Pretty Vacant: My 2023 F1 Lineup Predictions
With news breaking that Oscar Piastri will in fact drive for McLaren next season and beyond, the dominos are starting to fall in terms of what the 2023 F1 grid will look like. A number of vacancies remain as drivers with expiring contracts are looking to make their next move. So how will it all pan out? How about I take a stab at it so we can laugh at how wrong I am a few months from now?
Alpine
We might as well start with these guys, seeing as they found themselves on the losing end of the Piastri sweepstakes thanks to the recent ruling by the Contract Recognition Board (CRB).
So where does that leave the French outfit? If you ask me, all signs point to Pierre Gasly. Despite rumours of a fractured relationship between Gasly and current Alpine driver Esteban Ocon, creating to ultimate French connection just makes sense. Not to mention, Gasly is a proven commodity in this sport, and a more “ready” product than someone like Mick Schumacher, or Oscar Pisatri for that matter.
Alfa Romeo
More than anything, I can see Alfa Romeo standing pat with Guanyu Zhou. He wants a long-term contract, and while team boss Frédéric Vasseur has been reluctant to give him one so far, I think a middle ground will be found where the team keep the Chinese driver for 2023 before putting Théo Pourchaire in the seat for 2024.
Haas
I hate to say it, but I think Mick Schumacher’s time in F1 is done, for now at least. I can see him flirting with other racing series to keep him busy until another chance presents itself down the road, I think we’ll see Daniel Ricciardo on the grid wearing Haas colours in 2023. My head is torn on whether Ricciardo will actually be on the grid next year, but my heart says there’s no way he doesn’t find a seat. And you can’t tell me they wouldn’t rather have a race winner like Ricciardo than someone such as Antonio Giovinazzi or Nico Hülkenburg. It would also be fitting to see Ricciardo potentially close out his F1 career with an American team as well, seeing as his fondness for the country has famously grown over the years.
AlphaTauri
So with Gasly going to Alpine on my hypothetical 2023 grid, who replaces him at AlphaTauri? I wouldn’t be terribly shocked if Mick Schumacher did end up in this seat - despite my thoughts on his pending exit from Haas - but I also believe Liam Lawson makes sense here too. Currently sitting 5th in the Formula 2 standings, he’s the top performing Red Bull Junior Team driver in the series. The New Zealand-born driver will be 21 years old at the start of next season, but Red Bull have shown no reservations putting young drivers in a car on their sister team.
And I know there’s talk about Yuki Tsunoda not having a deal for 2023 yet, but I’m willing to bet he gets one more chance in 2023 before they bump him aside for Dennis Hauger.
Aston Martin
Does Lawrence Stroll still run Aston Martin F1? Yes? Right then, Lance Stroll is staying put. Next.
Williams
If Logan Sargeant doesn’t take Latifi’s seat next year, I’ll be stunned. There’s been a lot of noise about how America is hungry for it’s next F1 star, and I truly believe that Sargeant can be that guy. I know everyone loves Colton Herta, but I just don’t see that happening for him in F1. Not yet, anyway. Maybe once Michael Andretti has his say.