Ranking the 2023 F1 driver lineups

The 2023 F1 season will feature quite a few new names. There's Oscar Piastri, McLaren's prized possession sneaked away from Alpine. Then there's Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri. And finally, there's Logan Sargeant, the only American on the grid and a Williams Academy graduate.

Quite a few names from last season will not feature this time around. There has been quite a shuffle as well with drivers switching teams. So, how do the new driver lineups stack up? Well, let's take a look as we rank the 2023 F1 driver lineups from the worst to the best.

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2023 F1 driver lineups ranked: Worst to Best

#10 AlphaTauri (Yuki Tsunoda and Nyck de Vries)

Might be a bit unfair on the pair, but the AlphaTauri driver lineup does not inspire much confidence. It is quite clear that Pierre Gasly's departure from the team and getting replaced by Nyck de Vries is a clear step down for now.

Yuki Tsunoda has not set the world on fire with his performances in the last two years. De Vries is himself a bit of an unknown quantity. Combine that and you have a driver lineup that might be the worst on the grid.

#9 Alfa Romeo (Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu)

The lowly placing of the Alfa Romeo lineup is primarily due to Zhou Guanyu not really establishing himself within the team last season. His rookie season was fine, but it wasn't something that left anyone overtly impressed.

Valtteri Bottas is now a known quantity: everyone knows what can be expected of him and he often delivers on that. Alfa Romeo might give its F1 driver lineup a second thought this season if the performances are not up to the mark.

#8 Williams (Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant)

Alex Albon was stunning last season and could even be considered a top 10 driver on the F1 grid. He notched up a point here and there whenever he had a chance and was the team leader that Williams needed.

With Logan Sargeant, although the hype is not as high as it should be compared to the other rookies, the American might be sneakily good and one to keep an eye on.

#7 Haas (Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen)

While the initial shock and horror of losing Mick Schumacher have subsided, Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen do appear to be a solid partnership for the team.

Unless Hulkenberg has fallen off the wagon, he should give Magnussen a run for his money and contribute to the team getting better.

#6 Aston Martin (Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll)

This ranking is somewhat affected because Lance Stroll is part of the lineup. There is growing discontent against Stroll from the F1 fanbase as he has been unable to turn talent into consistency.

Fernando Alonso, on the other hand, will continue to produce miracles in an F1 car and keep everyone on their toes. To be fair, the pair's lowly rankings are a reflection of Stroll rather than the F1 legend who will drive the other Aston Martin.

#5 McLaren (Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri)

Lando Norris belongs in the group of top 5 drivers on the F1 grid at the moment. The McLaren driver has been sensational in the last few years.

Although Oscar Piastri is a major talent, there are still question marks over how he will fare against Norris. It is this uncertainty that keeps the McLaren pair in P5 as the ranking could be much higher in the future.

#4 Alpine (Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly)

Alpine has a driver lineup of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly in which it has two drivers that may not be the elites of the F1 grid, but are just half a step below that.

Both drivers are consistent and solid contributors and should extract what the car is capable of. With two almost similarly paced drivers, Alpine is keeping its bases covered and hence has the 4th best driver lineup on the F1 grid.

#3 Red Bull (Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez)

The driver lineup with the reigning F1 champion is 3rd in the standings! It should be a surprise, but it's also a testament to how good the other two lineups are. Max Verstappen is clearly the best driver on the grid at the moment, but with Sergio Perez, Red Bull has a somewhat safer option that can back Verstappen up when needed.

#2 Ferrari (Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz)

Carlos Sainz is the reason why the Ferrari lineup pips the Red Bull one. The quality and skill that the Spaniard displayed last season, despite a difficult start to it, were praiseworthy. What was even more impressive was his ability to challenge Charles Leclerc by the end of the season.

Overall, Sainz is not at the same level as Leclerc but can prove to be a very strong deputy. It is this potential quality of the driver lineup that catapults Ferrari above Red Bull in terms of the driver lineup.

#1 Mercedes (Lewis Hamilton and George Russell)

Arguably the best driver lineup on the entire grid! Mercedes has not one but two drivers capable enough to fight for the title. Having two drivers of such elite talent with one having the experience and the other the hunger to succeed shows how much of an advantage Mercedes will have in the constructors' championship.