The 2023 Formula 1 grid is now complete, and we have six new drivers who are going to race for their new teams soon, starting on March 5th in the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The “Silly Season” started when Sebastian Vettel announced his retirement last August, leaving a driver vacancy at Aston Martin. Fernando Alonso took Vettel’s spot, and Pierre Gasly joined Esteban Ocon in Alpine to replace Alonso.
Daniel Ricciardo then left McLaren to become Red Bull’s third driver, and the vacant seat was given to Oscar Piastri. Logan Sargeant and Nyck De Vries then joined Williams and AlphaTauri, respectively, while Nico Hulkenberg is back in Formula 1 with Haas to replace Mick Schumacher.
It’ll be interesting to see how they’ll fare in this upcoming season, so read on below as we feature these familiar faces in their new homes.
Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
Pierre Gasly will drive for Alpine in 2023 after almost six seasons with AlphaTauri. During his time with the Faenza-based outfit, Gasly has won only one Grand Prix (the 2020 Italian Grand Prix), so he’ll be aiming to win more at Alpine.
Gasly joins fellow Frenchman Esteban Ocon, who has been a mainstay since 2021. The two of them came up through the junior ranks together, so they’ve been through a lot together.
These two drivers have shown the capability to win races these past few seasons. And if they get their act together, they will make good on our SBOTOP prediction that they’ll be regularly challenging for podiums.
Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
Oscar Piastri should’ve been the one in Alpine, but the 21-year-old Australian decided to join their rival, McLaren.
McLaren and Alpine fought over his signature for 2023, but the Contract Recognition Board ultimately favoured McLaren to have his rights.
Piastri was one of the most sought-after drivers last season due to his quick ascension from F4 to F2, as he broke multiple records in the process.
He now joins Lando Norris in the paddock, as McLaren aim to build their team with their young stars. McLaren finished P5 in the constructors’ standings last season.
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
Two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso joins Lance Stroll in Aston Martin this year. When Vettel announced his retirement, many believed that Aston Martin would need some time to find his replacement, but they quickly replaced him with the Spaniard.
Alonso brings a ton of experience to the team, but more importantly, he also gives them a recognisable name in the paddock. He may be 41 years old, but he has proven that he still has it when he almost took the pole in the Australian Grand Prix qualifying.
Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
The Hulk is back in Formula 1. Hulkenburg spent the last three seasons without a full-time race seat, and now he’ll team up with his old friend, Kevin Magnussen, at Haas.
After a lacklustre campaign, Haas decided not to renew Mick Schumacher’s contract, which opened an opportunity for Hulkenburg.
Hulkenburg is going to be a key veteran for Haas, which finished P8 in the constructors’ standings last season. He and Magnussen have 322 Grand Prix starts between them, and Guenther Steiner will be relying on them to produce positive Formula 1 2023 results.
Nyck de Vries (AlphaTauri)
Pierre Gasly’s departure left a vacancy at AlphaTauri, and the Italian outfit decided to get one of the standout stars today, as Nyck de Vries finally gets his first full-time seat in Formula 1 after a great showing overall last season.
The 28-year-old was a reserve driver for Mercedes, but he wowed the paddock with his P9 finish in his maiden Grand Prix last season in Monza when he filled in for the ill Alex Albon at Williams.
The 2021 Formula E world champion will race alongside Yuki Tsunoda as they try to improve AlphaTauri’s Formula 1 2023 odds in the constructors’ standings this season.
Logan Sargeant (Williams)
Logan Sargeant is promoted to be Williams’ second driver after finishing fourth in his rookie campaign in Formula 2 last year. He will replace Nicholas Latifi, who represented the team for three seasons.
The 22-year-old will race alongside Alex Albon, who has been confirmed for a second season with Williams after he was recently given a multi-year deal after scoring all of the team’s points last year.
Sargeant is also the first American Formula 1 driver since Alexander Rossi in 2015, so for sure he’ll get plenty of support during his rookie campaign with trips to Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas all set.
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