Top 10 moments of 2023 F1 season

The 2023 Formula 1 season will go firmly down in the history books for the unprecedented campaign put forward by Max Verstappen. Though the fight at the top of the grid was lacking, the season still produced more than a few memorable moments worth remembering.

Here are the 10 most thrilling moments from the past season:

10. Daniel Ricciardo returns

Everyone's favorite honey badger claimed the cockpit of an F1 car again in 2023. After a disappointing end to his McLaren tenure the previous campaign, Ricciardo re-upped with Red Bull in the offseason and was back driving an AlphaTauri before the summer break, replacing the struggling Nyck de Vries. The Australian had to battle through rust and a serious wrist injury, but he proved he's still got it with an unforgettable P4 start in Mexico after qualifying ahead of Sergio Perez, both Mercedes, and both McLarens. Time will tell if this is the launching point to a full-time drive with Red Bull.

9. Mercedes crash in Qatar

Did someone say Barcelona 2016? For Lewis Hamilton, the Qatar Grand Prix must have felt similar to the infamous Mercedes collision seven years ago. With Mercedes locking down second and third on the grid, George Russell and the seven-time champion appeared poised to cause trouble for Max Verstappen. Instead, the only damage was self-inflicted as the two Mercedes collided in Turn 1, sending Hamilton into the gravel and ruining any possibility of a victory for Russell.

8. Fernando Alonso steals the show in Bahrain

It may feel like ages ago, but Alonso fever sweeping over F1 was arguably the hottest storyline over the early portion of the season. After making a heavily criticized move to Aston Martin, many wondered if Alonso lost his competitive fire. He quickly silenced his doubters with an electric season-opening drive in Bahrain that made many feel like they were watching prime Alonso from his Renault and Ferrari glory days. But 2023 may have confirmed that the ageless Spaniard never left his prime to begin with.

7. Oscar Piastri scores 1st win in Qatar sprint

Piastri's first year as an F1 driver couldn't have gone much better. In what was statistically the best rookie year since Lewis Hamilton's 2007 debut, the young Australian quickly got up to pace with the rest of the front-runners once McLaren delivered a podium-worthy car midseason. Of all the memorable moments Piastri provided, none were bigger than his first victory - and McLaren's only win of the season - in the Qatar sprint race. With the way he's driven, something tells us there should be more victories headed in his direction.

6. Hamilton delivers 1st pole since 2021

For the first time in two seasons, Hamilton experienced the feeling of starting on pole again. And boy, did his reaction capture the raw emotion of the moment. Hamilton claimed his ninth career pole at the Hungaroring with a superb lap that edged world champion Verstappen by just 0.003 seconds. In an otherwise difficult season for the seven-time world champion and Mercedes, his pole in Hungary proved he's still got it.

5. Verstappen's magical Monaco pole

Speaking of breathtaking pole laps, it'd be hard to find one better this season than Verstappen's Monaco comeback. At a track glorified for producing magical qualifying performances, the three-time world champion added another to the circuit's history. Trailing two-tenths of a second, Verstappen brushed and even banged walls to put together a perfect final sector to regain three-tenths of a second and deny Alonso from scoring another long-awaited pole.

4. Carlos Sainz snaps Red Bull dominance in Singapore

Sainz was the one in Red Bull's 21-1 record in 2023. With Singapore being a circuit of nightmares for the once-perfect Red Bull, Ferrari and the Spaniard used all the tactics available to take the victory. As Russell and Hamilton chased him down on fresher tires, Sainz brilliantly used McLaren's Norris to shield himself from the fast-charging Mercedes, which even caught his own pitwall by surprise. Sainz's plan worked perfectly, earning him the win and even resulting in Russell crashing out in a dramatic and unforgettable final lap.

3. Alonso, Perez race to the line in Brazil

Alonso and Perez's back-and-forth battle in Sao Paulo, Brazil, is what F1 is all about - two veterans with exceptional racecraft who are keeping it on the limit but fair to the finish line. After holding Perez behind for a number of laps, the Red Bull pilot finally jumped the two-time champion on the penultimate lap. But it's never over until the checkered flag waves. With all his years of experience, Alonso pulled off a final-lap overtake on Perez before beating him to the finish line in an epic drag race that left only 0.053 seconds between them.

2. Charles Leclerc overtakes Checo to cap off Las Vegas thriller

Perez was involved in two last-lap overtakes this season. Unfortunately for him, he was on the losing end in both. This time, it was Leclerc who threw his car into the braking zone from a jaw-dropping distance behind to complete the pass on Checo for second place in Las Vegas. The first race on the Vegas strip was full of glitz, glamour, and bright lights, but nothing shined brighter than Leclerc's bravery.

1. Verstappen wins 10 in a row in front of Tifosi

Who else but Verstappen? In a season that'll become synonymous with Verstappen making history, there could be only one option for who would claim the best pick on our list. Out of all the unthinkable feats set by the Dutch driver in 2023, none felt bigger than his record-breaking 10th victory in a row.