Five F1 drivers that desperately need to improve in 2023

Here’s five drivers that need a better second half of F1 2023.
George Russell (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 W14. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 13, Belgian Grand Prix, Spa Francorchamps,
George Russell (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 W14. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 13, Belgian Grand…

168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Sergio Perez

He might beꩵ second-place in the drivers’ championship but&n🍌bsp;Perez is in desperate need of a better second half of 2023.

Yes, his two wins in Saudi💯 Arabia and Azerbaijan were fantastic.

While in fortuitous circumstances, once he took the lead of the🍌 race ahead of Max Verstappen, he had enough race pace to keep the Dutchman at bay.

Miami proved t🔜o be a crucial turning point in the season as Perez took pole, while Verstappen could only qualify ninth after getting caught out by an untimely red flag.

Sergio Perez (MEX) Red Bull Racing in the post race FIA Press Conference. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 13, Belgian
Sergio Perez (MEX) Red Bull Racing in the post race FIA Press Conference. Formula 1 World…

Despite the difference in grid🧔 position, Verstappen ultimately won with ease as Perez had to settle for second.

It would have been the fi🔯rst time in his F1 career that Perez led the championship sta𒈔ndings, but it wasn’t meant to be.

From that point, Perez failed to make Q3 in the next five races, and in all of the races leading up to the summer break, fi❀nished second just once as Verstappen remain♔ed unbeaten.

Granted, Perez is up against one✤ of the greatest drivers of all-time - that is a fact at this point - however given the incredible machinery he has at his disposal, finishing second on race day is a minimum requirement. 

The Mexican will be optimistic going into th🎀e second half of the season given that he suffered similar slumps midway through 2021 and 2022 respectꦍively before turning it around in the flyaway races.

Red Bull are insistent that Perez’s future is not under threat, and while I believe Christian Horner and Helmut Marko, a repeat of his five-race streak of not making Q3 could make t♏hem change their mind.

Kevin Magnussen

2023 has been a✤ rude awakening foꦍr Magnussen at Haas.

For the first time si𓂃nce 2014 - with no disrespect to the likes of Romain Grosjean and Mick S🦄chumacher - Magnussen has a very speedy teammate in the form of Nico Hulkenberg.

Particularly on Saturdays, Hulkenberg has been incredible, progressing into Q3 on six o𝓀ccasion🎀s - as many as Perez!

Kevin Magnussen (DEN) Haas VF-23. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 13, Belgian Grand Prix, Spa Francorchamps, Belgium,
Kevin Magnussen (DEN) Haas VF-23. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 13, Belgian Grand Prix, Spa…

Things are🌃 more even on race day as a combination of Hulkenberg’s rustiness in the opening stretch of races and Magnussen being more comfortable on heavier fuel are the reasons ꧒for that.

Magnussen isn’t performing🌞 poorly by any means, how⛎ever, he is out of contract at the end of the year.

Team boss Guenther Steiner has already stated that Hulkenberg is “high🍰ly likely” to be rewarded with a new deal but there’s been no news on the Dane’s ꦓfuture.

Haas are reportedly interested in , with the 29-year-old impressing for Ferrari in the World Endurance Ch🐓ampionship.

Magnu🦋ssen will need to up his game to se🉐cure another year with Haas in 2024.

Logan Sargeant

While 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Logan Sargeant has shown flashes of pace on occasion, the American rookie has generally been prett𓆉y poor this season.

In the teammate head-to-head, 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Alex Albon holds the most dominant advan🌊tage of anyone on the grid.

There’s no doubt that Albon has been perꦍforming at a high level but Sargeant hasn’t shown enough so far in his F1 career.

Logan Sargeant (USA) Williams Racing in parc ferme. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 13, Belgian Grand Prix, Spa
Logan Sargeant (USA) Williams Racing in parc ferme. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 13,…

Progress should be expected from Sargeant, and so far at least, there’s been few signs o꧅f i🔯t.

Bahrain and Azer🦹baijan were promising, but since then, there’s been very few highs.

Sargeant’s seat is under threat, especially if 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Mick Schumacher is in serious contention for a return next year.

Lance Stroll

168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Lance Stroll is under zero press🐻ure at Aston Martin so it’s prob𓃲ably no surprise to see him perform so lacklusterly in 2023.

Like Perez, Stroll does have an incredible teammate in 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Fernando Alonso but it’s fair to say the Canadian has disappointed t൲oo freಞquently in the first half of the season.

Ironically, his finest weekend came when 🎃he rushed back from his cyclingꦑ accident.

With 🍷zero testing and limited time in the car, Stroll finished a🐬 superb sixth in Bahrain, a few seconds behind Lewis Hamilton.

Lance Stroll (CDN) Aston Martin F1 Team AMR23. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 13, Belgian Grand Prix, Spa Francorchamps,
Lance Stroll (CDN) Aston Martin F1 Team AMR23. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 13, Belgian…

Luck hasn’t been totally on his side but given that Alonso has fi👍nished on the podium s👍ix times compared to Stroll’s zero, that says enough.

Unlike most of the grid, Stroll faces no un🐽certainty about his F1 future given that his father 💛- Lawrence - owns the team.

George Russell 

Completing our list is 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:George Russell.

A surprise perhaps given that Russell is just 49 points behind seven-time world champion teammate 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Lewis Hamilton.

Tak꧒ing into account Australia - where he was unfortunate to retire - the gap probably should be smal༒ler.

However, notabಌly since Monaco, Russell has struggled for form with Hamilton in the cle✤ar ascendancy. 

Wh💛ile Russell’s performanᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚces haven’t been poor by any means, there’s still room for improvement particularly in qualifying.

Many see - including Mercedes - Russe﷽ll as the driver to lead the team post-Hamilton and he is the driver that is capable of beating Verstappen in a head-to-head duel.

Ba💟sed on 2023 alone, it’s hard to agree with those statements given Hamilton’s superiority and consistencಌy.

George Russell (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 W14. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 13, Belgian Grand Prix, Spa Francorchamps,
George Russell (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 W14. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 13, Belgian Grand…

Russell was so impressive in his first year with Mercedes but was that down to the fact Hamilton hadn’ꦕt fully gotten over his defeat to Verstappen in Abu Dhabi? Or the fact Hamilton was prioritising testing setups rather than outright pace up until Canada?

It’s too premature to say - and we♏’✤re certainly not ruling out Russell.

Is he a fantastic driver? No doubt.

But is he the heir to Hamilton’s tℱop s꧒pot at Mercedes and capable of taking it to Verstappen when the time comes?

The summer break came at a good time for Russell as he’s one of many who n🔯eeds to refind 💝his form in the second half of the year.

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