2023 Formula 1 Season Thread

[DoubleK]

Max is playing a different sport

[KelVarnsen]

If Mclaren gets their car together, they will have an amazing duo of drivers

[dammage79]

Verstappen just creamed the field. Just hoping now that the McLarens can block out the podium and maybe the fault hope that Max has a failure so Lando can grab that 1st W.

[KelVarnsen]

Not a good start for Alfa Romeo

[KelVarnsen]

Checo driving like he wants to get fired

[rubecube]

Christ, this is the most boring season of F1 I've ever witnessed.

[DoubleK]

WTF Sergio

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Not a single car is within 2 seconds of another car at the moment.

[DoubleK]

The whole being able to follow closely without killing your tires thing didn't last very long...

[dammage79]

Man. CHECO b done with RB, now who do they target. During the podium ceremony the commentary crew seemed convinced Lando would and will go to RB.

[DoubleK]

Liam Lawson

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Man. CHECO b done with RB, now who do they target. During the podium ceremony the commentary crew seemed convinced Lando would and will go to RB.

I can't imagine McLaren let's him out of that deal to go to RB for any money.

[FLAMESRULE]

Japanese GP Results! Not a bad race overall...take Max out and it would have been quite enjoyable. I'm really, REALLY liking Piastri. I think that kid could be a champion in the right car. Never raced there before and was might quick. Checo is done. That bonsai move was just...yuck.

Close week with Ryan Coke and Mcree taking top spots with 4 slotted and 9/10.

No changes at the top as DoubleK and Bizaro86 both got 3&8 for 21pts. Mcree moves into 3rd spot, just 7pts behind Bizaro86.

3thirty this was your 2nd missed set of picks...next one is a bagel.

Qatar is up next.

Spoiler!

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by FLAMESRULE

Japanese GP Results! Not a bad race overall...take Max out and it would have been quite enjoyable. I'm really, REALLY liking Piastri. I think that kid could be a champion in the right car. Never raced there before and was might quick. Checo is done. That bonsai move was just...yuck.

Close week with Ryan Coke and Mcree taking top spots with 4 slotted and 9/10.

No changes at the top as DoubleK and Bizaro86 both got 3&8 for 21pts. Mcree moves into 3rd spot, just 7pts behind Bizaro86.

3thirty this was your 2nd missed set of picks...next one is a bagel.

Qatar is up next.

Spoiler!

Nice call picking the entire podium @FlamesRule!

Disappointed with Alpine switching the cars at the end there - seemed unfair to Gasly, plus both the people chasing me got an extra slotted because Gasly moved to tenth.

[speede5]

I can't imagine wanting to leave McLaren when they are clearly headed in the right direction. It's only a matter of time before RB hits some speedbumps.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by speede5

I can't imagine wanting to leave McLaren when they are clearly headed in the right direction. It's only a matter of time before RB hits some speedbumps.

That's probably also true. I wonder if he thinks he could beat Max in the same equipment? I think he'd be closer than Perez (maybe a lot closer) but I think Max would still win the Drivers title.

But it isn't inconceivable that McLaren could end up with a vehicle advantage over the field within the next 5 years, and I think if he had even a slight car advantage over Verstappen he'd be able to win the championship.

[Sylvanfan]

2026 is a long ways off, but its likely going to cause a bit of a disruption to the current order.

McLaren has shown a lot of progress with their car since Silverstone. Hard to say if Norris would be happy to be the clear number 2 driver but get on the podium more often and get to pick up the scraps when Verstappen makes a rare mistake...and I think that will be less frequent as he becomes a seasoned veteran with more experience. So is he happy being allowed to go for one or two wins a year while the other guy wins 20 races. Or does he prefer being the Alpha at McLaren?

I'm not so convinced that outside of Horners love for Riccardo that Red Bull wants an equal to Max. They'd rather find more of a Bottas type who's capable enough to handle the better machine but not knock out his team mate on lap 1 trying to get past him.

[KelVarnsen]

If McLaren or any team being was a clear #2 team all year, Perez would be costing RB the constructors championship.

Next year looks like McLaren could be a real threat. If Perez stays and continues to "drive" the way he is now than RB is in trouble.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by KelVarnsen

If McLaren or any team being was a clear #2 team all year, Perez would be costing RB the constructors championship.

Probably not though, because of how insane Max's season is.

2021 with 2 equal teams was 613-585 in WCC over 22 races...probably a good benchmark for a 2-way fight.

Max alone is at 400 through 16 races, and the team at 623.

Even if another team had both drivers finish ahead of Checo in every race for an average of ~6 pts per weekend (which is very generous), RBR would lose like 96 pts, leaving them another six races to grab like 75pts and pass the 600 mark again.

ie. 600 pts is probably enough to win the WCC, and Max alone is on pace for 550pts.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

Probably not though, because of how insane Max's season is.

2021 with 2 equal teams was 613-585 in WCC over 22 races...probably a good benchmark for a 2-way fight.

Max alone is at 400 through 16 races, and the team at 623.

Even if another team had both drivers finish ahead of Checo in every race for an average of ~6 pts per weekend (which is very generous), RBR would lose like 96 pts, leaving them another six races to grab like 75pts and pass the 600 mark again.

ie. 600 pts is probably enough to win the WCC, and Max alone is on pace for 550pts.

2nd place teams
2022: FER 555
2021 RB 585.5
2020: RB 319 (covid shortened, 431 if extrapolated to 23 races)
2019 FER 504
2018: FER 571
2017: FER 522
2016: RB 468
2015: FER 428
2014: RB 405
2013: MER 360
2012: FER 400
2011: MCL 497
2010: MCL 454

I only adjusted 2020 for the shortened season and many of the early years only had 19 races. But even still in most of these years Max wins constructors by himself.