Ahead of the upcoming release of F1 23, EA Sports have revealed the driver ratings for all 20 racers on the 2023 grid.
The hotly anticipated racing title is the newest offering of the series under the Canadian gaming giant. This year, EA has brought back Breaking Point, the dramatic story mode from F1 2021.
Additionally, a new game mode called F1 World looks to be an Ultimate Team-like introduction to the Formula 1 gaming community.
Other new features include a revamped handling model, a new 35% race distance option, and red flags. We also see two new tracks on the game – the Las Vegas Street Circuit and Qatar’s Losail International Circuit.
Amongst all this F1 23 news, though, is the fiercely debated driver ratings. These are a hot topic of conversation for fans and even the drivers themselves, with some decisions undoubtedly causing controversy.
So, how does EA work out these personalized scores?
The four elements that determine driver ratings on F1 23
For the upcoming game, EA has used four different stats that affect the ratings. These are based on the grid’s real-life performance from the opening few rounds of 2023.
The first element is Experience. This one is simple, really: it considers the number of races that a driver has completed in their F1 career, up to the 2023 Miami Grand Prix.
Secondly, Racecraft. This category looks at how good a racer the driver is. Can they improve on their starting grid position by the time they reach the chequered flag? Are they an overtaking machine?
Good racecraft will surely come from a high level of Awareness, which is the third stat. If a driver makes contact with others frequently, then they are unlikely to receive a high rating here. Real-life punishments that Stewards hand out to drivers during races will impact this score, according to EA.
Finally, Pace. Simply put, the quickest drivers over one lap receive the best scores. Also, whichever out of the two teammates is faster more often is likely to have a higher rating here.
All of these are considered when handing out the Overall Rating, the most important number of all.
Which driver has the highest score in each stat?
When it comes to Experience, only one driver can lead the way. Fernando Alonso has 99 in this particular stat, coming just ahead of Lewis Hamilton on 97. This is unsurprising, given that Alonso made his debut in the sport in 2001.
Meanwhile, on Racecraft, reigning World Champion Max Verstappen leads the paddock with 97. The Dutchman has shown his ability to work through the field this season, coming from ninth to take the win in Miami.
The Awareness factor, interestingly, does not have one of the World Champions as its highest rated. Instead, Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas is ahead of everyone with a 97 rating.
Finally, and rather unsurprisingly, Verstappen is top of the Pace standings as well (95). There are therefore no prizes for guessing which star has the highest overall on F1 23.
F1 23: all 2023 driver ratings
| Rank | Driver | OVR Rating |
| 1 | Max Verstappen | 94 |
| 2= | Fernando Alonso | 92 |
| 2= | Lewis Hamilton | 92 |
| 4= | Charles Leclerc | 89 |
| 4= | Lando Norris | 89 |
| 4= | Sergio Perez | 89 |
| 7= | Carlos Sainz | 88 |
| 7= | George Russell | 88 |
| 9 | Valtteri Bottas | 87 |
| 10 | Esteban Ocon | 86 |
| 11 | Pierre Gasly | 85 |
| 12 | Lance Stroll | 84 |
| 13= | Alex Albon | 83 |
| 13= | Yuki Tsunoda | 83 |
| 15 | Kevin Magnussen | 81 |
| 16 | Nico Hulkenberg | 80 |
| 17 | Zhou Guanyu | 78 |
| 18 | Oscar Piastri | 74 |
| 19= | Logan Sargeant | 71 |
| 19= | Nyck de Vries | 71 |
F1 23 will be available later this week. The game launches on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC on 16 June, although is available to pre-order right now.
Featured image credit: EA Sports