Looking back at our 2023 pre-season F1 predictions

Making predictions on a championship as random as Formula 1 can be a fool’s game, but nevertheless, the RacingNews365 team did exactly that after pre-season testing in Bahrain.

Whether it be Safety Cars or weather, a bad pit-stop or a mistake, any number of factors can influence a race and make a prediction seem like we got our crystal ball out or that we were talking a load of gibberish…

Jake Nichol – one point

Jake Nichol‘s headline prediction was of an implosion at Alpine with either Pierre Gasly or Esteban Ocon being suspended for a race and Jack Doohan making his F1 debut as a substitute.

If we’re being generous, losing your CEO, Team Principal, Sporting Director and Chief Technical Officer and falling to sixth in the Constructors’ might be classed as an implosion of sorts, but despite collisions in Australia and Hungary that eliminated both, Gasly and Ocon were on their best behaviour. Half a point.

The other prediction of the title being decided in Las Vegas was also wrong – but another half point is awarded for Max Verstappen winning the title.

Rory Mitchell – one point

Rory Mitchell claimed Williams would be regular points scorers with the FW45, as it banked a total of 28 across the season in seven Grands Prix and one Sprint.

Alex Albon claimed 27 of those in an outstanding season while rookie Logan Sargeant struggled at times, but did take a breakthrough point in his home United States Grand Prix. One point for Rory.

However, his second prediction was that McLaren would be slower than Haas over the course of the season, predicting a “long season” for the Woking squad.

Up until the Austrian GP, that was correct before the first of two sizeable upgrades unleashed the MCL60 with a charge to fourth in the Constructors’ – and a win in the Qatar Sprint for the Uber-impressive Piastri. Zero points.

Fergal Walsh – Half a point

Fergal Walsh joined the team mid-season and so did not make any predictions for RacingNews365, but did so for his previous website.

His standout prediction was that Nyck de Vries would be a strong performer and put himself in contention for the 2025 Red Bull seat alongside Max Verstappen… Nil Poi.

He also foresaw Piastri struggling against Norris – which at times was true, especially when it came to managing the tyres in high degradation races, such as Hungary. On the flipside, Piastri delivered when the car was at its strongest in Qatar and comprehensively out-performed Norris that weekend. Half a point.

Another prediction was that Fernando Alonso would return to the top step of the podium – which strictly he did while celebrating some of his eight podiums – but he didn’t finish first. Zero points.

Other team…