Duncan Cheng ‘25, Sports Staff Writer

Image Courtesy of the New York Times

In November 2022, Max Verstappen’s win in Abu Dhabi ended a historic and exciting Formula 1 season. Although this season did not come down to the last lap of the final race like the previous year, it was still a season filled with plenty of drama and record-breaking races. 

Formula 1 or F1 for short, is the pinnacle of motorsport. The competition consists of 10 teams with 2 drivers per team, battling for the coveted Constructor’s and Driver’s championships. Each team creates its own car and races it against other teams. F1 visits 21 countries and races in over 22 tracks each year, with drivers obtaining points at each track in order to win the championship. This season has been dominated by one team: Red Bull. Max Verstappen, one of the drivers for Red Bull, has gained a total of 454 points out of the available 550 points gained by placing top ten. He had, arguably, the fastest car of this year and used it to his advantage. With 15 wins out of the 22 races, he broke numerous records while being one of the youngest drivers to do so. Although the races were mostly won by a single person, it was certainly not a boring season.

Charles Leclerc, along with his team at Ferrari, seemed like the favorite at the beginning of the year, with a 46-point lead over the eventual champion. However, by the end of the season, Leclerc had slipped to 146 points behind Verstappen. A variety of factors contributed to Leclerc and the Ferrari’s decrease in performance. When the Ferrari car was at its best, usually during qualifying, Leclerc looked unstoppable; he took 9 poles (which is when a driver takes first place during qualifying) compared to Verstappen’s 7. Unfortunately, the race days cost him. Most of the blame can be placed on Ferrari for their strategy and the unreliability of the car. Issues regarding tire management affected their strategy and it has negatively affected the drivers. However, Leclerc still managed to place 2nd this season, giving him room for improvement for future seasons. 

Although Red Bull dominated the competition this year, they also had their fair share of drama. In the second half of the season, Red Bull was accused of breaching the cost cap of $145 million that was implemented last year. The cost cap exists to limit the advantage that the bigger teams have over the smaller and less wealthy teams. The extra money that Red Bull spent likely helped them develop the powerful car that crushed its competition this year. Furthermore, the two Red Bull teammates had a quarrel in the Brazilian Grand Prix when Verstappen refused to comply with team orders. Verstappen failed to let his teammate Sergio Perez through for an extra position in the race when Perez was battling Charles Leclerc for second in the driver’s championship. Verstappen’s defiance caused Perez to lose a lead he would have had over Leclerc. 

With all the drama and exhilarating races this year, the sport is bound to attract many new fans, including ones from the Newark Academy community. Many from our community have expressed their enjoyment of this year’s season and are anticipating the 2023 season. Some of the newer fans especially enjoy the tough battles throughout the races and the frequent overtakes. Rishi Bala ‘25 said that he particularly enjoyed the battle for 2nd in Abu Dhabi. Although F1 may be less well-known than other sports, it is a fast-growing sport that deserves attention due to its fast-paced action. F1 fans are anticipating the new season in March and all the twists and turns that it will bring.