects, and Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer, along with Sporting Director Alan Permane, bid farewell which was announced at the Belgian GP.
The timing of that announcement was curious. Announcing the departure of two of the most senior members of the team during the middle of a Grand Prix weekend is far from the norm.
Following a promising 2022 season, Alpine's progress in 2023 has been a mix of highs and lows.
Szafnauer's ambition for a "better fourth" has encountered challenges, most notably from rival Aston Martin. It was messy operationally in Bahrain with Esteban Ocon's flurry of penalties while the Azerbaijan GP weekend results led to Rossi publicly blasting the team as 'amateurish' next time out in Miami.
Along with this, the double DNF in Australia was a big setback for the team. Pierre Gasly overshot at the first corner, and in his attempt to get back on track he lost control of the car and collided with his teammate. The crash threatened to throw a spanner in the works for Alpine, which had plans to bring upgrades to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Indeed, the crash caused many parts to be repaired and replaced.
Not only this but a crash of teammates at Hungaroring sent Ocon into hospital for a medical checkup as his seat broke upon the impact. The Alfa Romeo driver hit the returning Daniel Ricciardo in the AlphaTauri, who in turn punted Ocon into his teammate who was fast charging from 15th. Game over for both Alpines from Lap 1. A similar thing happened in British GP as well just two weeks before this.
The only positive highlight in the first half of the season for the team is the podium finishes each in the sprint race and Sunday race.
The strong race in Monaco took some of the pressure away, and a clearly delighted Rossi was happy to be front and centre between the two drivers in the team photo that celebrated Esteban Ocon's podium finish. Rossi acknowledged the efforts put on by the team in the race which allowed them to toe to toe with Mercedes and Ferrari.
While in Spa after the action got going under a rolling start, Alpine took the decision to swap Gasly's full wets for intermediates. This saw the French driver jump ahead of the Ferraris, vaulting him up to third after each driver had pitted. Gasly was then forced to hold off the charging Red Bull of Sergio Perez and then the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton in the closing stages to seal P3. And, after a difficult start to the year for Alpine, Gasly was glad to deliver for the team.
“Well, I must say it feels amazing,” said Gasly. “I’m extremely happy to finish in the top three, especially here in Spa, which feels like a home race for us without the French Grand Prix. It was very, very difficult conditions, but I am extremely happy.
Haas: Just a Quali wonder?
The VF-23 has showcased its potential through impressive qualifying results, a testament to Haas' tenacious return. However, the team has struggled to translate these strong starts into robust race results due to notable tire degradation issues, reminiscent of Ferrari's challenges.
It has been a solid comeback for Nico Hulkenberg after his brief hiatus as a reserve driver for Aston Martin. He was drafted in to replace the underperforming Mick Schumacher, who ended up costing the team too much money in repair damage throughout 2022. By contrast, Hulkenberg has brought the car home without getting into trouble on the track, with the best race result of P7 at the Australian GP.
Kevin Magnussen, too, has demonstrated promising performances, with his P4 qualification at the Miami GP standing out. But much like his teammate experienced later in Austria, their tyre degradation problems saw him slump down to P10.
Zhou Guanyu: The Chinese Charm
Zhou Guanyu's sophomore F1 season has seen him narrow the gap to his more seasoned teammate, with four points to Bottas' five.
Notable highlights include the Spanish Grand Prix, where Zhou rose from 13th on the grid to finish ninth in what was probably his most impressive F1 performance.
The Chinese also turned heads in Qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix, sticking his Alfa in a career-best fifth on the grid, two places ahead of Bottas.
Alfa Romeo plans to bring upgrades at Monza and Suzuka With just 9 points they sit at P9 ahead of Alfa Tauri in the constructor’s championship, a stark contrast to their 2022 campaign where they finished a strong 6 by the end of the year
Engine Equalization: An Imperative Step?
Among the number of decisions taken in the last race weekend leading to summer break the prominent one was the engine equalization.
The F1 Commission asked the teams to look into ways the performance of the engine could be equalized among the existing manufacturer.
The freeze on the power unit became disadvantageous for Renault who is a manufacturer of Alpine.
“On the basis of the commitment of the PU Manufacturers, and of the performance differences reported above, the F1 Commission discussed ways to remedy this discrepancy. The Power Unit Manufacturers represented at the Commission agreed to give a mandate to the Power Unit Advisory Committee to consider this topic and bring proposals back to the Commission,” the statement read.
What awaits us ahead?
More Budget Cap Drama? - With Summer break coming close, Cost Cap chatter started flying around and rumours followed, currently the rumours suggest that 3 teams might have breached cost cap regulations. It has not been made clear what these violations are and whether any of these exceeded the cap (Like Redbull in 2021) or have made filing procedural delays/mistakes (Like Aston Martin and Williams in 2021). And according to a report by the Italian branch of Motorsport.com, once the FIA issues certificates of compliance with the 2022 cap, expected to arrive by the end of July, rumours indicate that a trio of teams will be found not to be in compliance.
How many more Records will Redbull/Max Verstappen Break?- One of the biggest records that stands threatened by Max is the consecutive wins by a driver previously set by Sebastian Vettel during the season of 2013 with dominant 9 wins in a Row starting from the 2013 Belgian GP to the 2013 Brazilian GP.
Max Verstappen’s streak started in the 2023 Miami GP and he stands with 8 wins after Winning the 2023 Belgian GP, he will equal the record at his Home race The Dutch Grand Prix and can break it at the next Race in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, which is touted to benefit the straight line efficiency of the RB19 car. What more records do you believe they can break?
How would you rate the First Half of the 2023 Season out of 10?
Tell us in the Comments
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