F1 2023 (will 100% contain spoilers)

The field will close up. Red Bull will still be the class of the field, but Merc and Ferrari will be closer.

The rest of the field will turn up with Red Bull clones. Alonso and Stroll Snr. will have a falling out and Alonso will go back to Indycars. Ricciardo will be signed to replace him.

People will keep moaning about Abu Dhabi.

I like the title @Pook!

Isn't this about where somoene posts a picture of some rear wings and says "here are some spoilers", demonstrating that they don't understand the difference between those two.

Anyhow F1 2023. There will still be lots of name calling on the internet. People will still bang on about Abu Dhabi 2021, and possibly even cost cap infringements, in an attempt to validate their choice of favourite driver or denigrate someone else's. Ferrari will still manage to throw away a couple of potential wins by making stupid decisions, but hopefully LeClerc will keep his pace and lose the unforced errors. Russell will settle into Merc a bit better, and it will be close between him and Hamilton which some people will use as "evidence" that Hamilton is actually as quick as their nan in her Yaris and anyone would have won 7 WDCs in a dominant car. RedBull will still be the dominant car and Max will make better use of that than Perez - some people will see this as "evidence" that Max is the best driver ever in F1, even Prost, Senna, Schumi, Fangio or Clark couldn't have won 2 WDCs in his car. Ocon and Gasly will crash into each other at least twice, but despite what they say on team radio afterwards the Alpine PR team will insist that they are getting on "fine". McLaren will edge a bit closer to the front again, Lando might actually bag his first win if the stars align. SAudiber/Alfa Romeo will start to see some personnel changes within the team but no big step. But who will be the new Latifi?

I think a grid full of red bull clones is quite likely. One thing I noted from early season car recovery photos was that the red bull had some fairly aggressive lateral steps in sides of the underfloor, but a much smoother, consistent upper surface. I've been wondering if that's how the stall is controlled, with the loss of attachment at the sides rather than top of the underfloor making downforce loss/drag reduction more gradual. As you're only detaching the flow from a smaller part of the total floor surface area.

New rules will dictate that for night races the only lights will be on the cars. None of this make it brighter than daylight nonsense.

Kimi will make a comeback with Ferrari after Leclerc throws a hissy fit about another crap strategy......

It so depends on what the fia announce as the RB penalty. If it’s little more than a slap on the wrists then budget caps will be out of the window and we will have a full blown development race. Of the punishment is severe then it could be a close season as the others can close right up on RB.

It will be interesting to see if merc continue with their design philosophy and can make it work or ditch it and go down the tie the other teams have

I reckon it will be a rinse and repeat of this season with RB and Max runaway winners. I still have this feeling Lewis will jack it in at the end of this season.

Can I be the first to say that Hamilton was robbed of his world championship, Karen is a Karen, Max didn't deserve his DWC, Red Bull probably cheated, it's not as good as it used to be, TV coverage is crap and the commentary is even worse, the Race Control is a farce, I am going to stop watching this crap (as I have said for the last xxx years), Wow that was a surprise, nothing ever happens, no-one can overtake, rain spoils these races, why can't hey sort out the tyres, why don't they ever race in the rain, why did Ferrari do that....

Anyone who adds similar whinges to the rest of the thread should just get looped back to here.

Sorry this thread needs to be closed till 1st on Jan 2023! 🙂

It's like putting Xmas Decs up in September.

I think I won't be watching next season. Max probably (in my confused mind) didn't deserve last year's title, but this year he certainly does.
But the sport feels pretty funked and run by the TV company for viewing figures.
I've been an F1 fan since the mid sixties but it's time for me to let the sport turn into WWF and walk away.

LOL - sprint race for Spa - so that'll be about 4 laps then!... 🤣

https://the-race.com/formula-1/f1-names-six-sprint-race-gps-for-2023-including-four-debuts/

Danny Ric will end the season as a full RB driver.

Danny Ric will end the season as a full RB driver.

I think this too.

But who will be the new Latifi?

This is the big question!! Sargeant?

Ferrari to, just, get 4th place in the constructors

I think I won’t be watching next season. Max probably (in my confused mind) didn’t deserve last year’s title, but this year he certainly does.
But the sport feels pretty funked and run by the TV company for viewing figures.

I think Masi really screwed the dog last year, but it was one of the all-time great seasons of F1. Hamilton and Verstappen both drove brilliantly and Red Bull and Merc both did fantastic technical jobs. It really was so close that it just came down to one bad call from an umpire, happens all the time in sports. I don't particularly like Max, but he didn't do anything wrong, he drove brilliantly, time to move on and accept that he is a deserving champion.

The 2022 championship was much more normal, I think. One team produced a better car plus had a driver who could get the best out of it, by mid-season there was no doubt over who would be champion. Max drove brilliantly, he deserved the championship, but if Leclerc or Hamilton or Norris or Alonso or Russell had been switched with Max and had Perez as teammate, they would have won the title too. F1's always been like that - the best car nearly always wins, and the best cars are nearly always driven by the best drivers.

Hopefully the financial and resource restrictions will close things up and produce closer racing where the difference comes down to drivers more than designers. The 2022 Indycar season was a great example, multiple teams and drivers in contention right to the end, Scott Dixon made one mistake at the Indy 500 and that cost him the championship. That's normal in Indycars, hopefully F1 will become more like that.

but if Leclerc or Hamilton or Norris or Alonso or Russell had been switched with Max and had Perez as teammate, they would have won the title too

On a similar note, if Merc somehow (somehow!) manage to return with the most competitive car then trying to manage Hamilton and Russell will be like trying to rummage for a ball of wool in a bag of angry cats

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expect Alpine to mix it at the top and Aston to have AA membership.

This may make watching live motorsport more involving again. Barriers have been moved so far back in recent years you feel miles away from the action. Redgates at Donington being a prime example. The run-off area is massive now...

https://www.racefans.net/2022/12/08/silverstone-adopts-new-barrier-design-used-in-miami-to-move-fans-closer-to-track/

Didn't see this one coming...

https://the-race.com/formula-1/team-boss-and-technical-director-both-leave-williams-f1-team/

Capito successfully led some previous VAG racing teams, so with the SAudiber deal I was wondering if he might be tempted back. They'll need someone when Fred goes to Ferrari anyway 😉

Seems like a bad development for Williams. Sad to say, I don't see them being around much longer (sold to Andretti or that Hong Kong billionaire (Lo?)

There will be an overtake at Monaco.
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Not really.

Fred finalised for Ferrari

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/63954869

...that's the next 3 seasons in the doldrums for Ferrari then - he's hardly sparkled in his time with Alfa Romeo.

Seidl leaving McLaren for Sauber apparently.

…that’s the next 3 seasons in the doldrums for Ferrari then

that's what now? The fourth team manager in the hybrid era. Ferrari need a management shake-up (ie the F1 team needs to left alone to get on with it) by the CEO of the parent company. How they expect to win if you change the manager like a football team every couple of years is the stuff of fantasy.

How they expect to win if you change the manager like a football team every couple of years is the stuff of fantasy.

Yep - it's not hard to figure out. The two best teams have had consistent management during their periods at the top.

I think Fred will be stable for Ferrari if not the most progressive. I think Mclarens loss is the bigger story for me. Not surprised to see Capito go, just hope it works for Williams

Andrea Stella is a good replacement though - and knows the team well so not starting from scratch.

eddiebaby
Full Member
I think I won’t be watching next season. Max probably (in my confused mind) didn’t deserve last year’s title, but this year he certainly does.
But the sport feels pretty funked and run by the TV company for viewing figures.
I’ve been an F1 fan since the mid sixties but it’s time for me to let the sport turn into WWF and walk away.

This - The last few years have been more about the politics and the tv than the racing. Qualifying for sprint "races" to qualify for the race just feels cynical and it seems as much a political contest as a sporting one these days. This year I found myself watching the first 10 mins of the race and then looking up the results later. I'm also increasingly annoyed by the greenwashing of "oh the tech filters down" and the massive circus trailing around the globe doesn't sit well.

I think Mclarens loss is the bigger story for me.

I am not so sure. Team principals are not like they were, they don't have as much control as they used to and are now more of a focal point. Sure they have touch choices to make but they aren't like Ron Dennis used to be.

It's silly season at F1, but with team principals! Mattia Binotto out at Ferrari, Jost Capito out at Williams, Andreas Seidl out at McLaren but in at Sauber, Andrea Stella stepping up at McLaren and Fred Vasseur out at Sauber but in at Ferrari.

I think that only leaves Williams with an empty seat? Binotto to Williams anyone?

Andreas Seidl was always going to announce this year he was moving to Sauber (it was arranged with Sauber/Audi/Mclaren in the summer break) but the move was meant to happen in 2025 when his Mclaren contract ended and he then would be ready for when Audi take over Sauber, this is according to Zak Brown

As Fred has left Sauber for Ferrari that was all bought forward to the 2023 season

Zak said that Andrea Stella was his first choice to replace Andreas Seidl but he had to check Andrea was happy to take up the role before releasing Andreas Seidl early from his contract and that they are happy with the situation

As i understand it Jost Capito was only going to be at Williams for two years as he deffered his retirement by two years to take up the role

IMO Williams are being lined up for a Porsche takeover. They are still interested in F1 and there are no other teams for sale.

Could be an Andretti takeover though - they recently said their F1 plans are progressing.

However it works out I can't the Williams name in F1 for much longer.

However it works out I can’t the Williams name in F1 for much longer.

Agreed, it'll just go the way of Tyrell  (in a round about way, now Mercedes) or Lotus (now weirdly; Alpine)

Alpine is actually descended from Toleman. The Lotus they used to be isn't the same as the original Lotus. And of course Toleman used to race against the original Renault team

IMO Williams are being lined up for a Porsche takeover. They are still interested in F1 and there are no other teams for sale.

The problem with Porsche is that they don't have a suitable engine manufacturing / testing facility. Their plan was to use Red Bull's facilities. I'd have thought that it is a bit late in the day to have to put some in place and be competitive so if they did take over Williams they'd probably have to use a rebranded Audi engine.

I wonder if there’s a quid pro quo from Audi for releasing Seidl three years early, like a future engine deal for McLaren?

The problem with Porsche is that they don’t have a suitable engine manufacturing / testing facility. Their plan was to use Red Bull’s facilities.

I know that was the case, but the rumours of an entry are still doing the rounds.

Then there's Honda registering as an engine supplier for 2026 under the HRC brand. Where does that leave Red Bull Power Trains?

Also rumours about Hyundai entering as an engine supplier (not team). Rumours of Ford showing interest too.
https://the-race.com/formula-1/could-renaults-old-f1-boss-lead-hyundai-to-formula-1/

As with everything in F1 a surprise deal is never far away! 🙂

Seems there could be and abundance of engine suppliers for 2026!

I wonder what happened to the original Lotus team ?

Well Colin Chapman died.

I wonder what happened to the original Lotus team ?

They went out of business in 1994.

James Hunt's brother David bought it when it went bankrupt at the end of '94, but he couldn't save it.

Well Colin Chapman died

To be fair, he keeled over 12 years before it went bump.

Bloody hell - had no idea David also died pretty young in his sleep from a heart attack. Only 55, ten years older than James was when he passed.

Red Bull: Originally Stewart, then Jaguar
Ferrari: Originally the Alfa Romeo race team
Mercedes: Previously Brawn, Honda, Bar, originally Tyrrell
Alpine: Previously Renault, Lotus, Renault, Benneton, originally Toleman
McLaren: Founded as McLaren
Alfa Romeo: Previously Sauber, BMW, originally Sauber with Mercedes support. From 2026 will become Audi.
Aston Martin: Previously Racing Point, Force India, Spyker, Midland. Originally Jordan.
Haas: Founded as Haas
Alpha Tauri: Previously Torro Rosso, originally Minardi.
Williams: Founded as Williams.

Ferrari: Originally the Alfa Romeo race team

Well - the old boy used to run their team way back in the day. Ferrari has been the entrant since the F1 World Championship began. 🙂

Haas: Founded as Haas

Haas: Founded as Haas Ferrari! 🙂