The conclusion of the 2023 Formula 1 championship marked a significant milestone: the second full season under F1’s latest technical regulations. These regulations, introduced in 2022, aimed to promote closer racing and reshape the competitive landscape. As the dust settled on the 2023 campaign, it became abundantly clear that while some drivers found newfound success or consistent form, others experienced dramatically different trajectories compared to their 2022 performances. A deeper dive into the points accumulation of key drivers across these two 22-race seasons reveals compelling narratives of adaptation, struggle, and triumph, highlighting the nuanced impact of car development, team dynamics, and individual brilliance.
For many drivers who competed in both 2022 and 2023, their journeys to their final championship points tallies were remarkably distinct. Observing the evolution of their points totals throughout these two seasons offers fascinating insights into how strikingly different – or, in some cases, surprisingly similar – their years progressed. This comparison isn’t merely about who scored more points; it’s about understanding the underlying factors that contributed to these shifts, from car design philosophies and upgrade packages to driver consistency and strategic decisions. Let’s examine how some of Formula 1’s prominent figures fared in this pivotal two-year period.
Sergio Perez – Red Bull: A Tale of Two Halves
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In 2022, Sergio Perez narrowly missed out on second place in the Drivers’ Championship, a mere three points shy of the runner-up spot. Fast forward to 2023, and he finally secured that coveted second position, achieving a career-best finish in the championship as a Red Bull driver. However, this statistical improvement masks a more complex reality: many argue that his 2023 season was, in essence, less impressive than his 2022 campaign. Remarkably, he scored 20 fewer points with the dominant RB19 than with its slightly less formidable predecessor, the RB18.
Perez’s 2023 season began with immense promise. He enjoyed a significantly stronger start, propelled by two commanding victories in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan. This early surge positioned him as a potential title contender, at least initially. While his points-scoring pattern remained somewhat consistent through the middle phase of the season, a critical downturn occurred in the latter part of the year. A particularly poor run saw him accumulate just 21 points across five rounds between the Singapore Grand Prix and his home race in Mexico. This dramatic drop in form, characterized by qualifying struggles and inconsistent race pace compared to his teammate Max Verstappen, meant that despite finishing one place higher in the championship, his overall points tally for 2023 was lower than that of 2022. This unusual outcome is further compounded by the fact that the 2023 season featured the same number of Grand Prix events as 2022, plus an additional three Sprint races, which collectively offered an extra 24 points up for grabs. This stark comparison underscores the challenges Perez faced in maintaining consistency despite having access to one of the most dominant cars in F1 history.
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Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes: A Season of Contrasting Fortunes
Neither the 2022 nor the 2023 season unfolded as Lewis Hamilton or Mercedes would have desired. The seven-time world champion remarkably ended both years without a single race victory, a testament to the challenges the team faced under the new regulations. However, a curious inverse relationship emerged when comparing Hamilton’s 2023 campaign to his 2022 journey, revealing a season of contrasting fortunes in terms of momentum and performance peaks.
Hamilton showcased a much stronger performance in the initial half of the 2023 season compared to the previous year. By the eighth round in Canada, he had amassed nearly 50 points more than at the same stage in 2022, demonstrating improved adaptation to the W14 car and a better understanding of the new ground effect aerodynamics. This early-season consistency and strong points-scoring put him firmly in contention for second in the Drivers’ Championship for a significant portion of the year. Yet, despite ultimately securing third place in the championship standings by the season’s close, Hamilton’s performance in the latter stages of 2023 proved somewhat unremarkable. This relative dip in form towards the end meant that, surprisingly, he concluded the year with fewer points overall than he had scored in 2022. The Mercedes team’s struggle with car development and their inability to consistently challenge the dominant Red Bulls impacted their drivers, even for a talent as immense as Hamilton, leading to a season where early promise didn’t fully translate into a higher final points tally.
George Russell – Mercedes: The Challenge of Consistency
George Russell openly expressed his disappointment with his 2023 season by its conclusion, and the reasons for his sentiments are evident when comparing his performance to the previous year. While Mercedes struggled to meet their own high expectations in both seasons, Russell’s 2022 campaign was characterized by remarkable consistency and a steady accumulation of points, especially in the first half. He famously finished in the top five in every race until the tenth round at Silverstone, a stellar display for a driver in his first year with a top team.
In stark contrast, 2023 proved to be a significantly more challenging season for Russell. Despite flashes of brilliance, his consistency waned, and he managed only two podium finishes across the entire year. The W14 car, with its unpredictable characteristics and narrow operating window, seemed to trouble Russell more than his teammate at times, leading to a series of missed opportunities and frustrating weekends. By the end of the year, his points total was four points lower than in 2022, a seemingly minor difference that belies a much larger gap in overall performance and momentum. More tellingly, he finished exactly 100 points shy of his impressive 2022 tally, underscoring the difficulties he faced in maintaining his high standards amidst a fluctuating team performance and intense competition.
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Charles Leclerc – Ferrari: From Title Contender to Recovery Drive
Few drivers on the Formula 1 grid experienced a more dramatic and disheartening shift in fortunes between the 2022 and 2023 seasons than Charles Leclerc. His 2022 campaign began with immense promise, as the Ferrari driver stormed to two victories within the first three rounds and comfortably sat atop the Drivers’ Championship standings, seemingly poised for a serious title challenge. The Scuderia’s car was competitive, and Leclerc appeared to be in the form of his life.
Fast forward just one year, and the picture was drastically different. The start of Leclerc’s 2023 season was nothing short of a nightmare, plagued by technical issues, strategy missteps, and a car that struggled for consistent pace. Three rounds into 2023, he found himself languishing in tenth place in the championship, with a meager six points to his name – a staggering contrast to his dominant position just twelve months prior. While Leclerc eventually recovered to deliver a decent showing over the remainder of the season, consistently outpacing his teammate (who claimed Ferrari’s sole Grand Prix victory of the year), that catastrophic slow start proved insurmountable. It effectively took him out of any meaningful contention at the top of the table from very early on, highlighting how crucial initial momentum and car reliability can be in a championship battle.
Carlos Sainz Jnr – Ferrari: Consistency Amidst Challenges
In contrast to his teammate Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz Jnr faced a particularly challenging start to his 2022 season. After back-to-back retirements in Australia and Emilia-Romagna, Sainz showed remarkable resilience to regain momentum. This culminated in his maiden Grand Prix victory at the tenth round in Silverstone, a pivotal moment that demonstrated his ability to fight at the front and solidify his place within the Scuderia.
The 2023 season presented a different set of obstacles for Sainz. With increased competition at the front of the field, and the formidable pairing of Red Bull and Max Verstappen hoarding the majority of the available points, opportunities for big scores were scarce. Despite these challenges, Sainz delivered a standout performance, notably securing the only Grand Prix victory of the season for a non-Red Bull car, triumphing at the Singapore Grand Prix. This victory was a masterclass in strategic driving and tire management. However, even with this significant achievement, the overall competitive landscape meant that Sainz could only add modest points to his tally over the course of the 2023 season. Ultimately, he was unable to match his points total from 2022, reflecting both the relentless pace of the competition and the relative inconsistencies of the Ferrari SF-23.
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Lando Norris – McLaren: The Turnaround Story of the Season
The 2023 campaign of Lando Norris stands as one of the most compelling and dramatic examples of in-season improvement in recent Formula 1 history. McLaren endured an abysmal start to 2023, with a car that severely lacked performance and often struggled merely to escape the first qualifying session (Q1). This grim beginning suggested a long and challenging year ahead for the Woking-based outfit and its star driver.
However, behind the scenes, months of relentless hard work and strategic development paid off spectacularly. A major upgrades package, introduced for the ninth round at the Austrian Grand Prix, acted as a catalyst, completely transforming the fortunes of both Norris and the McLaren team. Post-Austria, Norris emerged as a regular contender for podium finishes, often challenging for pole position, and even coming tantalizingly close to securing a victory. While the top step of the podium ultimately eluded him in 2023, his performance was nothing short of sensational. With a significantly improved car, Norris consistently showcased his exceptional talent, adaptability, and raw speed, ultimately scoring more points than he ever had in a single Grand Prix season by a substantial margin. This incredible resurgence cemented his reputation as one of the most exciting talents on the grid and offered a powerful demonstration of how strategic development can redefine a team’s championship narrative.
Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin: A Veteran’s Resurgence
The 2023 season magnificently showcased the profound impact a change of team can have on a driver’s career, particularly for a seasoned veteran like Fernando Alonso. Having made the move from Alpine to Aston Martin for the 2023 campaign, Alonso entered the season with what he described as modest expectations regarding his new team’s potential performance. What unfolded, however, was a stunning and immediate resurgence that captivated the F1 world.
Aston Martin, powered by a remarkably competitive AMR23, provided Alonso with a car capable of fighting at the sharp end of the grid from the very first race. After just six rounds of the season, Alonso had not only amassed an astonishing 89 more points than he had at the same stage the previous year with Alpine, but he had also surpassed his entire 2022 points tally. This early-season dominance saw him consistently on the podium, often challenging for victories. While Aston Martin’s performance trajectory faded somewhat over the course of the 2023 season as rival teams caught up with their development, Alonso’s exceptional talent ensured he continued to extract maximum performance. He picked up additional podiums at Zandvoort and Interlagos, showcasing his unwavering skill and race craft. He impressively held onto fourth place in the Drivers’ Championship, a phenomenal achievement, and comprehensively out-performed his teammate, Lance Stroll, in the process. His 2023 season was a powerful reminder of his enduring class and ability to galvanize a team.
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Esteban Ocon – Alpine: A Challenging Year Amidst Team Turmoil
While Fernando Alonso celebrated remarkable success in his new Aston Martin environment, his former Alpine teammate, Esteban Ocon, faced a significantly more arduous and less enjoyable time in 2023. In their second and final season together in 2022, Ocon had notably out-scored Alonso, a testament to his strong performance and consistency. However, the subsequent year brought a dramatic shift in fortunes for the French driver and his team.
Points proved much harder to come by for Ocon in the opening phase of 2023. Alpine struggled with the overall pace and reliability of their car, and the team also experienced significant management changes and internal challenges throughout the year. A standout moment arrived with an excellent third-place finish at the Monaco Grand Prix, a result that provided a much-needed and substantial boost to Ocon’s points tally. Despite this highlight, the second half of the season continued to be a struggle. Alpine found themselves increasingly outmaneuvered by rival teams who brought more effective upgrade packages, leading to a scenario where most of the valuable points-paying positions were consistently occupied by competitors. Consequently, Ocon could not match his points total from the previous year, underscoring the difficulties faced by the team in a fiercely competitive midfield battle.
Alexander Albon – Williams: A Leader’s Impact
Alexander Albon made a strong impression in his first season with Williams in 2022, marking a successful return to the F1 grid after a year on the sidelines. His performance laid the groundwork for future development, but the early phase of the 2023 season initially suggested another tough year for Albon and the historic British team, with only a single point secured at the opening race in Bahrain.
However, the narrative for Albon and Williams dramatically shifted. A superb seventh-place finish at the Canadian Grand Prix proved to be the pivotal moment that kick-started his campaign, showcasing both his driving prowess and the car’s improved potential. This performance was not a one-off; Albon went on to secure six more top-ten finishes over the remainder of the season, consistently delivering exceptional results for a midfield car. His mature and strategic drives not only propelled him to an impressive 12th place in the Drivers’ Championship but, more significantly, played a crucial role in helping Williams achieve their best Constructors’ Championship finish since 2017. Albon’s leadership, consistency, and ability to maximize every opportunity were instrumental in the team’s upward trajectory, making him one of the most impactful drivers of the season.
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Yuki Tsunoda – AlphaTauri: Late Season Bloom
Yuki Tsunoda experienced a 2023 season that was almost a mirror opposite of his 2022 campaign, demonstrating a significant shift in his performance curve. In 2022, the AlphaTauri driver showed early promise, picking up points in the season’s opening round and following it up with a strong seventh-place finish at Imola, which quickly boosted him to ten points. However, after this initial surge, his points accumulation slowed considerably, as he managed to score only twice more over the remaining races of the season.
The 2023 season began with AlphaTauri enduring a far more difficult start, finding themselves consistently languishing at the bottom of the Constructors’ Championship standings for several rounds. The car lacked pace, making it challenging for Tsunoda to compete for points. Nevertheless, a series of crucial upgrades introduced over the second half of the season injected much-needed performance into the AT04. With a more competitive package, Tsunoda capitalized brilliantly, consistently delivering multiple strong top-10 finishes. His late-season form was particularly impressive, allowing him to surpass his entire 2022 points total with three rounds still remaining. This dramatic turnaround highlighted Tsunoda’s improved consistency, maturity, and ability to extract performance when the car finally allowed him to do so, marking a positive end to what began as a bleak year.
Valtteri Bottas – Alfa Romeo: The Momentum Lost
Valtteri Bottas could scarcely have wished for a stronger beginning to his tenure at Alfa Romeo in 2022. His debut race with the team saw him secure an impressive sixth-place finish, immediately signaling a promising new chapter. He continued this strong form by scoring points in seven of the first ten rounds, which helped Alfa Romeo build a healthy points tally early on. This solid foundation enabled them to comfortably hold onto sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship, even though their performance dipped significantly in the latter part of the season, resulting in very few top-ten finishes.
Regrettably, Alfa Romeo was unable to carry that crucial momentum into the 2023 season. Despite kicking off the year with an eighth-place finish in Bahrain, suggesting some continuity from the previous year, this proved to be a rare highlight. Bottas only managed to score points on three more occasions over the remaining 21 rounds, a stark contrast to his 2022 consistency. This drastic reduction in points-scoring opportunities left him well short of his 2022 tally and mirrored Alfa Romeo’s overall decline in competitiveness. The team struggled with development and fell to ninth in the Constructors’ Championship, a clear indication of their lost pace and the difficulties Bottas faced in a less capable machine.
Kevin Magnussen – Haas: From Comeback Hero to Underperformer
Kevin Magnussen’s 2022 season was widely celebrated as a remarkable comeback story. After a year away from Formula 1, he returned to the sport with Haas, making an immediate impact by storming to an impressive top-five finish in his very first race back in Bahrain. Throughout that season, he consistently delivered occasional points finishes, demonstrating his seasoned experience, while his then-young teammate, Mick Schumacher, often struggled to match his pace and results.
However, the 2023 season painted a much bleaker picture for Kevin Magnussen. He accumulated less than half the points he had picked up in just the opening race of 2022, highlighting a significant downturn in performance. While he was undoubtedly hampered by a disappointing Haas car that struggled severely with tire wear and overall race pace all season long, Magnussen also found himself regularly out-performed by his returning teammate, Nico Hulkenberg. Hulkenberg, known for his qualifying prowess, consistently maximized the car’s potential on Saturdays. By the end of the year, Magnussen concluded the season with only a third of Hulkenberg’s points score, marking a challenging year where he struggled to replicate his earlier form and impact.
F1 Driver Performance: 2022 vs 2023 Points Comparison
The comparative analysis of F1 drivers’ points totals between the 2022 and 2023 seasons offers a vivid snapshot of shifting fortunes and the profound impact of evolving technical regulations, team development, and individual driver performance. The table below presents a clear overview, highlighting the precise points scored by each driver in both seasons and illustrating the notable differences. This data underscores how a team’s progress – or lack thereof – directly influenced their drivers’ championship outcomes, even for those with consistent talent.
| Driver | 2023 | 2022 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Verstappen | 575 | 454 | +121 |
| Sergio Perez | 285 | 305 | -20 |
| Lewis Hamilton | 234 | 240 | -6 |
| Charles Leclerc | 206 | 308 | -102 |
| Fernando Alonso | 206 | 81 | +125 |
| Lando Norris | 205 | 122 | +83 |
| Carlos Sainz Jnr | 200 | 246 | -46 |
| George Russell | 175 | 275 | -100 |
| Lance Stroll | 74 | 18 | +56 |
| Pierre Gasly | 62 | 23 | +39 |
| Esteban Ocon | 58 | 92 | -34 |
| Alexander Albon | 27 | 4 | +23 |
| Yuki Tsunoda | 17 | 12 | +5 |
| Valtteri Bottas | 10 | 49 | -39 |
| Nico Hulkenberg | 9 | 0 | +9 |
| Zhou Guanyu | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Kevin Magnussen | 3 | 25 | -22 |
Note: This analysis excludes drivers who did not contest full seasons in either 2022 or 2023, ensuring a fair like-for-like comparison of continuous performance.
Key Takeaways from the 2022-2023 F1 Seasons
The transition from the 2022 to the 2023 Formula 1 season under the same technical regulations offered a compelling study in performance dynamics. While the regulations remained stable, the competitive landscape proved anything but. The detailed comparison of driver points reveals several overarching themes. Firstly, the ability of teams to effectively develop their cars played an absolutely critical role. McLaren’s dramatic mid-season turnaround for Lando Norris, and Williams’s impressive step forward with Alexander Albon, are prime examples of how strategic upgrades can fundamentally alter a team’s and driver’s trajectory.
Secondly, veteran drivers like Fernando Alonso showcased their enduring class and adaptability, maximizing new opportunities with impressive consistency. Conversely, drivers like Charles Leclerc and George Russell, despite their undeniable talent, highlight how a team’s initial struggles or inconsistent development can significantly hamper even the most promising starts. Finally, the data underlines Max Verstappen’s unparalleled dominance, which inevitably compressed the points available to other top drivers. The 2022 and 2023 seasons provided a fascinating look at how individual brilliance, coupled with engineering prowess and strategic foresight, shapes the ultimate success in the pinnacle of motorsport.
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