The F1 2023 season has come to an end, and it is now time to rank the Top 10 drivers who really showed us a whole new level of motor racing across a variety of tracks. Obviously, there is no real metric to decide such a ranking, so we are going to go with our personal opinion, while also keeping in mind, the drivers’ individual results throughout the season.
Without further ado, here are the top 10 drivers of the F1 2023 season –
Number 10. Daniel Ricciardo (Alpha Tauri)
When Daniel Ricciardo announced his return with Alpha Tauri, everyone, including himself, was excited to see how it would turn out and while he started things off cautiously, an unfortunate injury took him back to the sidelines for a few races. On his return, he blew hot and cold, not really delivering the consistency that was expected of him, and in the season finale, a tear-off stuck in the brake duct of his car hampered his evening, leaving him red-faced and contemplating how he was going to approach next season. Alpha Tauri will be fielding Yuki and Daniel for the 2024 season, but there are rumblings that the latter could go to Red Bull if Perez underperforms. However, is he wants to thrive at Red Bull, he must quickly find his feet in Alpha Tauri, who will be running a car inspired by their sister team, next season.
Number 9. Liam Lawson (Alpha Tauri)
The young Kiwi driver hit the ground running and truly gave Yuki a run for his money. Shame that he was just a substitute for Daniel through his injury period, but Liam’s on-track performances have not gone unnoticed. His P9 finish in Singapore is definitely a performance he will remember and cherish forever, and he will be hopeful that he has done enough to impress the Alpha Tauri and Red Bull bosses. We have been hearing rumblings about Liam getting a seat at Alpha Tauri, if Daniel moves over to Red Bull, but we will have to wait and see.
Number 8. Alex Albon (Williams Racing)
Alex Albon single-handedly carried Williams throughout the season, delivering strong qualifying and race performances to score some strong points for the Williams team, who had been languishing at the bottom of the constructor’s standings for a long time. The low drag profile of the Williams car seemed to suit Albon’s driving style, and the storied team will be hoping to see him pick it up a notch in 2024. Now, we have heard a few rumours about Fred Vasseur wanting Albon at Ferrari, but it doesn’t seem likely at the moment as the Scuderia have a formidable lineup with two drivers at their best.
Number 7. George Russell (Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team)
Of the two Mercedes drivers, George had a tougher time adjusting to the W14, and although he did have some strong performances throughout the season, a slew of mistakes from his end cost him and his team, precious points. In the season finale in Abu Dhabi, George ensured that he put in his best performance of the season yet and helped the team secure P2 in the Constructors championship. The Briton has the pace, but he must iron out his errors, if he is to take the fight to the champion and his teammate.
Number 6. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
Aston Martin started the season with the second-fastest car on the grid, and with a stable car underneath him, Fernando Alonso came into his own. There were races where he wove magic with his car, while somewhere he faded away. It was as if he was one with his car. Post the mid-season break, the Aston Martin team found themselves taking a step back in terms of performance, but he stood strong with his team, and helped salvage the season. He absolutely destroyed his teammate in the head-to-head battle, making it clear, who the number 1 driver is in the outfit.
Number 5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
The reason we put Oscar Piastri so high up the list is that he showed the whole world, that a rookie in the modern era of F1, does not need bedding in season. The Australian rookie hit the ground running and even got himself a sprint race win. He pushed Lando through the entirety of the season and also ended up having the best rookie season since Lewis Hamilton, way back in 2007. He has shown the team that he has the pace, and is hungry to win. McLaren will definitely be entering 2024 with two of the best drivers on the grid.
Number 4. Lando Norris (McLaren)
When the 2023 season began, McLaren was in all sorts of trouble, in terms of the car, and it looked like Lando was going to suffer yet another disappointment. Thankfully, McLaren quickly got their act together and brought upgrades that took McLaren from the bottom of the pack, to challenging for podiums and even wins. Lando absolutely showed his class and quality in the upgraded McLaren and showed everyone why he is so highly rated, and we can’t wait to see how he gets along next season.
Number 3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team)
Now, you must be wondering why Lewis is so high up this list, despite the car being so unpredictable and arguably the fourth fastest on the grid. Well, the simple reason is – consistency and sheer skill. After the debacle that was the 2022 season, Mercedes came into 2023 hoping for better results, but they were wrong. The car was on a knife’s edge the whole season and did not have the straight-line speed to even put up a fight against the competitors. Despite these drawbacks, Lewis dug deep and produced absolute magic, sometimes outperforming the car’s potential, and in the end, thanks to him and George, the Silver Arrows finished second in the Constructors championship, a position they clearly deserved, given how bad the car was. Lewis’ performance this season has shown the team and the world that if Mercedes can give him a car that is predictable, he will deliver them wins and championships.
Number 2. Charles Leclerc (Scuderia Ferrari)
A driver who had his fair share of highs and lows, Charles rarely put a foot wrong this season, and you could argue that if Ferrari had operated a bit more optimised, and sorted out the reliability issues in the car early on, Charles could have taken the fight to Max, and soundly defeated Mercedes in the constructors championship as well. However, he suffered a string of bad luck, and they all cascaded into a season that did not fully justify Charles’ real skill as a driver. But, when everything fit into place, Charles was neck and neck with Max, and the two shared some great racing moments through the course of the season.
Number 1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
The Dutchman registered his third world championship win in dominating fashion. He did not put a single step wrong the entire season, and at times, he was literally time trialling the track, while the rest of the grid battled for the remaining positions. Red Bull are doing everything right at the moment and we expect them to carry on for a few more seasons at least.
