For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails
Sign up to our free breaking news emails
The 2023 Formula 1 season is here and the new campaign has seen Red Bull pick up where they left off in 2022.
This year sees 23 races held in a record-breaking calendar, as Max Verstappen looks sure to make it three in a row following back-to-back World Championship triumphs.
Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes team have found further improvements so far this year following a disappointing 2022 season. Meanwhile Ferrari are struggling to match their strong start to 2022.
There are new faces on the grid too – such as Oscar Piastri and Logan Sargeant – and all 20 drivers will be itching to get back on track after a three-month break with the official pre-season test in Bahrain before the first race of the season a week later.
This year’s biggest shake-up so far came mid-season when AlphaTauri driver Nyck de Vries was dropped almost immediately after Silverstone as he failed to impress the higher-ups at Red Bull. He has been replaced by returning favourite Daniel Ricciardo.
Here is everything you need to know.
What is the 2023 F1 calendar?
Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir – 3-5 March
Jeddah Corniche Circuit – 17-19 March
Albert Park, Melbourne – 31 March-2 April
ROUND 4 – AZERBAIJAN (sprint weekend)
Baku City Circuit – 28-30 April
Miami International Autodrome, Hard Rock Stadium – 5-7 May
ROUND 6 – EMILIA ROMAGNA CANCELLED
Imola Circuit – 19-21 May
Circuit de Monaco – 26-28 May
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya – 2-4 June
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal – 16-18 June
ROUND 10 – AUSTRIA (sprint weekend)
Red Bull Ring, Spielberg – 30 June-2 July
Silverstone Circuit – 7-9 July
Hungaroring, Budapest – 21-23 July
ROUND 13 – BELGIUM (sprint weekend)
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps – 28-30 July
Circuit Zandvoort – 25-27 August
Monza Circuit – 1-3 September
Marina Bay Street Circuit – 15-17 September
Suzuka International Racing Course – 22-24 September
ROUND 18 – QATAR (sprint weekend)
Lusail International Circuit, Lusail – 6-8 October
ROUND 19 – UNITED STATES (sprint weekend)
Circuit of the Americas, Austin – 20-22 October
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City – 27-29 October
ROUND 21 – BRAZIL (sprint weekend)
Interlagos Circuit, Sao Paulo – 3-5 November
Las Vegas Street Circuit – 16-18 November
Yas Marina Circuit – 24-26 November
F1 will race in Las Vegas in November
(PA)
When and where does the 2023 F1 season start?
The first race of the season, the Bahrain Grand Prix, takes place from Friday 3 March – Sunday 5 March at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir.
Qualifying on Saturday 4 March starts at 3pm (GMT) with the race on Sunday also at 3pm (GMT).
When is pre-season testing?
Pre-season testing takes place at the Bahrain International Circuit the week before the first race, from Thursday 23 February – Saturday 25 February.
Running will take place between 7am and 4:30pm (GMT) on each of the three days. There will be an hour’s break midway through each session for lunch.
Each driver will have one-and-a-half days worth of time in the car.
How can I watch it online and on TV?
The Bahrain Grand Prix, as well as pre-season testing, will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom.
Sky Sports subscribers can watch pre-season testing on the Sky Go app. If you’re not a Sky customer you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.
We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
What has been said?
Max Verstappen has challenged Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes to raise their game and provide him with the championship battle that Formula One needs.
Verstappen ran away with last season’s title, winning 15 of the 22 races, to secure his second championship with four rounds to spare. In contrast, Hamilton, in his under-performing Mercedes, endured the worst year of his career as he failed to win a race and finished 214 points adrift.
But when addressing the prospect of renewing his rivalry with Hamilton at Red Bull’s season launch in New York, Verstappen, 25, said: “In the interest of the sport you always want the teams to be super-close.
“I do think it was close last year, but as a team we executed a lot of things better than the others and that was why the points gap was so big. I never felt, apart from two or three races, that we absolutely dominated. But for the general interest of Formula One, everyone wants a title battle with multiple teams involved.”
Max Verstappen has challenged his title rivals to raise their game
(AP)
What are the driver line-ups for 2023?
RED BULL
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
Fernando Alonso
Lance Stroll
HAAS
Kevin Magnussen
Nico Hulkenberg
ALPHATAURI
Yuki Tsunoda
Nyck de Vries
WILLIAMS
Alex Albon
Logan Sargeant
*italics represents new addition to the grid/change of team
