With the final race of the 2022 F1 season right around the corner, fans of the sport can look forward to another action-packed year of racing in 2023. Drivers and teams are set to get out on track for one final time at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi this weekend, marking the end of a year of dominance by Red Bull Racing.
The Milton Keynes-based racing outfit sits comfortably with both championships in their grasp as Max Verstappen clinched his second successive title at the Japanese Grand Prix this year. While the team also has the constructors' championship wrapped up, Scuderia Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez head into Abu Dhabi fighting for P2 in the drivers' standings table. Several other team battles will go down to the wire at the Yas Marina Circuit, with teams such as Haas F1 and Alfa Tauri fighting for crucial spots on the constructors' table.
Looking ahead to the upcoming 2023 season, F1 is set to race for a record 24 Grands Prix next year, with notable additions in the form of Las Vegas and China. The season is set to start on March 5th, 2023, opening with the Bahrain GP. Circuits such as Losail International and Shanghai International will make their comebacks next year, both of which were excluded from 2022. The 2023 calendar has also been approved by the World Motorsport Council, with the final race in Abu Dhabi commencing on November 26th, 2023.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem acknowledged the sport's rising popularity, which played a key role in the announcement of a record number of races next year, and said:
"The presence of 24 races on the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship calendar is further evidence of the growth and appeal of the sport on a global scale. The addition of new venues and the retention of traditional events underlines the FIA’s sound stewardship of the sport."
With the sport's ever-growing fanbase, F1 has not been able to justify scaling down the number of races from this year's 23 despite pushback from several teams. With the given schedule for next year, pre-season testing is expected to be scheduled for February.
What does the 2023 F1 season schedule look like?
The 2023 season calendar of the highest echelon of motorsports in the world is as follows:
F1 goes live for one final time in the 2022 season with the upcoming Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend. Free practice sessions are bound to go live on Friday, November 18th, 2022.