Top 10 drivers currently in F1
Poll: Top 10 drivers currently in F1
Total Members Polled: 114
Discussion
Spurred on by chat elsewhere (and not wanting to deflect that) I thought there might be an interesting debate as to who are the top ten drivers currently driving (or have driven this season for De Vries/Nico fans) in F1. Or, of course, 78 pages of bickering 
1 Lewis Hamilton - obvious one isn't it? He entered F1 with exceptional speed and has only added to that with racecraft, maturity and leadership. His record speaks for itself.
2 Fernando Alonso - not so obvious. Arguably a man his own worst enemy with some poor careers choices (not least buddying up with a certain Flav), but on his day he has everything. His racecraft, aggression and absolute ability to nail quali laps for an entire race put him just ahead of 3rd place for me. 2 WC's doesn't do him justice, and it must be galling to know he's a handful of points short of 4 or 5 WC's. What could have been.
3 Max Verstappen - this'll be divisive as I bet many will think he should be 1 or 2 places higher. He probably should, but it's my OP
Incredible speed, and has developed a level of consistency that shows he's matured nicely. I'd love to see him outside the RB bubble to judge him as a driver on his own; I feel all the greats prove their worth in more than one team.
4 George Russell - Hardly ever puts a foot wrong. I'm not convinced his incident with Valtteri @ Imola was anything but 50/50 and the fact he was even there in a Williams was impressive. As was his stunning stand in drive. As is his performance this season; it would be easy to sit in the shadow of the statistical GOAT, but he's proven he's probably just as fast on a Saturday whilst his Sunday drives are nearly Lewis' equal. Surely a WC in waiting if MB don't screw up the car in years to come.
4 Lando Norris - What a driver Lando is becoming (has become?). That's not judging against an off form DR, he just keeps on improving and extracts performance from an apparently tricky McLaren beyond what you might expect. And that's before factoring in his age, as a driver he seems mature beyond his years now and it shows in his lack of mistakes as he just bangs in performance after performance Saturday & Sunday. Really hope McLaren can deliver a car he can challenge up front in soon.
6 Charles Leclerc - Probably the last one I think is truly top level and could compete with any of those above in equal machinery. Just fantastically quick, and when it's going right he's untouchable. Still too error prone, but I bet that'll be ironed out in time (perhaps easier if he moves away from Ferrari).
7 Carlos Sainz - Ferrari was a big move, and he's shown himself to be more than up to the job. If Charles wasn't there he'd be a worthy leader. Might be a tiny margin off the ultimate Saturday pace of the other guys but it's fine margin stuff. Arguably more consistent than Charles too.
8 Pierre Gasly - Has shown impressive speed so often including that win. I wonder how he'd go in a Max free RB environment? But I can't ignore he didn't make the grade last time. Always seems capable of dragging an excellent points result out of the AT if it's dialled into the circuit.
9 Esteban Ocon - Good driver, likeable guy. Close enough to Fernando on pure pace to be impressive (yes I know he's higher in the WC, for reasons) and I think it's always an interesting measure of someone mental strength to be out the sport then come back in and perform. I think it's fair to say he has. Team leader material? Lets see if Alpine can give him a good car next season....
10 Nikita M.... just kidding. Tricky one this but I'm giving it to Sergio ahead of Bottas and Albon. We all know how difficult an environment RB seems to be with Max de facto no1, but Sergio seems an excellent fit - the best to try that seat in recent times. As Monaco showed, he's able to nick a win when Max can't and usually qualifies & scores pretty well. Certainly the delta is less than most of the recent incumbents of that seat. Some great drives in the past, he's obviously not WC level but I'd argue he's better at RB than Valtteri was @ MB.
There you go, tear me a new one. I'm sure some folks will think discounting Seb & Dan Ric because they've gone off the boil is harsh, but as much as I considered excellent past performance I naturally look at current performance too and they're not what they were sadly.
I've went for multiple options as I think it'll give a more balanced result, plus I dare say some can't separate Max & Lewis or Alonso & Leclerc.....
1 Lewis Hamilton - obvious one isn't it? He entered F1 with exceptional speed and has only added to that with racecraft, maturity and leadership. His record speaks for itself.
2 Fernando Alonso - not so obvious. Arguably a man his own worst enemy with some poor careers choices (not least buddying up with a certain Flav), but on his day he has everything. His racecraft, aggression and absolute ability to nail quali laps for an entire race put him just ahead of 3rd place for me. 2 WC's doesn't do him justice, and it must be galling to know he's a handful of points short of 4 or 5 WC's. What could have been.
3 Max Verstappen - this'll be divisive as I bet many will think he should be 1 or 2 places higher. He probably should, but it's my OP
Incredible speed, and has developed a level of consistency that shows he's matured nicely. I'd love to see him outside the RB bubble to judge him as a driver on his own; I feel all the greats prove their worth in more than one team.4 George Russell - Hardly ever puts a foot wrong. I'm not convinced his incident with Valtteri @ Imola was anything but 50/50 and the fact he was even there in a Williams was impressive. As was his stunning stand in drive. As is his performance this season; it would be easy to sit in the shadow of the statistical GOAT, but he's proven he's probably just as fast on a Saturday whilst his Sunday drives are nearly Lewis' equal. Surely a WC in waiting if MB don't screw up the car in years to come.
4 Lando Norris - What a driver Lando is becoming (has become?). That's not judging against an off form DR, he just keeps on improving and extracts performance from an apparently tricky McLaren beyond what you might expect. And that's before factoring in his age, as a driver he seems mature beyond his years now and it shows in his lack of mistakes as he just bangs in performance after performance Saturday & Sunday. Really hope McLaren can deliver a car he can challenge up front in soon.
6 Charles Leclerc - Probably the last one I think is truly top level and could compete with any of those above in equal machinery. Just fantastically quick, and when it's going right he's untouchable. Still too error prone, but I bet that'll be ironed out in time (perhaps easier if he moves away from Ferrari).
7 Carlos Sainz - Ferrari was a big move, and he's shown himself to be more than up to the job. If Charles wasn't there he'd be a worthy leader. Might be a tiny margin off the ultimate Saturday pace of the other guys but it's fine margin stuff. Arguably more consistent than Charles too.
8 Pierre Gasly - Has shown impressive speed so often including that win. I wonder how he'd go in a Max free RB environment? But I can't ignore he didn't make the grade last time. Always seems capable of dragging an excellent points result out of the AT if it's dialled into the circuit.
9 Esteban Ocon - Good driver, likeable guy. Close enough to Fernando on pure pace to be impressive (yes I know he's higher in the WC, for reasons) and I think it's always an interesting measure of someone mental strength to be out the sport then come back in and perform. I think it's fair to say he has. Team leader material? Lets see if Alpine can give him a good car next season....
10 Nikita M.... just kidding. Tricky one this but I'm giving it to Sergio ahead of Bottas and Albon. We all know how difficult an environment RB seems to be with Max de facto no1, but Sergio seems an excellent fit - the best to try that seat in recent times. As Monaco showed, he's able to nick a win when Max can't and usually qualifies & scores pretty well. Certainly the delta is less than most of the recent incumbents of that seat. Some great drives in the past, he's obviously not WC level but I'd argue he's better at RB than Valtteri was @ MB.
There you go, tear me a new one. I'm sure some folks will think discounting Seb & Dan Ric because they've gone off the boil is harsh, but as much as I considered excellent past performance I naturally look at current performance too and they're not what they were sadly.
I've went for multiple options as I think it'll give a more balanced result, plus I dare say some can't separate Max & Lewis or Alonso & Leclerc.....
Edited by trackdemon on Tuesday 13th September 21:27
Paul671 said:
Verstappen should be top of this list. His horrible delusional fans let him down and he's a filthy driver when he's challenged but he is on top form right now, untouchable this season.
I'm not looking purely at current form. More a general feeling of who's THE BEST overall, which has to include past achievementsThe new regs distort everything this year so it’s hard to compare them at the moment but Alonso at Monaco this year was an embarrassment, no way is he the second best driver on the grid. He has moments but so does Stroll….
Album is fast, he needs a proper car to challenge though.
Perez isn’t showing enough speed so he can just scrape in.
Zhou will be fast too, he shows good instincts and is getting consistent now
Album is fast, he needs a proper car to challenge though.
Perez isn’t showing enough speed so he can just scrape in.
Zhou will be fast too, he shows good instincts and is getting consistent now
I would put Lewis at the top of the tree, with George, Lando, Max and Charles as approximately equal, possibly Max below them. He has proven to be blindingly fast in the RB, but for me, there are still questions about his race-craft, he has not really been in a position to be called upon to use it yet this year. Last year his race-craft was definitely very poor, consisting of move over or crash. I also think Danny should be on there based on his earlier performances.
pablo said:
The new regs distort everything this year so it’s hard to compare them at the moment but Alonso at Monaco this year was an embarrassment, no way is he the second best driver on the grid. He has moments but so does Stroll….
Album is fast, he needs a proper car to challenge though.
Perez isn’t showing enough speed so he can just scrape in.
Zhou will be fast too, he shows good instincts and is getting consistent now
Similarly Lewis was embarassing at Spa.Album is fast, he needs a proper car to challenge though.
Perez isn’t showing enough speed so he can just scrape in.
Zhou will be fast too, he shows good instincts and is getting consistent now
On current form I'd say Max / Charles / Russell / Sainz / Lewis / Norris are top 6.
Perez is struggling and the gap between him and Max is beginning to look Schumacher-esq.
The new Dutch guy deserves a decent seat.
MustangGT said:
I would put Lewis at the top of the tree, with George, Lando, Max and Charles as approximately equal, possibly Max below them. He has proven to be blindingly fast in the RB, but for me, there are still questions about his race-craft, he has not really been in a position to be called upon to use it yet this year. Last year his race-craft was definitely very poor, consisting of move over or crash. I also think Danny should be on there based on his earlier performances.
Fair enough, although I think Max is so imperiously faster than anyone he's been up against for years he deserves 3rd. His ultimate test will be moving to another team and/or when there is a genuine season long competition (like last season, where he showed himself less capable than Lewis). I know Danny is harsh, and I really want to see him bounce back, but his performance post RB - and particularly at McLaren - just dragged him out of the 10 for me.
Won't comment on them all, but for me
Hamilton - Ignoring what you think about his fashion sense, activism or any other random stuff people seem to pick up on has to be number 1. Maybe not the best wheel-to-wheel racer out there but super quick and rarely makes mistakes.
Verstappen - Like Hamilton, seems to be naturally talented. Still some silly mistakes, and still yet to see if he's matured in a proper intense championship fight.
Alonso - Again, ignoring what you think about him personally and some awful decisions on moving teams, still seems to have what it takes in wheel to wheel racing and absolutely ruthless. Put him in a Red Bull or Ferrari this year and I think we'd have a great season.
Leclerc - If it wasn't for silly mistakes losing points this year, I'd probably put him equal with Alonso.
Norris / Russell
Sainz
Gasly / Ocon
Honestly struggling who to put 10th - Perez/Bottas both reliable drivers, but I wouldn't put them in the same league as some of the above. Ricciardo on his day maybe, but not based on the last few seasons.
Albon, showed some decent stuff in Red Bull but unsure if he could handle the pressure if running against Verstappen/Leclerc and Hamilton.
Hamilton - Ignoring what you think about his fashion sense, activism or any other random stuff people seem to pick up on has to be number 1. Maybe not the best wheel-to-wheel racer out there but super quick and rarely makes mistakes.
Verstappen - Like Hamilton, seems to be naturally talented. Still some silly mistakes, and still yet to see if he's matured in a proper intense championship fight.
Alonso - Again, ignoring what you think about him personally and some awful decisions on moving teams, still seems to have what it takes in wheel to wheel racing and absolutely ruthless. Put him in a Red Bull or Ferrari this year and I think we'd have a great season.
Leclerc - If it wasn't for silly mistakes losing points this year, I'd probably put him equal with Alonso.
Norris / Russell
Sainz
Gasly / Ocon
Honestly struggling who to put 10th - Perez/Bottas both reliable drivers, but I wouldn't put them in the same league as some of the above. Ricciardo on his day maybe, but not based on the last few seasons.
Albon, showed some decent stuff in Red Bull but unsure if he could handle the pressure if running against Verstappen/Leclerc and Hamilton.
Mostly agree with the general way this poll is shaping up.
Some thoughts:
1) Am I being overly harsh on Leclerc? I'm not sure I would put him third or fourth, because I believe I've yet to see him have an outstanding race in the rain. But then there are some other drivers here I've yet to see that too, I think... (Russell? Norris was going well at Spa in the rain last year, before he dumped it. And that wasn't a race)
2) Given that this is a poll over time, rather than right now, and whilst I accept he had a couple of seasons of ridiculous errors, are we not being overly harsh on Vettel not being in the top 10?
3) Are we also not being overly harsh on Bottas vs. Perez. Given it's widely agreed the RB is the de facto best car on the grid, I can't help but feel Bottas would have done more than Perez by now (poles, wins) if we look at when he was in the de-facto best car on the grid?
Some thoughts:
1) Am I being overly harsh on Leclerc? I'm not sure I would put him third or fourth, because I believe I've yet to see him have an outstanding race in the rain. But then there are some other drivers here I've yet to see that too, I think... (Russell? Norris was going well at Spa in the rain last year, before he dumped it. And that wasn't a race)
2) Given that this is a poll over time, rather than right now, and whilst I accept he had a couple of seasons of ridiculous errors, are we not being overly harsh on Vettel not being in the top 10?
3) Are we also not being overly harsh on Bottas vs. Perez. Given it's widely agreed the RB is the de facto best car on the grid, I can't help but feel Bottas would have done more than Perez by now (poles, wins) if we look at when he was in the de-facto best car on the grid?
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