In F1 23, winning races is just as much about the car constructors as it is about the drivers. No matter how skilled and talented a driver may be, they will never manage to reach their full potential in Formula 1 if they are not given adequate machinery to compete. Each season, a host of new technical regulations are introduced to attempt to level the playing field, though with each team on a varying budget and with different levels of staff available, the same teams often emerge at the front of the pack year after year.
Though some of the names will undoubtedly be familiar to car and sports fans worldwide, others may need more of an explanation, and while the team names remain the same as the last two seasons, the performances of the cars have undergone a significant reshuffle from seasons passed.
10 Alpha Tauri
While Alpha Tauri is technically a fashion brand, most people know them as Red Bull's feeder team. Offering a chance for young drivers such as Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly the chance to gain some Formula 1 experience before graduating to the front of the field. However, with Gasly's departure to Alpine, the team sought a replacement in the form of Nyck De Vries.
Unfortunately for De Vries, the car appears to be worse off than ever before in his rookie season, often failing to make it into the top 15. Players seeking a real challenge may wish to take this team from the back of the grid to the front, but as a starting point, the team is likely to be worse off than most of the other back-markers.
9 Williams
The Williams team was one of the dominant forces in Formula 1 during the 1990s, but for the last few decades, they have failed to make much of an impression in the upper echelons of motorsport. Putting their faith in younger talents Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant, Williams has become something of a development team for Mercedes in much the same way that Alpha Tauri is for Red Bull.
The Williams' straight-line speed is its greatest asset, allowing it to excel on tracks such as Canada, Silverstone, and Spa. Unfortunately, the car is weak in most other areas, and it will be a considerable challenge to restore the constructors to their former glory.
8 Haas
A regular back-marker in recent seasons, Haas has made gradual improvements year upon year and this season has produced a car capable of scoring points on occasion. The American team is still not quite where they would like to be, but gone are the days of seeing Haas trail the pack by several seconds every race.
Led by everybody's favorite Team Principle, Gunther Steiner, Haas has opted for the experienced driver duo of Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg this season, rather controversially replacing young Mick Schumacher after his repeated crashes in previous years. So far the decision appears to be taking Haas in the right direction as they seek to become a competitive mid-field car.
7 Alfa Romeo
The Alfa Romeo-branded Sauber team has been a longstanding feature within the world of Formula 1 for many years now. With Audi looking to take control of Sauber by 2026, the team is in something of a limbo phase right now, as reflected by their relatively mediocre on-track performance.
The combination of the experienced multiple-time race-winner Valtteri Bottas and upcoming Chinese rookie Guanyu Zhou means that the team can often threaten the lower end of the points. The Ferrari-powered engine gives them an advantage over their rivals Williams and Haas, while also allowing them to compete further up the field at times.
6 McLaren
The famous McLaren name was once synonymous with winning when headed by the likes of Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, and Ayrton Senna, but the team has undergone a number of significant changes since those times and has now won just one win (Ricciardo at Monza) in the last 11 years.
The talented young driver of Lando Norris and rookie Oscar Piastri doesn't appear to be enough this year either, with the car performing significantly worse than expected for the 2023 season. With that said, the car still has a strong qualifying pace and is able to challenge the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari, particularly with Lando at the wheel.
5 Alpine
The Renault-powered Alpine has been consistently running on the fringes of the podium places since its transition to Formula 1 in 2021. In 2023 the car continues this trend, though separates itself from the other mid-field teams somewhat further than in previous years.
In the capable hands of French duo Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, the Alpine appears to excel in tight, windy tracks with a lot of downforce, such as Australia, Monaco, and Singapore. With Gasly being new to the team and both drivers having a competitive history between themselves, it is sure that Alpine will be spurred on to further success if they can maintain their current form throughout the rest of the season.
4 Aston Martin
A lot of hype and anticipation surrounded Aston Martin's initial entry into Formula 1 in 2021 with the support of a Mercedes engine. Formerly Racing Point, the team co-owned by Lawrence Stroll never quite lived up to expectations with only a single podium scored by Sebastian Vettel in the first two years. Following the acquisition of Fernando Alonso for 2023, the team appears to have been revitalized and now appears more competitive than ever in the hunt for podiums and race wins.
Regularly appearing in the top 6, and often the podium positions, Aston Martin simply needs to retain their current trajectory in order to force their way in among the bigger teams who have dominated the front field for decades now.
3 Mercedes
Having dominated the World Championship for seven consecutive seasons, only to be dethroned on the last lap of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix by Red Bull and Max Verstappen, being the third-best team on the grid certainly feels like a big step back for the Silver Arrows. Although marginally better than their 2022 car, the Mercedes W12 is still slightly off the pace though despite this is often capable of challenging Ferrari for podium places.
With the combined experience of Lewis Hamilton and the raw talent of young George Russell, Mercedes are certainly an interesting team to keep an eye on throughout the 2023 season, as it is seemingly only a matter of time before their performances improve and they are able to compete for race wins again.
2 Ferrari
Ferrari has struggled in recent years to recapture the heights of the early 2000s when Michael Schumacher led them to five straight World Championships. A series of comical strategy blunders saw them throw away their chance at Championship contention last season, but the car was seemingly more evenly matched with Red Bull despite these issues.
Now, the car is slightly further off the pace but still retains its spot as the clear second-best-performing team on most race weekends. With two of the grid's most talented drivers in Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, it is almost entirely up to the "Prancing Horse" to challenge Red Bull for race wins and podium positions.
1 Red Bull
The back-to-back World Champions Red Bull are by far the most dominant force in Formula 1 in 2023. Already winning every single one of the Grand Prix races so far, it seems that the only challenge to either of the Red Bulls each race weekend is each other.
While Max Verstappen is without a doubt the paciest driver on the grid, his teammate Checo Perez is not to be overlooked, and more often than not will be among the podium places. For players looking to dominate every race or have a particularly successful career mode, Red Bull is the safest bet when it comes to winning races outright.
F1 23 is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.