The 2023 Formula 1 season has been confirmed to be a 23-race affair. 24 races were initially scheduled, but China canceled their race at the beginning of December. It had been scheduled to take place on April 16th.
But there will still be more racing than ever with the sport’s bosses announcing the 2023 season will feature six Sprint races. Introduced in 2021 – and used as a qualifying session that comes with World Championship points – there were three such contests that year and in 2022.
What are the six F1 sprint races in 2023?
Austin’s Circuit of the Americas hosts its first Sprint race as will Azerbaijan, Belgium and Qatar. Austria will feature a Sprint for a second successive season and Brazil will host its third.
- 29 April - Azerbaijan
- 1 July - Austria
- 29 July - Belgium
- 7 October - Qatar
- 4 November - Brazil
- 21 October - Austin, Texas
The forthcoming season will begin in Bahrain on March 5th and conclude on November 26th at its traditional closing track, the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. A week beforehand, the Las Vegas Strip will play host to Formula 1. The city last held a Formula Grand Prix in 1982.
Historians will know that season boasted 11 different winners in 16 races. No driver won more than two races and, over a period of nine races, there were nine individual winners. Furthermore, five drivers scored their first-ever Grand Prix victory.
Musical Chairs for Bosses and Drivers
It would take a big stretch of the imagination to suggest we will see anything remotely close to this excitement in 2023. The Formula 1 betting sites cannot see beyond Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.
Verstappen is 4/5 (Ladbrokes) to win his third consecutive world title; Hamilton is 3/1 (bet365) to take his eighth championship. Ferrari’s number one driver, Charles Leclerc, can be backed at 6/1.
The Italian team will have a new manager in 2023 following the departure of Mattia Binotto. In a big game of musical chairs, he is being replaced by former Alfa Romeo team principal, Frederic Vasseur.
Andreas Seidl has left his role as McLaren team principal and will join Alfa Romeo’s owners Sauber as chief executive while Andreas Stella has been promoted to team principal at McLaren.
2023 F1 Drivers Championship Betting Odds (as of 6th January)
- 4/5 Max Verstappen
- 3/1 Lewis Hamilton
- 8/1 Charles Leclerc
- 8/1 George Russell
- 33/1 Carlos Sainz
- 40/1 Sergio Perez
- 125/1 Lando Norris
- 250/1 Esteban Ocon
- 250/1 Fernando Alonso
- 500/1 Pierre Gasly
- 1000/1 bar
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2023 Formula One Drivers Championship - Outright Winner
Lewis Hamilton is best priced 3/1 to win his 8th world title
At 3/1 a £10 bet would return £40
2023 Formula One Drivers Championship
March 05, 2023
2:00 pm GMT
Formula 1 Driver Changes
And there have been changes in the driver’s seats too.
27-year-old Nyck de Vries will become a full-time Formula 1 racer for Alpha Tauri. Pierre Gasly transfers to the Alpine team, Fernando Alonso replaces the retired Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin and Nico Hulkenberg replaces Mick Schumacher at Haas.
Furthermore, 21-year-old Oscar Piastri makes his debut for McLaren and another youngster, American Logan Sargeant has replaced Nicholas Latifi at Williams. The progress – or otherwise – of these fresh faces will be fascinating.
William Hill has conveniently opened teammate-on-teammate season-long betting markets and they could have some value within them.
Remarkably, Nyck de Vries (4/6) is fancied to outperform his established Alpha Tauri teammate, Yuki Tsunoda (11/10). But Logan Sargeant (2/1) is not expected to outpoint Alex Albon (4/11) and Oscar Piastri is 10/3 to get the better of his experienced teammate, Lando Norris.
Ocon Might Not Shine as Bright as Gasly at Alpine
The above prices could be right, but the Esteban Ocon versus Pierre Gasly match bet prices look very wrong.
Ocon finished 11 points ahead of his 2022 teammate, Fernando Alonso, last season. But, as Alonso suffered six retirements during the year and Ocon just two, it is easy to conclude Alonso was the better driver.
Gasly has shone since being dropped by Red Bull in 2019 and has comprehensively outpointed his teammate. It’s very possible he could prove a match for his new teammate at his new team, Alpine. He should certainly not be 6/4 in this match-up and rates a strong fancy.
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Drivers Championship 2023 - Team Match Bet
Pierre Gasly can outpoint Esteban Ocon at Alpine
At 6/4 a £10 bet would return £25
2023 Formula One Drivers Championship
March 05, 2023
2:00 pm GMT
* Betting odds correct at the time of publication. All odds are subject to changes.
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