With the upcoming 2023 Formula 1 season inching ever closer, it may be a good idea to decide on a favourite team if you haven’t done so already.
The 2022 F1 season was one of innovation and excitement, as a radical rules’ overhaul provided an opportunity for a complete re-shuffle of the existing grid.
But it became clear relatively quickly who was going to run away with the Title, with Red Bull proving to have the most complete package and sweeping up both the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Titles, the latter courtesy of a certain Max Verstappen.
There is a certain expectation among analysts that 2023 will be a lot more closely fought, as Red Bull may struggle to improve on their impressive RB18, whilst all the other teams have a lot more up their sleeves in terms of potential.
Not to mention the differential development time rule that allocates wind tunnel times for the teams based on where they finish in the Constructors’ Championship – the lower you finish the more time you get. This means Williams are permitted almost double the wind tunnel usage of Red Bull, and Ferrari 12% more.
That is not to mention Red Bull’s 10% reduction in aero development for breaching the 2021 F1 cost cap, expect the 2023 grid to tighten up.
With all that said, let’s go through each team and go through the reasons why you may choose to support them!
Williams: Because you want to see a former titan of the sport get back to winning ways
The truth of the matter is that the late Frank Williams’ racing outfit is a shadow of its former self. Their last victory was more than a decade ago, and their iconic blue cars have been rooted to the rear of the field for a fair few years now.
It’s easy to forget that Williams have amassed nine Constructors’ Championships and 114 wins in their near-50-year history. But Williams fans choose to keep this in mind, as they anticipate the team’s return to glory days and stick to their guns for the long-term.
What’s more, Williams will have a debutant driver in their lineup for 2023 in the form of Logan Sargeant. Excitement is rife around the young American, with many anticipating a solid first season for him with the British team.
They also have a new team boss, former Mercedes Chief Strategist James Vowles, so maybe the Briton can bring the winning mentality back to the once great F1 team.
AlphaTauri: Because Nyck de Vries
The Dutchman managed to land himself a prestigious F1 seat thanks to his eye-opening performance standing in for the ill Alexander Albon at the 2022 Italian Grand Prix.
Since then, many fans have been itching to see him race in the pinnacle of open-wheel motorsport again. Thankfully he will, behind the wheel of the cars of Italian outfit Scuderia AlphaTauri.
Other than that, there aren’t many other reasons to support the team, unless you were a previous fan of Toro Rosso or Minardi, the two teams that AlphaTauri was born from. Perhaps you are a fan of their in-house fashion brand, and want to be the classiest looking fan in the grandstands. You do, don’t you!
Haas: Because you’re American
Netflix’s popularization of F1, through Drive To Survive, has brought in a huge following of Americans to the sport’s fanbase. Luckily for them, there is an American team in the paddock ready to receive any kind of support it can get, be it emotional or financial. More of the latter would help the team out more, admittedly.
Haas’ 2022 season saw an upwards trend from their pointless season the year before, so their fans will be hoping for an even greater result this year.
Oh, and if you want to see Nico Hulkenberg, aka The Hulk, achieve his first ever podium, you’ll want Haas to make their way up to the forefront of the field again.
Aston Martin: Because they have the cheapest merch!
No seriously, Aston Martin have the cheapest merchandise of any of the other F1 teams, so if you wanna be repping the gear of your favourite team then Aston Martin is the way to go.
Of course, there is more to Aston Martin than just cheap clothing. The brand has an enormous pedigree both in the consumer and motorsport sectors, and have experienced Championship glory in multiple other series.
While they haven’t managed to take home the Constructors’ crown in F1, with the huge financial backing of Lawrence Stroll it should only be a matter of time. In theory…
Let’s not forget that Aston Martin will have a double F1 Champion within their ranks in the form of Fernando Alonso who replaced the retiring Sebastian Vettel and is till driving at a very high level, something all Nando fans will be looking forward to.
Alfa Romeo: Because you’re an Italian who’s tired of supporting Ferrari
While the vast majority of Italian fans are Tifosi through and through, it also cannot be ignored that a fair few supporters are growing impatient at the lack of Titles going the way of the Scuderia. They have failed to meet expectations year on year, and as a fan this can only bring grief into your life.
Alfa Romeo have been in and out of F1 ever since its inception, and even won the first two World Championships in 1950 and 1951. So its not like they have no history. Besides, expectation is not as high for Alfa Romeo as their recent results have been nothing to write home about, so you can relax behind the TV screen, for once!
McLaren: Because they always have more to give
With plenty of pedigree and eight World Constructors’ Championships under their belt, McLaren are ravenously clawing their way back up the standings after a worrisome slump in the mid to late 2010s.
While 2022 was underwhelming for the Woking squad, results are certainly getting better, as podiums have been almost a guarantee in the past couple of years. As a fan of the British outfit, hope would be a large factor as you anticipate the return of McLaren to the top of the timing sheets once again.
Furthermore, McLaren will also see the debut of Aussie sensation Oscar Piastri alongside the infectious personality of Lando Norris. So there is a lot of excitement surrounding how this pair will synergise and motivate each other to the top of the leaderboard this year.
Alpine: Because you want to bear witness to unavoidable drama!
Alpine impressed us all by securing fourth in the Constructors’ ahead of McLaren, and with a renewed lineup full of experience and talent this year should see a continuation of such results.
The issue is that the aforementioned renewed driver pairing will have two fiery French characters in the shape of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon as teammates, the two not having a history of getting along well.
With no indication as to who will be the number one driver, fans can expect plenty of metaphorical fireworks both on and off the track. If that’s what gets you going, then Alpine may be the team for you.
Mercedes: Because they’re guaranteed to bounce back
Anyone who’s been even remotely following F1 for the past decade will know of the Mercedes era of dominance. Beginning in 2014 with the dawn of the hybrid era, Mercedes won every Constructors’ Championship until 2022, when Max Verstappen and Red Bull ruined the party for the Brackley outfit.
2022 wasn’t exactly up to the known Mercedes’ standards, however; George Russell managed a victory in Brazil and the team scored many podiums on their way to 3rd in the final Standings, as they steadily improved over the course of the past F1 season after their shaky start with their bouncy W13.
With one of the highest budgets on the F1 grid, as a Merc fan you can expect to see plenty of good points-scoring results and a win or two at the least. It’s a safe option for sure.
Ferrari: Because you’re a Tifosi already…
Honestly speaking, it would be a mistake to start supporting Ferrari in their current state. The last several years have been nothing but missed opportunities and failures of expectation which has resulted in a rather dejected and unhappy fanbase.
The last time Ferrari won a Drivers’ Championship was back in 2007 with Kimi Raikkonen following up with the Constructors’ Crown in 2008, and the Italian outfit has come so tantalizingly close so many times that the belief is simply not there anymore.
But with a new Team Principal under their wing, Fred Vasseur, and a talented pair of drivers, its not too far-fetched to believe they will close the gap to Red Bull this year.
For a real shot at the Title, supporting Ferrari isn’t such a bad idea, but unless they get their strategic act together, don’t be surprised if they finish second again though!
Red Bull: Because you want to support the winning team
Let’s face it: Red Bull were the dominant force of 2022. Apart from the first few races of the campaign where they suffered from an overweight car and a couple of reliability problems, in hindsight it was clear to see that the Austrian team had it in the bag all along; especially with a faultless Max Verstappen behind the wheel.
As mentioned earlier, there is a good chance that the pack will become closer for 2023, but there’s no denying that Red Bull have the advantage; an advantage that may as well overcome their aero development penalty they incurred from their cost cap breach.
By supporting Red Bull, you’re sure to taste the sweet euphoria of victory on multiple occasions throughout the year, and maybe a third Title for Verstappen and a sixth for the team.