The 2023 F1 grid is a grid full of achievers and champions. The grid has multiple world champions like Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and Max Verstappen. There are champions from the junior categories as well like George Russell (F2 Champion), Charles Leclerc (F2 Champion), and Oscar Piastri (F2 Champion).
While the grid has lost a four-time world champion in Sebastian Vettel, it still seems as talent-rich as an F1 grid could be. Having said that, just like everything else in life, the drivers on the current F1 grid are not perfect and have their own flaws and weaknesses.
So what are the flaws and weaknesses of the drivers on the grid? Let’s find out as we take a look at the key weaknesses of every driver.
2023 F1 Grid: One key strength of every driver
red bull
Max Verstappen
The Dutchman is arguably the best driver on the F1 grid but even he is not perfect in every aspect. There are some areas where he still needs some work. One of them is the intolerance of team errors. The outburst at Singapore was a bit over the top and while it’s safe to say that he expects perfection, errors are bound to happen once in a while.
The driver needs to bring a sense of calm in this aspect and things will get even smoother for him in the future.
𝑵𝒆𝒘 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓, 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒂𝒍𝒔 
𝑵𝒆𝒘 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓, 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒂𝒍𝒔
https://t.co/kAeYyLghiX
Sergio Perez
For Sergio Perez, it has been more or less the same thing throughout his career. The Mexican lacks the one lap performance needed to be a true elite driver. That is exactly what is keeping him from title contention.
Ferrari
Charles Leclerc
For Charles Leclerc, the only thing (other than the mistake-ridden decision-making at Ferrari) between him and the F1 title is his propensity to not be measured enough at times. Leclerc is still in that phase of his driving maturity where he goes full blast every weekend, trying to win every race. The measured approach required to win titles is missing and that is the next step in his maturity.
Carlos Sainz
The issue with Carlos Sainz is that he’s in an elite team with an elite teammate and with aspirations of fighting for the title. However, in terms of talent and other intangibles, Carlos Sainz is just one level below elite talent like Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen.
Feliz Navidad! I hope you all have a great time surrounded by your family and loved ones. 
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Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton
For Hamilton, the only comparison that can be made is with the other drivers in the top 5. While the Briton fares very well on almost every other metric, the one metric that he has fallen short on recently is his consistency. The Mercedes driver tendencies to have an off-weekend here and there and that tends to have a major impact on the final results.
George Russell
There were some things that were brilliant about George Russell’s 2022 F1 season. One of them was his consistency, which helped him win the intra-team battle. What was slightly worrying was how Lewis put him in his shadow when he got on top of the car setup in the middle of the season.
Russell is a very consistent driver with strong peaks, but his peaks might be lower than the true elites like Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
Alpine
Pierre Gasly
For Gasly, it has to be a temperamental issue. Although Gasly’s concerns are not as bad as his former teammate Tsunoda’s, they still need work. The French driver excels in an environment where he is the lead driver. That’s why he did so well with AlphaTauri but failed at Red Bull, where he was clearly the No.2 driver. Gasly will excel at Alpine if he has the upper hand from the beginning. If it is the other way around, things could go sideways.
P1!! My first victory in F1!!
I’m lost for words, still struggling to realize, its just amazing!!
Everything was perfect, just missed the tifosis down under the podium. @alphatauri we have done it!! Thanks everyone for all the messages & support!! Today is a day I’ll remember.P1!! My first victory in F1!!
I’m lost for words, still struggling to realize, its just amazing!! Everything was perfect, just missed the tifosis down under the podium. @alphatauri we have done it!! Thanks everyone for all the messages & support!! Today is a day I’ll remember. https://t.co/3eILYSMsIu
Esteban Ocon
For Ocon, the biggest thing that was exposed during his partnership with Alonso in the 2022 F1 season was his inability to get on pace quickly. Every F1 weekend, Alonso held the advantage over Ocon in the initial stages. To Ocon’s credit, he was able to get the jump on Alonso by Q3 but something like this could work to the French driver’s detriment when track running is limited.
McLaren
Lando Norris
To be fair, if there is one criticism that could be directed towards Norris, it is him still driving a McLaren. The young British driver is clearly one of the top 5 drivers on the grid but remains content driving for a team that has not won a title since he was a kid. Call it a lack of ambition, but Norris’ lack of frustration when it comes to driving a midfield car does not make much sense.
Oscar Piastri
Piastri is a bit of an unknown quantity. While he has shown an ability to adapt quickly to any new series, a lack of experience will certainly be a factor at McLaren this season.
Alfa Romeo
Valterri Bottas
For Bottas, it’s the same thing that has plagued him since the start of his career and continues to do so. The Finnish driver tends to hit elite-level peaks in qualifying but lacks the ability to perform at the same level in the races. This plagued him at Mercedes and it continues to hurt him now as well.
Guanyuzhou
If one follows Zhou’s entire racing career, one thing is certain the driver is truly blessed in terms of talent. At the same time, another thing that is somewhat obvious is that Zhou finds it hard to replicate his peaks often. He lacks the ability to perform at a high level every weekend and in F1 that does get exposed.
Aston-Martin
Fernando Alonso
The only issue with Fernando Alonso’s pristine demeanor is his inability to keep his cool when things aren’t going his way. He did that quite a few times last F1 season when the car suffered from reliability issues. He could end up doing it again if things don’t go as expected at Aston Martin.
Lance Stroll
A consistent Lance Stroll that can match the peak performances he tends to produce can be one of the best drivers on the grid. Having said that, Stroll has shown an inability to do just that, and more or less his inconsistency has proven to be the biggest detriment of his career.
haas
Nico Hulkenberg
If Hulkenberg is driving at the level he is capable of, then he should beat Magnussen comfortably. Having said that, he’s been away from full-time racing for about 3 years now, and the only thing that can work against him is rusticity.
Kevin Magussen
Magnussen has more or less cleaned up his game recently, but if there is one area where the Haas F1 driver is susceptible, it is keeping things clean on the first lap. Magnussen was brought to the pits to replace the front wing multiple times this season, and the fact that he was the only one that stood out in this aspect should tell you something about the driver.
AlphaTauri
Yuki Tsunoda
After two years in the sport, it’s not hard to judge the one area where Tsunoda falls tremendously short. hey got it serious temperamental issues and for a driver in F1, that tends to be a massive deterrent.
Nyck de Vries
For the Dutch F1 driver, it could come down to his inexperience. He’s not an F1 veteran but he’s old enough to be one. Tsunoda, a raw talent with two years of experience, is a worthy adversary for the Dutchman and thinks could get interesting between the two.
Williams
Alex Albon
For Albon, in his second year at Williams, there is a possibility of a drop in motivation that could work against him. He spent his first year back with a monkey on his back as he had to prove himself. In the second year of his comeback, he’s likely to be in the slowest car on the grid, and motivation could play a crucial role here.
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
The biggest weakness for Logan Sargeant right now has to be his inexperience. The American is making his debut in F1 and will have Alex Albon as his teammate. He’ll need to put things in gear quickly to prevent a drop in stock for him.
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Edited by Shubham Banerjee
