The offseason in Formula 1 is the time to sum up the intermediate results of the first half of the championship. After each stage, its author evaluated the performance of each pilot, and it was time to find out what came out of it all.
Summarizing the results of the first half of the 2023 season based on our most subjective assessments.
2023 turns out to be a busy year in F-1:
Stories
9 main events of the first part of the Formula 1 season
21. Nick de Vries (average score – 4.35 / total – 43.5)
The Dutchman became the main disappointment of the season and naturally lost his place in the team even before the summer break. It was assumed that due to his experience in the youth series and the three years spent in Formula E, de Vries would be stable and, if not immediately, then at least after the first few races, would be at the pace of Yuki Tsunoda.
Unfortunately, Nick did not live up to expectations. De Vries regularly made mistakes and went off track, in ten qualifying he was only able to overtake Tsunoda twice and in the end he personally missed an opportunity in Formula 1; now hardly anyone will give the Dutchman a place in the team. The 28-year-old will have to find a new championship for himself.
Once, Ferrari kicked out a driver after the first stage:
8 high-profile cases when Formula 1 drivers left the team right during the season
20. Logan Sargent (4.67/56)
Another rookie, Logan Sargent, looked a bit better in the first half of the 2023 season. However, the American has only one season in Formula 2 under his belt, and expectations for his performances were initially lower. Also, Williams is ready to give the rookie time, while Red Bull has a couple of more promising drivers on the bench.
Sargent after the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix
Photo: Dan Mullan/Getty Images
Logan has never been ahead of Albon in qualifying and often seems slower than the Thai, but Alex is one of the most underrated drivers in the championship, and there should be no shame in a rookie losing to him. More worrisome are Sargent’s regular mistakes and lack of stability, but they can be forgiven if there’s noticeable progress in the second half of the season.
Even Williams is worth nearly a billion dollars:
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19. Guanyu Zhou (5.38 / 64.5)
In the 2022 season – 15th (5.6 points).
More was expected in the 2023 season in Guanyu Zhou’s paddock, however, in the second year in Formula 1, the Chinese does not show any clear progress. For example, in 12 qualifying this year, Zhou was four times ahead of Bottas, while in the last 12 stages of the 2022 season, he was five times faster than Valtteri. Also, in Hungary, Guanyu made a block in the first turn, and in Belgium, he lost more than a second to his teammate in qualifying.
If in the second half of the season Zhou makes mistakes again and does not accelerate, his time in Formula 1 may come to an end. One of the main contenders for a place in the cockpit is Theo Purscher from Sauber’s youth programme, and before the summer break the Frenchman took the lead in Formula 2. Guanyu has ten races to prove he is better than Purscher. There are, however, other candidates.
Lockout on the Hungaroring:
Photo
The F-1 driver fell asleep at first, and then knocked out three! Bowling at the Hungarian Grand Prix by Zhou
18.Kevin Magnussen (5.83/70)
In the 2022 – 14 season (5.6).
Magnussen could not cope with Hulkenberg and, in the context of the German, he clearly looks behind. Considering Haas’ race pace this year, points scored aren’t the most significant parameter (although Hulk has nine points to Kevin’s two). The results of the qualifications look much brighter: Hulkenberg leads with a score of 9-2, while Magnussen reached Q3 just once in the first half of the season, while his teammate reached the final six times. .
Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg
Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images
Such a resounding defeat for the driver, who had previously missed three seasons, could engulf the Dane’s career. Magnussen, let’s remember, was going to dedicate himself to endurance racing and only after the dismissal of Nikita Mazepin did he return to the grid. If Kevin doesn’t correct the situation in the intra-team fight, he will just have to trust that Haas will continue to be afraid of working with young drivers.
Magnussen is among the main relegation candidates:
Who will be kicked out next in F1? 6 cyclists who risk sharing the fate of de Vries
17. Spear Walk (6.04/72.5)
In the 2022 – 17 season (5.5).
This year, Stroll received the most competitive car of his career: in the first races, Aston Martin allowed them to get ahead of Mercedes and Ferrari and get on the podium, which Alonso demonstrated. For the Canadian, the best result was fourth place at the Australian Grand Prix, in which Lance made a mistake on the restart, went to the gravel and only by decision of the judges did he retain his position.
The fact that Stroll is not Alonso has long been suspected in the paddock, but the gap between the Aston Martin drivers is reminiscent of 2018, in which Fernando simply ripped Vandorn apart. The Canadian, unlike Stoffel, is unlikely to be kicked off the team; After all, he was created for Lance’s sake, yet the best chance of his career turns out to be the biggest blow to his Stroll reputation.
In a sense, Stroll’s failures work in the team’s favor:
Owner’s son tearing down Aston Martin? Yes, but it’s too early to fire Stroll Jr.
16. Sergio Perez (6.04 / 72.5)
In the 2022 season – 8th (6.8).
Pérez found himself in a similar situation: he has in his hands the best car in the field, which no one has managed to beat yet, but Cheko makes mistakes and is inferior in pace to Max at key moments. At first, Sergio managed to fight Verstappen: after four stages, the gap was only six points, but then there was a race in Miami, where Max, on worn tires, drove at the pace of a teammate and took his victory.
Sergio Pérez on the podium in Belgium
Photo: Dan Mullan/Getty Images
This loss probably hurt Perez, he tried to jump over his head and started making mistakes. An accident in Monaco, a relegation in Barcelona, as well as poor qualifications in Montreal and Spielberg threw Sergio so far that he himself admitted that the fight against Verstappen was over in the general classification. It’s a shame, but the best thing Cheko can do now is show that he’s still a good co-driver.
In F-1 there is a promising driver to replace Pérez:
In Formula 1, a supernova. Ferrari and Red Bull will chase him
15.Pierre Gasly (6.17 / 74)
In the 2022-13 season (6.0).
This year, Gasly is racing in Formula 1 for the first time outside of the Red Bull teams and overall Pierre’s adaptation to the Alpin went well: he is on par with Ocon in qualifying (although Esteban has a higher average result). . At the same time, it was not possible to outshine Gasly’s partner, and he himself probably counted on more.
However, the real problem lies in Pierre’s mistakes. In Melbourne he slammed Okon into the wall, in Baku he missed qualifying, in Barcelona he received an unnecessary fine and in Budapest he lost his last attempt for a track limits violation. From the driver, speaking in F-1 for the seventh year, Enstone expected more stability.
In Alpin, they dispersed the entire leadership:
Alpin admitted failure and fired everyone at large. Will the French be saved by the ex-Ferrari boss?
14. Daniel Ricciardo (6.25 / 12.5)
In the 2022-16 season (5.5).
Ricciardo managed to return to Formula 1 within six months of losing his place, although this is largely to the “credit” of de Vries. In the 2023 season, Daniel has gone through only two stages so far, and in the first of them, in Hungary, he overtook Tsunoda, recovered after a blow from Zhou at the start, and showed himself from the best side. But in Belgium, Riccardo made a mistake in qualifying for Radiolon and ruined his race even before the start.
Dan had the unexpected opportunity to rehabilitate himself in two years at McLaren and even move to the best team of the moment: Red Bull. But for this you need to confidently crush Yuki Tsunoda, and it’s not a fact that Riccardo will succeed. Getting back on the starting grid is good, but staying will be much more difficult.
Dan’s fate is in the hands of Milton Keynes:
Multidirectional frame. Now Red Bull can do what they want with Ricciardo
13. Valtteri Bottas (6.25/75)
In the 2022 – 12 season (6.2).
Bottas remains a trusted Alfa Romeo leader and, in the context of Zhou’s woes, the team’s mainstay. At the same time, for the entire first half of the season, only a couple of strong races conducted by Valtteri can be remembered: eighth place in Bahrain and the Monaco Grand Prix, at which the Finn was the first to switch to tires. intermediates.
Valtteri Bottas
Photo: Francois Nel/Getty Images
At the same time, we can remember the recent spell in Hungary, when Alfa Romeo reached Q3 for the second time this season. But Bottas lost in qualifying to his teammate, and then lost five positions at the start, scoring no points at the end. Nothing threatens Valtteri’s position in the team yet, but Audi will definitely need a brighter leader. Will Bottas become like this?
The Germans are already looking for a pilot:
Does Audi want to steal Sainz from Ferrari? Here are 4 best options.
12. Carlos Sainz (6.46 / 77.5)
In the 2022 season – 9th (6.7).
For the third year in a row, Sainz has been playing for Ferrari, and the Spaniard again fails to catch up with Leclerc. From time to time, Carlos turns out to be faster in the qualifications (one in three), but unlike his teammate, she doesn’t make the podium this year. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Sainz is currently the number two Ferrari.
But there is good news: this season, Carlos is much less likely to make mistakes than in 2022. There were, however, contacts with rivals in Australia and Monaco, and Sainz’s recent Belgian Grand Prix ended after a clash with Piastri in the first turn. However, Carlos seems to be less and less attracted to gravel.
11. Esteban Ocon (6.54 / 78.5)
In the 2022 season – 7th (7.0).
With the advent of a new partner, Okon had a chance to gain a foothold in the status of the Alpin leader, but he could not confidently overtake Gasly – the two Frenchmen are still about the same speed. At times, Esteban seems more confident in the cockpit, and thanks to this, he won the podium in Monaco. But the overall impression is marred by mistakes, of which Okon has racked up quite a few this year.
Esteban Ocon
Photo: Peter Fox/Getty Images
So, in Bahrain, the Frenchman found himself with three penalties at once, in Spielberg he went off track five times and received a half-minute penalty, he made mistakes in qualifying at Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps. If it weren’t for this, Okon would be more than 13 points ahead of Gasly, and would have left no doubt that after Alonso’s departure, it was he who was the leader and guide of the team.
To be continue!
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