Formula One 2023 Round-Up: Biggest Stories of This Year

Formula One may very well be in its golden years right now. Or, more appropriately, an era of globalized golden years. While the racing series has been hugely popular in certain pockets of the world (from Argentina to the Netherlands), Netflix’s recent Drive to Survive series has put it on the map for millions more. And it’s certainly been an interesting time to join the F1 fandom. First, the racing series has seen multiple revamps since Drive to Survive was released in 2019. These changes include an exciting race sprint qualification, an expansion of annual grand prix races, and new venues. Second, Max Verstappen and Red Bull recently toppled Lewis Hamilton’s run with Mercedes after a near decade-long spell of domination. More than ever before, there are compelling reasons to watch and wager on F1. And with more offers available from sportsbooks than ever before, fans are taking a closer look at their favorite drivers and constructors. At the start of this year, all eyes were on Red Bull to battle Ferrari for another world championship title. But so far, most of this year’s attention has been focused on these major stories.

Wild Scenes at the Australian Grand Prix

On Sunday, April 2, the Australian Grand Prix kicked off in Melbourne. The race is one of the biggest of the year given its track and history in F1—but this year, the attention was largely negative after multiple incidents threatened the event’s integrity.

Organizers of the Australian Grand Prix have come under fire after fans created multiple disturbances, Many climbed the tall fences for a better look at the race, putting themselves at risk. A few fans even managed to gain access to the track, where they sprinted onto the actual track as soon as the race concluded. Another fan was injured by a piece of debris from driver Kevin Magnussen’s car.

Lewis Hamilton x ‘Crashgate’

Mercedes driver Hamilton dominated the F1 world from 2014 to 2020. During that period, he failed to bring home the championship only once. However, Hamilton’s first win came back in 2008—but it may soon be snatched out from under him.

Here’s what happened back in 2008. Renault (Hamilton was with McLaren at the time) were accused of forcing one of its drivers to crash so that its second driver could take a stronger position on the podium. This was illegal, and Renault was punished, which meant that Hamilton and McLaren slid into the lead by just one point. 

For now, it’s unclear how this situation will pan out and if Hamilton’s title will remain in tact. If he loses the 2008 title, then he will fall behind Michael Schumacher in terms of the all-time record number of championships.

Rumors for a Sprint Race Revamp

Above, we mentioned that one of the best revamps in F1 has been the introduction of a simplified dead sprint qualification round. The dead sprint hasn’t been a universal change, as it’s only used at certain tracks. It ranks drivers for the Sunday race based on a 100km sprint versus, rather than by way of qualifying. 

Unsurprisingly, it’s been a bit controversial. Though a bit more entertaining for fans, it doesn’t necessarily go to the best driver—just whoever has the fastest car at that moment. Currently, rumors are flying that F1 wants to change this format by making the 100km sprint a separate event unrelated to the Grand Prix.

Al Jazeera Talks Flying Cars

Clearly, Formula One is taking its newfound popularity as far as it can. Organizers are willing to change things to make the racing series more engaging for fans, and fans are showing more love and support than ever before. But some groups are already pushing the envelope a lot further. 

Al Jazeera recently reported on Alauda Aeronautics, a company that’s looking to nail the first functional flying car. More specifically, the first Vertical Take-Off and Landing vehicle (VTOL). So, what does this have to do with F1? A lot of vehicular technology has come from the racing series, and apparently, F1 is now even influencing certain the trajectory of development for these VTOLs.

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