The 2023 F1 grid will look a lot different from the 2022 grid. Quite a few drivers have left while a few new faces have made an entry.
To add to this, after the madness of the 2022 F1 silly season, some drivers have switched teams as well. In this newly minted F1 grid, let’s get to know each of these drivers better!
After a long time in F1, we have a grid of drivers that does not have a “pay driver.” All of these drivers have a set of skills that make them stand apart from their competitors.
In this piece, let’s try to get to know each of these drivers better and take a look at each one’s key strength. So, without further ado, let’s get straight to it.
2023 F1 Grid: One key strength of every driver
red bull
Max Verstappen
Many would point to the enormous reservoir of talent as one of Max Verstappen’s biggest strengths, but that’s not necessarily true.
What sets Verstappen apart is his consistency and ability to perform at a very high level every race weekend. Not having any off-weekends in a season that spans more than 20 races is what defines his greatness.
Sergio Perez
What was the one thing that stood out between Red Bull and Mercedes in the 2021 F1 title battle?
Valtteri Bottas was unable to hold off Verstappen during races or progress through the field effectively, while Sergio Perez pulled off two very impressive defensive acts against Lewis Hamilton. This ultimately handed the advantage to Verstappen.
Perez’s tire management is a standout facet, but to add to it, his racecraft is top-notch and is one of the best on the grid.
Ferrari
Charles Leclerc
When one thinks of Charles Leclerc, the first word that comes up is raw talent. One of the reasons why that stands out is because of the raw speed he possesses. This makes Leclerc stand out in comparison to many other drivers on the F1 grid.
Carlos Sainz
What has Carlos Sainz helped throughout his career has been his methodical approach to racing.
The Spaniard might not possess the bucketloads of talent that some of the other drivers on the grid do. However, he makes up for it with a methodical understanding of every key detail of the car to gain every last tenth in terms of lap time.
Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton is a true force of nature. The driver is talented, and gifted, and has the best team of the turbo hybrid era at his disposal.
What sets him apart is his ability to keep the big picture in mind from the very first race to the last one.
George Russell
Arguably the biggest asset for George Russell is his ability to sneak up on his opponents.
He does not make big claims about his driving and respects his teammates. However, underneath all of that, he is a silent assassin who can beat anyone on the grid on his day.
Alpine
Esteban Ocon
Esteban Ocon has scratched and clawed his way to F1 and he doesn’t look ready to give up anything easily. In essence, that’s just who the young French driver is. He’s someone that will fight for every inch on the track.
Pierre Gasly
Some intangibles tend to work against Pierre Gasly. On the surface, however, he is a supreme talent who turned his career around after getting demoted from Red Bull.
What makes Gasly special is his mental strength to fight back after hitting rock bottom in his career.
McLaren
Lando Norris
Lando Norris has done something very impressive as he’s modeled his driving around the best driver on the grid and is reaping rewards. Like Max Verstappen, Norris has shown an innate ability to not have off weekends.
Norris was on the money over every weekend in 2022. His consistency left former teammate Daniel Ricciardo confused as the Australian was simply unable to keep up with his young teammate at times.
Farewell Andreas! It’s been mega working with you these last few years. I’ve never seen our team looking as strong as it is now and some of that is credit to the work you’ve done. Best of luck in the new job mate, I’m sure I’ll see you around.
Farewell Andreas! It’s been mega working with you these last few years. I’ve never seen our team looking as strong as it is now and some of that is credit to the work you’ve done. Best of luck in the new job mate, I’m sure I’ll see you around. https://t.co/pOvKW4X9ua
Oscar Piastri
When we think about Oscar Piastri, the first phrase that comes to mind is precious talent. The young Australian is on his way to F1 after winning three titles in three seasons and leaving Alpine with a bloodied nose.
It will be interesting to see how he performs in his rookie season.
Alfa Romeo
Valtteri Bottas
Valtteri Bottas’ qualifying speeds stood out during his Mercedes stint and during the 2022 season as well. The Finnish driver is one of the better qualifiers on the entire grid and even this season, when the car was competitive enough, he was able to qualify very impressively.
Guanyuzhou
It’s hard to give a correct reading for Guanyu Zhou because of the up-and-down nature of both his junior career and rookie season. Having said that, one thing is clear: the Chinese driver does possess natural speed and deserves to be on the F1 grid.
Aston-Martin
Fernando Alonso
It’s hard to use any other word other than “tenacious” for Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard is 41 now, still part of F1, still hungry as ever, and scaring to go. Not many people of his age can boast of being this good at that age.
Lance Stroll
Lance Stroll does have his detractors and it’s safe to say that he deserves them. Having said that, the Canadian driver, who has one pole position and multiple podiums in his kitty is an unpolished talent. He could do a brilliant job if he puts his mind to it.
haas
Nico Hulkenberg
When we talk about unfulfilled talents, Nico Hulkenberg is at the top of that list. The German is solid in so many ways, but has never gotten the chance to fulfill his potential.
He will get a second crack at the sport in 2023 and it will be interesting to see how he fares.
Kevin Magussen
One beautiful quality about Kevin Magnussen that has stood out is his grit in the sport. The driver might not be the biggest talent on the grid but he keeps grinding to achieve whatever he can in the sport.
AlphaTauri
Nyck de Vries
It’s not often that we see a 28-year-old in their first full season with a decent hype behind them. That is what Nyck de Vries did at the moment in his “late blooming” career.
De Vries is surely talented but years of experience in racing will need to come in handy for the Dutch driver.
Yuki Tsunoda
Yuki Tsunoda is a ball of talent in the F1 and has the potential to do so many brilliant things in the sport. He’s got the ability to be the biggest star in the sport if he puts his mind to it and in 2023, he will be under pressure to perform or perish from the sport.
Williams
Alex Albon
Alex Albon is now a seasoned veteran in F1 who has seen way too many ups and downs. The 2023 F1 season will be part of the cycle where Albon builds himself up once more and rebuilds his reputation.
Looking back to my favorite race helmet that wasn’t actually raced due to appendicitis but still technically a race helmet 
Tribute to my childhood hero Valentino Daniel Ricciardo Rossi!
Looking back to my favorite race helmet that wasn’t actually raced due to appendicitis but still technically a race helmet
Tribute to my childhood hero Valentino Daniel Ricciardo Rossi! https://t.co/85Of3laZ1G
Logan Sargeant
Fun fact: Logan Sargeant out-qualified Oscar Piastri as a teammate and if it wasn’t for a DNF in the last race, he would have beaten Piastri for the title in F3. Sargeant is an uncut diamond with plenty of talent and the 2023 season could reveal a lot about how good he really is.
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