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Fresh Wheels: New Faces in New Places for the 2023 F1 Season
The Young and the Restless Join the Fast and the Furious
The 2023 F1 season begins with plenty of teams switching drivers. While the top of the order in Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari remain mostly unchanged, several constructors will be debuting new faces. This includes three rookies including Logan Sargeant, the first American F1 driver since Alexander Rossi in 2015. The F1 betting odds have Sargeant and the new drivers as long shots at best. But some will make an impact this season.
Let’s check the latest Formula 1 news, stats, injury reports, and FORMULA 1 lines. We’ve got plenty of Formula 1 picks for you to consider.
Let’s go, @LoganSargeant! 🙌#WeAreWilliams pic.twitter.com/wFq5Ysm14u
— Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) February 23, 2023
The Rookies: Will They Hang?
F1 is typically a brutal sport for rookies unless they were drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher – just two average Joes who combined for 14 world titles, no biggie. Oscar Piastri, Nyck De Vries, and Sargeant will look to make their mark though it will be tough, to say the least.
Sargeant will face steep odds racing for Williams with Alexander Albon. He replaces Nicholas Latifi who finished last in 2022 with a whopping two points. Williams also finished last in the constructor standings with eight points. So the bar is low for Sargeant.
The opposite is true for Piastri. The 21-year-old may have the best online gambling odds out of the three though that does not say much. He replaces fellow Australian Daniel Ricciardo with McLaren. Piastri was already a reserve driver for McLaren last season. He holds a title in both Formula 2 and Formula 3 and it’s this pedigree that makes him a highly touted rookie. But can he be the first rookie to win an F1 race since Hamilton in 2007? It’s unlikely. But you never know!
As for De Vries, the 28-year-old is longer in the tooth than his fellow rookies. But that also makes him the most experienced. The Dutchman was initially part of McLaren’s young driver programme and like Piastri, has a Formula 2 title. He also collected a Formula E title in 2021 with Mercedes.
He subbed in for Williams last season and even gained points by finishing ninth in Monza. It was tied as the best finish for the constructor in 2022. Now, he joins Yuki Tsunoda for AlphaTauri.
“Danny Ric” and Veterans Switching Teams
Speaking of Ricciardo, the hero of Netflix’s Drive to Survive is still with F1. However, it will be in a reserve role as the 11-year veteran returns to Red Bull as the third driver. So this means he likely won’t race unless either Max Verstappen or Sergio Perez can’t. Red Bull, the defending champions, gets a highly experienced and familiar backup in return.
Ricciardo, who has eight wins in F1, had his worst result in 2022 since 2013. He finished 11th in 2022 and it prompted many to speculate he would leave McLaren. Of course, it did happen and his spot is now filled by Piastri. Taking a break may benefit Ricciardo who remains one of F1’s most popular drivers partly thanks to Netflix’s documentary series.
He’s not the only veteran who has swapped spots. Two-time champion Fernando Alonso will leave Alpine and replace the recently retired Sebastian Vettel for Aston Martin. The British constructor finished strong in 2022 to wind up seventh and tied Alfa Romeo in points.
Alonso’s spot in Alpine will be filled by Pierre Gasly. The move then effectively makes this the “All-French” team as the French constructor will have Gasly, a Frenchman, join his compatriot Esteban Ocon. The duo have both won races and will look to keep its fourth-placed standing in the constructor race. Folks betting online may even take a shot on either to win a race.
Haas also has a driver shuffle. Mick Schumacher leaves with Nico Hulkenberg taking his spot. Michael’s son then takes a spot as Mercedes’s third driver. Hulkenberg drove two races in 2022 for Aston Martin. He last drove full-time in 2019 for Renault.
