Halfway through the season, here are the updated driver ratings in F1 23 according to EA. Are they an accurate representation of the grid?
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The 2023 Formula One season is now beyond its halfway point. Team performance has dramatically changed, drivers are now firmly embedded into their teams and we have a better understanding of where everyone sits.
With that in mind, EA has updated its driver ratings for the F1 23 game. Many stats and figures have changed compared to the game’s release. Some drivers have gained rating, others have experienced a loss. But are the numbers an accurate representation of the field in its current state? Let’s find out.
July F1 23 Driver Rating Gains
So far in 2023, it seems EA is seeing great progress from the young McLaren rookie, Oscar Piastri. Thanks to good recent results and an increase in experience, the Aussie jumps two rating points from 74 to 76. Another young driver showing promise is GuanYu Zhou, who also jumps a couple of points from 78 to 80. Alex Albon, thanks to many points finishes in the Williams, is also one of the top movers in the first half of the season. His rating jumps to 85.
Drivers throughout the field have also done enough in the first 11 races to gain one point. These include Nico Hulkenberg who has been especially noteworthy in qualifying. His F1 23 rating goes up to 81. Carlos Sainz’ rating also finally matches that of his teammate on 89 thanks to a small boost. Finally, Max Verstappen’s flawless first half of the championship predictably sees him extend his gap at the top with 95 rating points.
Who’s Lost Rating?
Whilst no driver has been unlucky enough to drop two entire rating points, several have seen their ratings nose dive in the first month of the game’s release. Predictable losses include the likes of Nyck De Vries and Sergio Perez who now sit on 70 and 88 driver rating in F1 23 respectively. Lance Stroll has been on the edge of dropping points all season and is now ranked at 83.
There are a number of surprising F1 23 driver rating updates however that will surely perplex fans. Yuki Tsunoda has out-paced his teammate to the point of forcing an early driver change. Yet, the Japanese racer drops a point to 82. Kevin Magnussen has routinely fought back to rival Nico Hulkenberg on race pace. But he too loses a point falling to 80. Finally, Esteban Ocon has had a difficult season full of incidents, yet he has shown good pace all year. He now falls to an updated F1 23 driver rating of 85 points.
If you wish to check through the numbers yourself, they are available here.
Editor’s Take
For the most part, I do like the current driver order in F1 23. The best drivers find themselves at the top and those that pose issues to their own teams fall to the bottom. However, the evolution in driver rating from launch to now is odd in places.
Sure, Alex Albon deserves to gain a pair of overall points. But to put Oscar Piastri and Guanyu Zhou on his level seems strange. Whilst Albon was out there claiming unimaginable results for his team, Zhou was anonymous and Piastri was dealing with the same struggles as every rookie. Max Verstappen would have been better suited to a double points leap following his amazing run of success so far this year.
As for the losses, whilst I believe Verstappen should have had a larger increase, I believe Checo Perez should be dropping more points than a single digit. His torrid season should lose him at least two. The same can be said for De Vries, who has gone from a Williams legend to an Alpha Tauri disaster. Losing your seat mid-season should lose a minimum of three overall points. Finally, as I mention above, Kevin Magnussen does not deserve to lose any points following his great race pace despite struggling to match his teammate’s qualifying success.
What do you make of the updated F1 23 driver ratings? Tell us on Twitter at @OverTake_gg or in the comments down below!
