Believe it or not, this list started as five reasons but got a little out of hand…

We're nearly a month into 2023, and the Formula 1, INDYCAR and Extreme E seasons are fast approaching, whilst our inaugural season in Formula E is already underway. With 60 more races to look forward to – that number doesn't even include esports - and our 60th-anniversary celebrations, 2023, is set to be a year like no other.

We've just given you at least 60 reasons to be excited, but what should be at the top of your list? Here are the 10 things we think you should be looking forward to this year.

1. We're celebrating our 60th anniversary

60 years old? You don’t look a day over 30…

Well, as kind as it is for us to say that about ourselves, we are, in fact, turning 60 this year. And you can bet we'll be celebrating it in style. Throughout the next 12 months, we'll take you on a journey through the seven eras of our history, from our humble beginnings to our most recent victory and beyond.

Using a variety of different mediums and at events throughout the year, we'll be uncovering untold stories, exploring our most legendary figures and re-living our greatest triumphs, immersing you within our origin story.

2. Oscar Piastri's Formula 1 debut

There's nothing quite like an impending driver debut to whet the appetite ahead of a season, and Oscar is brand new. The junior series sensation enjoyed a record-breaking rise up the single-seater ladder, becoming the first driver to win Formula Renault Eurocup, Formula 3 and Formula 2 in successive seasons.

He'll step into our 2023 machine for the first time at pre-season testing and make his official Formula 1 debut in Round 1 at Bahrain. As a rookie who is new to the team, he'll take time to get up to speed in F1, and that requires the patience and support of the Papaya Army, but his racing record to date suggests that we've got a serious talent on our hands.

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has spoken on record about his excitement, hailing the Aussie's mental approach to racing and talking up his potential, whilst the racing team were impressed by his speed of learning and application to post-season testing in Abu Dhabi last year.

It's not only his ability in the car we're looking forward to discovering, we also can't wait for you to get to know the newest addition to our family.

3. A milestone season for Lando

We'll have the youngest line-up on the grid this season, with Lando becoming our senior driver at only 23 years old and Oscar still just 21. Lando being entrusted with that position says everything about his progress in the four years since his debut.

Ending 2022 as the only driver outside the top three teams to score a podium and finishing directly behind their six drivers in the championship, he repeatedly eked every last drop of potential out of the car, rapidly adjusting to the new generation of car.

Lando's third-place finish at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was the crowning stroke, but the British star was a consistent scorer throughout the season on all types of track. His approach and ability mature with every season, and as he steps up to become the older driver in a team for the first time in his career, it will be fascinating to see how that impacts his progression and what further layers he can add to his already impressive skill set.

The 2023 campaign is also set to mark his 100th race, making him the first driver to reach that milestone for McLaren since Lewis Hamilton. Only four drivers have completed 100 or more races for us (Mika Hakkinen, David Coulthard, Lewis Hamilton and Alain Prost). Having already competed in 82 races, Lando is just 18 away from joining that group and could achieve the feat in Round 18 at Qatar.

4. Our new Team Principal, Andrea Stella

It's the start of a new era for McLaren Racing: not only do we have a new driver, but Andrea Stella has stepped up to become our Team Principal. Unlike Piastri, the Italian is already well known within the team, having been a hugely influential figure since following Fernando Alonso to McLaren from Ferrari in 2015.

So, what can we expect from our new boss? Andrea will be given the freedom to make the role his own, with the support of the excellent team behind him. He's already stated his aim to be a "hands-on" Team Principal, meaning he'll play a vital role in the car's development and everything that happens at track.

With a background in engineering, and having risen through the ranks since his arrival in 2015, Andrea's knowledge of the team and how they work is second to none. That should shorten his adaptation period and allow him and the team to continue with the positive progress they made in 2022 following the regulations overhaul. They'll hope to hit the ground running pre-season.

5. We're going to Vegas

Has there ever been a more glamorous location for a Formula 1 race? Las Vegas may be known for its casinos, but the decision to host a new race in the city is no gamble.

It's been more than 40 years since we last raced in Vegas, and on our return, we'll be greeted by a 6.12km-long street track set in the heart of the city's strip. It will be high-speed, and at 12-15m wide, there should be plenty of room to overtake around the 14-turns, with Monza-level low downforce.

Taking place on one of the busiest Saturday nights in the world, cars glistening under the bright lights as they blast past the Bellagio Fountain and Caesars Palace, the weekend will make for the grandest of spectacles.

6. A bumper calendar and six Sprints

It's not only Las Vegas that excites us about this year's F1 calendar. With 23 races in 20 different countries, it's the biggest the sport has ever seen. That includes a second trip to Miami and a return to fan favourites such as Spa, Monaco and Suzuka.

The addition of Formula E adds to an already diverse travelling schedule as we head to four countries we'd not have otherwise visited: India, South Africa, Germany and Indonesia. Extreme E will add a stamp from Chile to our passports, and then, of course, you've got INDYCAR's tour around America, the highlight of which will be the INDY 500 in May.

In addition to the 23 F1 races, we've got six Sprints to feast upon this year, which will continue to offer out points and set the grid for Sunday. Azerbaijan, Belgium, Qatar and the United States will all host the 100km dash on a Saturday for the first time, with Austria and Brazil getting another bite at the cherry, having successfully hosted Sprints in 2022. The circuits at Baku and Spa, in particular, should be prime locations for a Sprint, given their propensity for presenting overtaking opportunities.

7. Another year wiser

F1 underwent the biggest overhaul of regulations the sport has ever seen ahead of the 2022 season. From the small sample size we have, it's proved to be a success so far, producing closer racing and more overtaking, but with a year of learning and plenty of data gathered, we're excited to see what direction development heads in.

The winter period will have allowed the most successful sides the chance to increase their advantage and the less successful outfits the opportunity to close the gap. We were sat somewhere between that, with the team enduring a difficult opening round, albeit at a circuit that didn't necessarily suit our package. Nevertheless, we learned swiftly from that initial frustration and accelerated our development, enjoying a much more fruitful outing at the Australian Grand Prix two rounds later.

It proved to be an up-and-down campaign of peaks and troughs, but the team are confident they've made good strides with the car, having produced upgrades in 2022 that were looking ahead to 2023.

8. A title challenge in Extreme E?

Our first season of Extreme E was a venture into the unknown. For starters, it was our first foray into the electric world, but it was also our first attempt at off-road racing, a very different discipline from what we are used to.

Joining the series' second season, we were a year behind our rivals, but you'd not have known it. Behind the wheel, Emma Gilmour and Tanner Foust brought Rallying and RallyCross experience, of which XE is something of a mixture. We came within a whisker of winning our first race at Chile before a penalty dropped us to fifth, but we returned to take a podium in the final round.

With a year of XE under our belts and the continuity of Emma and Tanner at the wheel, we'll look to use the knowledge we gained in 2022 to put together a title challenge, all whilst continuing to raise awareness of climate change issues.

9. Our first season in Formula E

Our first year of Extreme E was a wild ride, and we've doubled down on the electric front for 2023, adding a Formula E campaign to our racing portfolio.

Joining ahead of the Gen3 overhaul, we'll look to get up to speed as quickly as possible as the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team, having taken over from Mercedes-EQ, who won the last two Drivers' and Teams' titles.

Team Principal Ian James and Team Manager Gary Paffett are among the expert staff to make the transition across from Mercedes, with the experienced René Rast alongside rookie Jake Hughes in the cockpit.

The season began in Mexico City on 14 January – where Jake's P5 finish was the highlight - and will span a further 15 rounds in 10 countries, ending with the London E-Prix on 30 July.

10. A new-look INDYCAR team

We'll also be hoping to make a go of the title in INDYCAR, following our rebrand to Arrow McLaren and the signing of Alexander Rossi, widely believed to be amongst the best drivers in the field.

The team will be led by Racing Director Gavin Ward, who has stepped up from his role as Director of Trackside Engineering. Ward joined in July 2022 following three hugely successful seasons with Team Penske and can also name the Red Bull F1 team among his former employers.

Rossi makes up an extremely competitive three-driver roster that boasts 13 wins between them. He joins Felix Rosenqvist and Pato O'Ward, both of whom will also be eying a shot at the title, having challenged for it previously.

For this year's INDY 500 in May, we'll be entering a fourth car, with 2013 winner Tony Kanaan adding his expertise and ability to the team. Our last INDY 500 victory came in 1976, and what better time to bring the crown back home than in our 60th anniversary season?

Need we say more? We could have gone on and on, but by now, we figured you were itching to queue up last season's Unboxed episodes on YouTube. We'll see you out on track…

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