Our Top 50 drivers of the year… (50th to 41st)

50. Paul-Loup Chatin

Author of the LMP2 pole position at the Centenary of 24 Hours of Le Mans with IDEC Sport, 2 LMP2023 champion in IMSA with PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports.

Safe value ofEndurance for years, the friendly Essonnian has delivered an excellent 2023 season, crowned with a historic pole position during the Centenary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with an IDEC Sport prototype adorned in the colors of the famous Delage brand. Chatin also distinguished himself on the other side of the Atlantic by winning the LMP2 crown in the IMSA championship. Performances that convinced Alpine, whom Paul-Loup knows well, to name him among his Hypercar drivers for the 2024 season. A well-deserved promotion.

Paul-Loup Chatin celebrates his LMP2 pole position at the Centenary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with IDEC Sport. / © DPPI

49. Antonio Fuoco

3rd in the Hypercar Drivers' World Championship, author of the Hyperpole at the Centenary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans

Logically promoted within the Hypercar program of the Team Ferrari, the Italian confirmed his good top speed by signing pole position at the 1000 Miles of Sebring, the first release of the beautiful 499P. Alongside Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen, he scored an encouraging podium the next day, even if the trio of the No. 50 could not compete in the long term with the impregnable Toyota. Fuoco, undoubtedly the fastest driver among the Scuderia's official racers, then won the coveted Hyperpole for the Centenary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Unfortunately for him and his comrades in No. 50, they had to be content to witness the triumph of their sister car in Sarthe. Two new podiums in Monza (Italy) and Sakhir (Bahrain) allowed them to finish in the top 3 of the Drivers' championship. Proof that the No. 50 was overall the most efficient 499P Ferrari in 2023, but it was the No. 51 which took home the jackpot.

Fuoco slammed the Hyperpole for the #50 Ferrari at the Centenary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans… but it was the #51 that won. / © DPPI

48. Thomas Preining

Champion DTM 2023 with Porsche Manthey EMA (3 wins)

If the German touring championship no longer has its former glory, a quick look at the list of drivers lined up in 2023 is enough to demonstrate that the level is still particularly high. This is also evidenced by the dozen different winners in 16 races. Only two men have managed to win more than once and they logically found themselves fighting for the supreme title. Between the Italian Mirko Bortolotti (Lamborghini) and the Austrian Thomas Preining (Porsche), the balance ended up tipping in the camp of the second named, author of a perfect final in Hockenheim (Germany) with two victories in as many tests. We then found Preining behind the wheel of a 963 during the rookie tests of the WEC in Bahrain. A clue as to its 2024 program? Wait and see, but the boy knows how to handle the hoop.

The Austrian from the Porsche Manthey EMA team won the 2023 DTM title after a well-conducted final. / © Red Bull Content Pool

47. Lilou Wadoux

First woman to win an FIA WEC race (6 Hours of Spa) with Richard Mille AF Corse

Associated with the Argentinian Luis Pérez Companc and the Italian Alessio Rovera at the wheel of a Ferrari 488 GTE Evo, the Amiens woman experienced a 2023 campaign full of ups and downs. Still, Wadoux became the first woman to win in an FIA World Endurance Championship race by winning the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium). Two weeks, she and her friends had finished on the podium (2nd) in Portimão (Portugal). The rest of the season was more difficult but Lilou had the opportunity to discover driving the 499P that won at Le Mans during the traditional WEC rookie tests. A meeting with the future, hopefully.

The Northerner made motorsport history this year by winning the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. / © DPPI

46. ​​Gabriel Bortoleto

2023 Champion of Formula 3 FIA (2 victories)

In 2023, Auriverde relied on a great start and consistency to secure the title of champion. All in the shoes of a rookie. It must be said that his two victories in the Main Race at the start of the year allowed him to quickly create a lead large enough to never really be worried. The inconsistency of his rivals also played a very important role because Gabriel Bortoleto for his part always knew how to perform, perfectly managing his strong moments and his weak moments. When he could, he attacked. When he didn't find himself in this position, he didn't tempt the devil. A strategy which certainly leaves much to be desired as we say that the protégé of Fernando Alonso could have done better, but ultimately paid off since it guaranteed him the crown.

After his F3 title, Gabriel Bortoleto will logically evolve into Formula 2 next year. / © DPPI

45. Ben Keating

2023 LMGTE Am world champion in WEC and winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Corvette Racing

Ben Keating is probably the best Bronze driver currently. At the age of 52, the Texan had a successful season, winning the LMGTE Am title in the WEC with Corvette, distinguishing himself in particular by his level of performance in qualifying. By being crowned champion alongside Nicky Catsburg and Nicolás Varrone, the American retained his crown acquired in 2022 on a Aston Martin Vantage AMR from TF Sport. This victorious season with Corvette has special value for the veteran who dreamed of making the American anthem ring out as often as possible with the Detroit manufacturer.

Don't be fooled by appearances, Ben Keating is a hard worker. / © DPPI

44. Nick Cassidy

Vice-world champion of Formula E 2023 with Envision-Jaguar

Nick Cassidy may have some regrets about this 2023 season. The New Zealander had decided to focus solely on Formula E this year to win the title: it was a narrow miss. The Envision driver was however one of the major players in the championship, with four victories including a major success in Monaco after a farandole of overtaking. Leader of the championship upon arriving in Rome, his title hopes took a hit during the penultimate round of the season, due to a collision with his compatriot Mitch Evans. The Kiwi was unable to prevent Jake Dennis from being crowned at the London meeting. Second in the championship with 199 points, Nick Cassidy was surely the best driver of the season, but not the most consistent, notably with a difficult start to the season (10 points in the first three races).

All Nick Cassidy lacked was consistency to be crowned in Formula E this season. / © DPPI

43. Ryan Blaney

Champion NASCAR 2023

Despite his 29 years, it took Ryan Blaney eight full seasons to win the cup. During his four previous participations in the “Round of 8”, the driver from Ohio had left empty-handed. This year, the No. 12 emerged at the right time, scoring two crucial victories at Talladega and Martinsville. Unlike previous seasons where Blaney made mistakes in money time, he rose to the occasion in 2023 with 3rd place as his average position during the Round of 8. In Phoenix, scene of the grand final, Blaney did what was necessary to finish in front of his direct opponents and win his first title in the premier category of Nascar. Leading the drivers still in contention for the title when the yellow flag was displayed for a spin by Kyle Busch (Richard Childress Racing), 37 laps from the end, Blaney lost his advantage during the waltz of stops at the stands. The driver of the No. 12 Penske Ford then fought during the re-start that followed to overtake William Byron and Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports), two of his “Final 4” competitors, 20 laps from the goal. Blaney ultimately finished second overall, but above all first of the quartet of contenders for the supreme consecration. Roger Penske, the eponymous team retains its crown, with Blaney succeeding Joey Logano on the list of winners.

Ryan Blaney poses with the 2023 NASCAR champion trophy after the Phoenix finale. / © Nascar Media

42. Brodie Kostecki

2023 Supercars Champion with Erebus Motorsport (6 wins)

He is the man who deprived the great Shane van Gisbergen of another Australian Touring Championship title before he left for NASCAR. While the leading Triple Eight Race Engineering team has reigned supreme in the discipline for years, Erebus Motorsport better negotiated the transition to Gen 3 and allowed Brodie Kostecki to claim his first Supercars crown. Author of six victories in 2023, the driver from Perth (Australia) may have abandoned the famous Bathurst 1000 at SvG but his consistency (no retirement in 28 races) will have allowed him to win at the wheel of his Chevrolet Camaro n° 99.

Brodie Kostecki brought down ogre Shane van Gisbergen for the first season of Gen 3 in Supercars. / © Supercars

41. Sarah Bovy

Vice-world champion LMGTE Am, winner of the 8 Hours of Bahrain, author of three pole positions in WEC with the Iron Dames

Sarah Bovy has once again stood out this season. The Belgian shone in the FIA ​​World Endurance Championship with no less than three pole positions in LMGTE Am, at Sebring, Monza and Bahrain. The 34-year-old driver thus became the last driver to score a pole in the GTE era. She made even more history in motorsport alongside her teammates Rahel Frey and Michelle Gatting during the 8 Hours of Bahrain race. The trio became the first all-female crew to win in the FIA ​​World Endurance Championship, also marking the first victory for the Iron Ladies in the FIA ​​WEC. A performance which, coupled with a podium at the 6 Hours of Portimão, allowed the Ladies to finish vice-champions behind Corvette.

Led by Sarah Bovy as sparkling as ever on a flying lap, the Iron Dames finally won in the WEC. / © DPPI