2023 F1 Championship Season Preview
After a record-breaking 2022 season that introduced some of the biggest technical regulation changes in modern F1 history, the growing number of passionate Formula One fans around the world are excited for a sense of stability in 2023.
However, with the race calendar expanding wider than ever before, a few new rule changes and some exciting driver movements confirmed in the off-season, the 2023 F1 season promises to be anything but boring!
2023 Formula One season calendar
The 2023 season calendar will be the biggest ever in Formula One history, with 23 races scheduled, up from 22 races last year. Initially, there were 23 races planned for 22 before the Russian GP was cancelled, and 24 races planned for 2023, before the Chinese GP was cancelled.
Returning to the roster in 2023 is the Qatar GP, absent last year due to the FIFA World Cup, plus an all-new addition of the Las Vegas GP.
Of course, F1 have raced in Sin City before back in 1981-82, but the new purpose-built Las Vegas complex is going to be like nothing else F1 fans have ever seen before, running in the late evening and incorporating the most ionic landmarks of the famous entertainment capital.
Other tweaks the 2023 schedule see the Azerbaijan GP return to a late April timeslot, having previously been held in June, while the Belgium GP has been pushed forward to before the August break to avoid a triple-header after the summer break with the Dutch and Italian races.
There will also be six sprint races in 2023, up from three in the previous two seasons, with exact event locations and formats yet to be confirmed.
2023 FIA Formula 1® World Championship Race Schedule | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race | Location | Event Name | Start Date | End Date | Circuit Name | Circuit Location | |
| 1 |  | Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix 2023 | 02 Mar 2023 | 05 Mar 2023 | Bahrain International Circuit | Sakhir, BAHRAIN | VIEW PACKAGES |
| 2 |  | 16 Mar 2023 | 19 Mar 2023 | Jeddah Street Circuit | Jeddah, SAUDI ARABIA | VIEW PACKAGES | |
| 3 |  | Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix 2023 | 30 Mar 2023 | 02 Apr 2023 | Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit | Melbourne, Victoria, AUSTRALIA | SEE SPORTSNET PACKAGES |
| 4 |  | 27 Apr 2023 | 30 Apr 2023 | Baku City Circuit | Baku, AZERBAIJAN | VIEW PACKAGES | |
| 5 |  | 04 May 2023 | 07 May 2023 | Miami International Autodrome | Miami, USA | VIEW PACKAGES | |
| 6 |  | Formula 1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix 2023 | 18 May 2023 | 21 May 2023 | Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari | Imola, ITALY | VIEW PACKAGES |
| 7 |  | Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco 2023 | 25 May 2023 | 28 May 2023 | Circuit de Monaco | Monte Carlo, MONACO | SEE SPORTSNET PACKAGES |
| 8 |  | 01 Jun 2023 | 04 Jun 2023 | Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya | Barcelona, Catalonia, SPAIN | VIEW PACKAGES | |
| 9 |  | 15 Jun 2023 | 18 Jun 2023 | Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve | Montreal, CANADA | VIEW PACKAGES | |
| 10 |  | 29 Jun 2023 | 02 Jul 2023 | Red Bull Ring | Speilberg, AUSTRIA | VIEW PACKAGES | |
| 11 |  | 06 Jul 2023 | 09 Jul 2023 | Silverstone Circuit | Silverstone, ENGLAND | VIEW PACKAGES | |
| 12 |  | 20 Jul 2023 | 23 Jul 2023 | Hungaroring | Budapest, HUNGARY | VIEW PACKAGES | |
| 13 |  | 27 Jul 2023 | 30 Jul 2023 | Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps | Spa, BELGIUM | VIEW PACKAGES | |
| 14 |  | 24 Aug 2023 | 27 Aug 2023 | Circuit Zandvoort | Zandvoort, NETHERLANDS | VIEW PACKAGES | |
| 15 | | 31 Aug 2023 | 03 Sept 2023 | Autodromo Nazionale Monza | Monza, ITALY | VIEW PACKAGES | |
| 16 |  | 15 Sep 2023 | 17 Sep 2023 | Marina Bay Street Circuit | Marina Bay, SINGAPORE | SEE SPORTSNET PACKAGES | |
| 17 |  | 21 Sep 2023 | 24 Sep 2023 | Suzuka International Racing Course | Suzuka City, JAPAN | VIEW PACKAGES | |
| 18 |  | 05 Oct 2023 | 08 Oct 2023 | Losail International Circuit | Doha, QATAR | VIEW PACKAGES | |
| 19 | | 19 Oct 2023 | 22 Oct 2023 | Circuit of the Americas | Austin, USA | VIEW PACKAGES | |
| 20 |  | 26 Oct 2023 | 29 Oct 2023 | Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez | Mexico City, MEXICO | VIEW PACKAGES | |
| 21 |  | 02 Nov 2023 | 05 Nov 2023 | Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace | Sao Paulo, BRAZIL | VIEW PACKAGES | |
| 22 | | 15 Nov 2023 | 18 Nov 2023 | Las Vegas Street Circuit | Las Vegas, USA | VIEW PACKAGES | |
| 23 |  | 23 Nov 2023 | 26 Nov 2023 | Yas Marina Circuit | Abu Dhabi, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES | VIEW PACKAGES | |
World Champions Red Bull will keep an unchanged line-up for the third straight season with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. Similarly, Mercedes stick with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell and Ferrari with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
But as the top three teams keep unchanged driver line-ups, there are plenty of shake-ups elsewhere.
Fernando Alonso made a shock move over to Aston Martin to join Lance Stroll, following Sebastian Vettel’s retirement.
Oscar Piastri heads to McLaren to replace the ousted countryman Daniel Ricciardo in the garage bay next to Lando Norris, while Alpine opted for Pierre Gasly from AlphaTauri to form an all-French connection with Esteban Ocon.
AlphaTauri moved chose Nyck de Vries, Formula E champion and long-time Mercedes reserve, to make his full F1 debut in 2023 having stood in for Alex Albon at Williams at the 2022 Italian GP. De Vries joins next to the retained Yuki Tsunoda.
Williams has retained Albon and has replaced Nicholas Latifi with rookie Logan Sargeant. Haas has replaced Mick Schumacher – now reserve driver with Mercedes – with Nico Hulkenberg to slot in alongside Kevin Magnussen.
Alfa Romeo keeps an unchanged line-up for Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu.
Team | Driver 1 | Driver 2 |
|---|---|---|
Red Bull Racing | Max Verstappen | Sergio Perez |
Ferrari | Charles Leclerc | Carlos Sainz |
Mercedes | Lewis Hamilton | George Russell |
Alpine | Esteban Ocon | Pierre Gasly |
McLaren | Lando Norris | Oscar Piastri |
Alfa Romeo | Valtteri Bottas | Zhou Guanyu |
Aston Martin Racing | Lance Stroll | Fernando Alonso |
Haas F1 Team | Kevin Magnussen | Nico Hulkenberg |
AlphaTauri | Yuki Tsunoda | Nyck de Vries |
Williams | Alex Albon | Logan Sargeant |
2023 Formula 1 rule changes
In 2023 the ground-effect floor specifications will be raised by 15mm to minimise instances where teams were running their cars as low as possible and risking safety concerns caused by vertical oscillations.
This will include more stringent flex tests to ensure that teams are not using elasticity in the floor to run the edges closer to the ground. The diffuser throat height has also been raised to reduce the aero sensitivity under the car.
Following the nasty crash at the British Grand Prix 2022 involving Zhou Guanyu, new rollhoop regulations have also been introduced to improve the strength and reduce the possibility that the rollhoop may dig into the ground.
Rear-view mirror regulations have also been extended from 150mm x 50mm to 200mm x 60mm to improve visibility.
The cost cap is expected to drop in 2023 to around $135m for the year, down from the $142.4m in 2022.
How to watch the 2023 Formula One
The biggest news in 2023 is that F1 TV Pro will be available in Australia through Foxtel.
Previously, only F1 TV was available in Australia, which was the basic version that gave some telemetry data, team radio access and live driver maps.
That means you can expect multiple different race feeds, be it live maps and data or different camera options. It also brings with it a bunch of new off-track content with new shows, documentaries and a giant archive of Grand Prix.
F1 TV will also be available to Kayo, who offer their unique RaceView functionality including extra camera angles and split screen viewing.
Experience F1 racing live in 2023
Experience the world’s most prestigious motorsport competition with a Sportsnet Holidays travel package, including official tickets, local accommodation, VIP access and unique local experiences on and off the track.
The magnificent backdrop, the challenging conditions and the unrivalled festival atmosphere makes the Singapore Grand Prix the ultimate street race under the stars!
In 2023 the Formula 1 World Championship calendar features more races than ever before, with new countries, new drivers and new regulations promising an exciting season!
