Meet Every Driver Racing in Formula 1 in 2023

Owen Bellwood

February 8, 2023 at 9:30 AM·8 min read

A photo of the Formula 1 starting grid in Brazil.

Who’s in the cockpit in 2023?

It feels like the checkered flag has only just fallen on the 2022 Formula 1 season, but we’re now staring head on at a whole new year of top-tier motorsport. The car launches are beginning, the race calendar is confirmed and the driver lineups are set in stone.

So, with less than a month until the lights go out in Bahrain for the first race of the 2023 Formula 1 season, we thought it was time to get familiar with the 20 drivers we’ll be cheering for.

This year, there are three world champions on the grid, three new drivers and one returning racer, all set to fight it out for race wins and the ultimate crown as F1 World Champion.

Max Verstappen

Nationality: The Netherlands

Team: Red Bull Racing

Career Highlight: 2021 and 2022 Formula 1 World Champion

Now a double world champion, Max Verstappen stays with Red Bull Racing in 2023 with the hopes of adding a third world title to his collection. Since his first F1 race in 2015, Verstappen has racked up 35 race wins, 77 podiums and 2,011.5 world championship points.

Sergio Pérez

A photo of Sergio Perez wearing his Red Bull gear and dark sunglasses.

Nationality: Mexico

Team: Red Bull Racing

Career Highlight: Four Formula 1 race wins

Verstappen’s team mate in 2023 will once again be Mexican racer Sergio Pérez. The 33-year-old racer has competed for three teams since joining F1 in 2011, including Sauber and Force India, which is now known as Aston Martin.

Charles Leclerc

Nationality: Monaco

Team: Ferrari

Career Highlight: 2017 Formula 2 World Champion

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will be hoping for better fortunes in 2023 after a troublesome season last year. After notching up an impressive 24 podiums and five race wins in his career so far, the Monegasque driver will be hoping for a competitive and reliable car from Ferrari this year if he wants to win his first F1 world title.

Carlos Sainz

Nationality: Spain

Team: Ferrari

Career Highlight: Won the 2022 British Grand Prix

Carlos Sainz scored his first F1 race win in 2022 and will be hoping to add a few more to his tally this year. The racer, son of rally legend Carlos Sainz Sr., joined Ferrari in 2021 after stints with Mclaren, Renault (now Alpine) and Toro Rosso (now AlphaTauri).

Lewis Hamilton

Nationality: United Kingdom

Team: Mercedes AMG Petronas

Career Highlight: 2008, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 Formula 1 World Champion

Statistically the greatest Formula 1 driver of all time, Sir Lewis Hamilton has an incredible 4,405.5 world championship points, 191 podium finishes, 103 race wins and seven world titles to his name. After a troublesome car hampered his efforts in 2022, Hamilton and his Mercedes team will be hoping for a comeback this year.

George Russell

Nationality: United Kingdom

Team: Mercedes AMG Petronas

Career Highlight: 2018 Formula 2 World Champion

24-year-old George Russell is regarded as the next star of British motorsport thanks to his record in junior series, such as Formula 2. He also impressed with his consistency when stuck at Williams and claimed his first race win last year at the Brazilian Grand Prix

Lando Norris

Nationality: United Kingdom

Team: McLaren

Career Highlight: Pole position at the 2021 Russian Grand Prix

Lando Norris will race his 100th grand prix this year, specifically in Qatar when F1 races there later in 2023. Over the 82 events he has raced so far, Norris has claimed six podiums, five fastest laps and put his McLaren car on pole position at the 2021 Russian Grand prix.

Oscar Piastri

Nationality: Australia

Team: Mclaren

Career Highlight: 2021 Formula 2 World Champion

The first new face of 2023 will be Australian racer Oscar Piastri, who joins McLaren after a year on the sidelines with Alpine. The young Aussie has an impressive junior career under his belt, which included winning the Formula 2 world title in 2021; his rise to F1 seemed imminent from that moment on.

Esteban Ocon

Nationality: France

Team: Alpine

Career Highlight: Won position the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix

2023 will mark Esteban Ocon’s fourth season with Alpine, having joined the squad back in 2020 when it raced as Renault and had one of the best liveries of all time. Since then, he’s earned the French team its first win since it raced a Lotus back in 2013.

Pierre Gasly

Nationality: France

Team: Alpine

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Max Verstappen

Sergio Pérez

Charles Leclerc

Carlos Sainz

Lewis Hamilton

George Russell

Lando Norris

Oscar Piastri

Esteban Ocon

Pierre Gasly

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