23 races are scheduled in Formula 1 this season. It is a record that the racing teams are starting this weekend. Who will drive in front, who could be the big surprise – and what is the only German driver doing, Nico Hulkenberg? Everything you need to get started.
Formula 1 is starting its new season, Max Verstappen wants the next title, Nico Hülkenberg alone is holding up the German flag – and the premier class is breaking its record again: there are 23 races in total, one more than last year. There will be three races in the USA, and the new Glamor Grand Prix on the Strip in Las Vegas (November 18) will be the flagship of the series. Qatar is also new compared to 2022, France is off the calendar. A Grand Prix, which has now become almost traditional, marks the start: it starts in Bahrain on Sunday (4 p.m. / Sky and in the ntv.de live ticker).
Everything indicates that Verstappen and Red Bull have lost none of their dominance after two world titles. The world champion drives a car that is very similar to the superior RB18 from last year – but has been optimized in many smaller areas. The RB19 was fast on a lap, fast in race mode and reliable at the Bahrain tests. Ferrari again looks like the closest rival, but the car of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz seemed inferior in the long runs. And Mercedes? Lewis Hamilton’s racing team, new home for reserve driver Mick Schumacher, experienced very changeable three-day tests.
Aston Martin seems to have made a giant leap and could attack Mercedes. Aston Martin of all places, right now, you can say that from a German perspective. For two years, Sebastian Vettel did development work for the nouveau riche and ambitious Brits, top results were the absolute exception. Now he has ended his career and his successor Fernando Alonso is suddenly in a fast car. Experts even believe that the traditional brand will be able to fight for the podium right from the start – with Lance Stroll, who was given the go-ahead to start after his bicycle accident. This means that Vettel’s short comeback, which was speculated about at least for the second race of the season in Saudi Arabia (March 19) after Stroll’s injury, is off the table.
Hülkenberg is something like the German solo entertainer, and that is an absolute rarity. In 2020, Vettel was the only regular German driver, otherwise Autoland has always been numerous since the Michael Schumacher boom. With the high point in 2010, when seven Germans were deployed over the course of the year. So now Hülkenberg, who follows Mick Schumacher at Haas. The US racing team has big plans, but more than a decent midfield place seems unrealistic after the tests. Schumacher, however, has fallen softly, he is driving for a top Formula 1 team for the first time – if only as a replacement for Hamilton and George Russell. The 23-year-old is hoping for training this year and a return to the starting lineup next year.
The pay-TV broadcaster Sky continues to hold the exclusive rights. Where the obligatory four races will be broadcast on free-to-air television is unclear.
The world automobile association FIA has not only regulated the scope for drivers to make political statements, but also significantly curtailed it. This causes criticism in the grid, but Hamilton, among others, does not want to be impressed. In 2023, the field of racing cars will have the trend color black. First and foremost Mercedes, but also Haas and Alfa Romeo, among others. Background: Using bare carbon instead of a paint finish saves some weight.
