Written by Kritika Raj, Edited by Sharifah Zaqreeztrina
Formula One is the pinnacle of motorsports. With ten teams, each having two main drivers, it experiences a cut throat competition every season. The teams bring their upgraded cars every race weekend and strategists work day and night to develop the best strategy to come out on top after the waving of the checkered flag.
The 2023 season has one of the most competitive cars on the grid after a very long time. This is most likely the result of the season’s new regulations passed by the FIA (Federation International de L'Automobile) which own and govern Formula One, primarily to close the gap between the cars. These changes definitely made the competition between the drivers and the teams even more fierce.
Even though the top-ranked and the reigning World Champion Red Bull Racing managed to achieve 287 points after 7 rounds, it seems too far away for the rest of the grid to catch up to. Scuderia Ferrari and Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team are pretty close to each other in terms of performance as the Maranello-based team stands at fourth place with 100 points whereas the silver arrows stand at 2nd with 152 points. The team in between the two, challenging the top field is Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team, currently resting on third place in the Constructors Championship with 134 points. In the previous season, the British brand had scored only 55 points and finished at seventh place with zero wins and zero podiums whereas they have already bagged five podiums out of the seven races held so far in the season with Fernando Alonso, who they signed at the end of last year after their-then driver, Sebastian Vettel, announced his retirement from the motorsport.
Alonso’s former team, Alpine F1, signed Pierre Gasly to team up with Esteban Ocon for the season. The pair has been consistently performing for the outfit with Ocon having a podium finish at none other than the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix where he started at third place and coped amazingly with the pressure Scuderia Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz was putting on him from behind to receive the checkered flag at third position.
The Enstone-based team is standing at fifth place, with 40 points right behind Italian top dog Scuderia Ferrari. Alpine has the means and a car which are capable of delivering better results and consequently, challenge their rivals, above and behind them. However, Gasly and Ocon have also endured some dark days such as Ocon suffering a DNF in the championship opener Bahrain Grand Prix and at the Australian Grand Prix where Gasly also suffered the same fate. From no points gained at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix to a double points finish in Miami and a podium finish in Monaco, the Renault-owned group is climbing up the ladder after having another double points finish at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Even though Alpine is sitting comfortably at fifth entering 8 rounds of this season, McLaren Racing, currently at sixth position in the Constructors’ Championship, is starting to rise as well, with Lando Norris qualifying third at the Spanish Grand Prix. Unfortunately, due to a mistake in the first lap of the main race and damaging the front wing of his McLaren, this left him with no other option than to make a pit stop and then rejoin at the back of the whole pack. Presently, the British crew has only scored 17 points in total but with the progressive results shown in the qualifying at Barcelona, the other teams can very well expect more competitiveness from McLaren.
Looking into the Constructor Standings of the season, Red Bull Racing might be too far to be competed with. But as for the rest of the teams, it will be really thrilling to watch them fight to come out on top of the mid-field. With several exciting Grands Prix coming up on the calendar, it will definitely showcase world class performance stuffed events.