Verstappen dominates F1 in 2023 but McLaren and Mercedes get crucial points
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was so dominant in the 2023 F1 season that there are more points in the final Driver Standings between the Dutchman in first and his teammate Sergio Perez in second (290) than the total amount of points the Mexican driver amassed himself (285).
It has been a season dominated by the success of the now three-time world champion, who wrapped up the title with months to spare this season. He only failed to get on the podium once, in Singapore, and won 19 of the 22 races.
So you need to look further down the leaderboards in both the solo and team standings for the real juicy nuggets of information.
F1 money pot
Fernando Alonso, for example, beat Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc into fourth in the solo standings – Lewis Hamilton finished third with Lando Norris sixth, Carlos Sainz seventh, George Russell eighth, Oscar Piastri ninth and Lance Stroll 10th.
Red Bull ran away in the team competition with 860 points, over double what Mercedes got in second (409), meaning Verstappen on his own had enough points (575) to beat every other constructor on his own.
Crucially, though, given the difference in prize money between spots, Mercedes edged Ferrari into second in the team standings.
McLaren beat Aston Martin to fourth and Williams held on to beat AlphaTauri to seventh in the standings.
There’s around £8-10m between payments for the top couple of finishing positions but a reported £30m covers the handout value across the bottom four sides.
This F1 season felt mighty predictable since Red Bull’s unbeaten start to the season saw Verstappen pull away from the pack.
And while this is a brilliant showcase for engineering in the sport, it does show that F1 must develop and adapt to ensure the competition is closer in 2024.
Because not to do so will undoubtedly turn off new-found fans.