Report card: Grading the teams versus expectations in 2023
Dec 18, 2023
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Ben Anderson, Scott Mitchell-Malm, Edd Straw, and Mark Hughes discuss the performance of F1 teams in the 2023 season, grading them based on expectations. They highlight HASS's poor results, Salba's struggles, LP's disappointment, McLaren's turnaround, Ferrari's progress, and Red Bull's dominance. They also mention their podcast highlights of the year and feature an ad for BetMGM.
Aston Martin had a disappointing season overall despite some impressive peaks, highlighting a need for improvement in their performance and future outlook.
Alpine failed to meet their pre-season expectations, struggling with execution and reliability issues, and must address their weaknesses to move forward.
AlphaTauri made good progress throughout the season and finished ahead of Aston Martin, but still has room to improve and maximize their investment.
Williams performed better than expected, maximizing their opportunities and executing well throughout the season, showing improvement compared to previous seasons.
McLaren had a remarkable turnaround, becoming the second best team on the grid, but missed out on capitalizing on their mid-season performance and fell behind Aston Martin.
Deep dives
Aston Martin: A season of missed opportunities
Aston Martin had a disappointing season overall, despite some impressive peaks. They started the year with a promising car, but couldn't maintain their performance throughout the season. The management upheaval and engine deficit raised concerns about the team's future. They fell behind McLaren and were vulnerable to Alpine and AlphaTauri towards the end. It's clear that Aston Martin needs to maximize their investment and improve their performance to avoid being left behind in the midfield.
Alpine: An underwhelming season
Alpine had an underwhelming season, failing to live up to their pre-season expectations. They had a car that showed potential but couldn't consistently deliver strong results. They struggled with execution and reliability issues. The team needs to capitalize on their potential and address their weaknesses to move forward.
AlphaTauri: Good progress with room to improve
AlphaTauri made good progress throughout the season and finished ahead of Aston Martin in the championship. They had a strong second half of the season and outscored other teams in their division. However, they still have room to improve and need to maximize their investment to continue their progress.
Williams: A better than expected season
Williams had a better than expected season, finishing as the best team in the back of the grid division. They maximized their opportunities and executed well throughout the season. While they did have some weaker performances towards the end, they still showed improvement compared to previous seasons.
McLaren: A tale of turnaround and missed opportunities
McLaren had a remarkable turnaround from a slow start to the season, to being the second best car on the grid. They delivered on their promises and exceeded expectations. However, they missed out on capitalizing on their mid-season performance and fell behind Aston Martin in the championship.
Ferrari: A disappointing season
Ferrari had high expectations for the season, but it ended up being disappointing. While they fixed some of their previous issues, they still fell short of their title fight aspirations. They had moments of strong performance, but couldn't consistently challenge for the top positions. Overall, it was a season that didn't live up to their pre-season expectations.
Ferrari's Performance and Expectations
Ferrari had a mixed season, with highs and lows. At times, they showed promise and looked like title contenders, but overall, their performance was not what was expected. The team struggled with tire usage and high-speed traits of their car, limiting their ability to make it faster. Despite this, Ferrari managed to improve their car throughout the season and finish strong. Overall, the season can be seen as a disappointment, but there were some positive aspects in terms of progress and addressing weaknesses.
Mercedes' Disappointing Season
Mercedes had a disappointing season, even though they narrowly beat Ferrari in the Constructors' Championship. The concept of their car did not work as expected, and every time they made progress, they would have a race where they struggled. Their car had good points in medium-speed corners and tire management, but these were overshadowed by inconsistency and peakiness. Mercedes started the season strong, but failed to build on their early success and understand how to develop the car effectively. Their overall performance was a step back from expectations, and there is now significant pressure on the team to improve.
Red Bull's Outstanding Dominance
Red Bull had an exceptional season, dominating the competition and exceeding expectations. Their car concept from 2022 allowed them to add downforce and maintain a balanced performance. Verstappen's skill and fine-tuning brought out the full potential of the car, while their rivals struggled to correct basic shortcomings. Red Bull's control over their car, consistent development, and early focus on the next season's car gave them a significant advantage. They achieved a level of dominance rarely seen in Formula One, surpassing all other teams in terms of points and finishing positions.
Ben Anderson and Scott Mitchell-Malm join Edd Straw (with bonus contributions from Mark Hughes!) to cast a critical eye over the 10 teams on the 2023 grid and hand out some grades for their performances relative to expectations. The question is, who will be top of the class and who will score that dreaded low grade?
NOTE: Barring any breaking news, this will be our final podcast of 2023 - but don't fear, we'll be back with your F1 fix on January 1! Thank you to all of our listeners for joining us this year - we hope you'll join us again in 2024!
