Lance Stroll, only Canadian on the grid
Over the past three seasons, two of the 20 drivers on the grid have been Canadian: Quebecer Lance Stroll with Aston Martin and Torontonian Nicholas Latifi with Williams. This is no longer the case in 2023. Latifi, who only managed 9 points in three campaigns, was replaced by American Logan Sargeant.
Stroll is therefore the only representative of the maple leaf. The 24-year-old driver came very close to not taking part in the first Grand Prix of the season after injuring his wrist during training. He missed winter testing.
PHOTO FRANK AUGSTEIN, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Lawrence Stroll and his son Lance, Thursday at the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain
What can we expect from Stroll and, more broadly, Aston Martin this season? The answer to that question is less clear this year. The team aims to lead the midfield. Stroll’s new teammate, two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, surprised everyone by finishing first in the second free practice session on Friday. Stroll finished sixth, ahead of Lewis Hamilton. That promises for Saturday and Sunday!
A three-way battle?
Max Verstappen completely dominated the 2022 season at the wheel of his Red Bull to clinch his second consecutive championship. Initially, a heated battle with Hamilton was expected, but Mercedes struggled with their car throughout the campaign. So much so that Hamilton, seven-time world champion, did not win a single race. His teammate, George Russell, did better with a fourth place in the championship.
PHOTO ANDREJ ISAKOVIC, FRANCE-PRESSE AGENCY
Max Verstappen
Will Mercedes be back in the title race this season? Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has promised a more capable car. “We will be competitive. We don’t know when, however,” he said at the unveiling of the new all-black car a few weeks ago.
And then there is Ferrari. The arrival of Frédéric Vasseur as director could also change the pace of the fight at the top. Last year, Monegasque Charles Leclerc started the season superbly by winning two of the first three Grands Prix, but the Scuderia’s questionable strategies have harmed him on many occasions since then. Leclerc, vice-world champion, will aspire to the title if Ferrari makes better decisions and his car is more reliable.
The new kids
Three new drivers are arriving on the grid this season. The name to remember first is that of Oscar Piastri. He is replacing Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren. The 21-year-old Australian with promising talent will be interesting to see in action this season.
PHOTO RULA ROUHANA, REUTERS
Oscar Piastri
Otherwise, Nyck de Vries (with a y, that’s right) will be Yuki Tsunoda’s teammate at AlphaTauri. He took the place of Pierre Gasly, who left for Alpine. De Vries, 28, made his first F1 race last season as a substitute at Williams. He did very well with a ninth place at the wheel of one of the worst performing cars on the grid. This sample earned him a tenure at AlphaTauri.
At Williams, Logan Sargeant replaces Nicholas Latifi. Sargeant, 22, is the first American on the tour in eight years. He will nevertheless drive an uncompetitive car.
Note also the return of Nico Hülkenberg to F1, at Haas.
Twenty-three stopovers
For the first time in its history, the F1 calendar features 23 Grands Prix this season. That of Canada, in Montreal, is the ninth and will take place from June 16 to 18.
Three races will take place in the United States, while a new Grand Prix in Las Vegas has been added to those in Miami and Texas. In Vegas, the race will be held overnight Saturday through Sunday.
In addition, amateurs will be entitled to six sprint races (Azerbaijan, Austria, Belgium, Qatar, Texas and Brazil). That’s three more than last year. These races, over a distance of 100 km, take place on Saturdays. They replace the usual qualifying session and define the order of the starting grid for the Grand Prix the following day.
That being said, good first Grand Prix!