Launch season is over, and all that is left is to put the Formula 1 field of 2023 on track and start racing.
With the first test of the new season just two days away, our writers tip the teams they think will make the most progress this year.
Haas
The reliability improvements made to Ferrari’s engine means the three teams which use it should be able to get more out of it this year: Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto admitted at the end of last season they dialled back the performance of their power units in response to a series of failures. Customers such as Haas encountered problems of their own.
Although Mick Schumacher made progress during his second season it was cancelled out by the repair bills he generated through big crashes. The team has a replacement who promises to be an improvement in all areas in the form of Nico Hulkenberg.
He may have the unwanted record of going 181 races without a podium, but that extensive F1 experience is a positive. His track record indicates he may be able to show the potential of the Haas VF-23 in qualifying more than team mate Kevin Magnussen, who is well equipped to get the most out of it in races.
The team also has a financial boost this year with new title sponsor MoneyGram, plus other backers, which could help it keep up with the pace of development over the season. The rise in income, plus a further fall in the budget cap level this year, means Haas should be spending at the cap for the first time, according to team principal Guenther Steiner.
Ida Wood
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
Mercedes
It would be easy to assume that Red Bull will be the front-runner in F1 for the foreseeable, and you may not be wrong for thinking so. But if we are talking about who will have a more successful 2023, Mercedes are top of my list.
The eight-times world champions were plagued with problems last season, from a porpoising W13 to fundamental strategy mistakes, not forgetting some good old-fashioned bad luck. Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton appeared frustrated, some even suspected he had lost confidence in the team, something he fiercely denied.
As the season went on, Mercedes remedied some of the W13’s most taxing problems, including the troublesome porpoising and issues with the engine, and…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at RaceFans…