F1

Mid-season driver rankings

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  • #133422
    David-A
    Participant

    How has the class of 2013 done so far?

    My Rankings:

    1. Vettel – So far, his second best season statistically after 2011, maybe driving even better than then. Always managed good results even on “bad” days like Spain and Hungary.
    2. Hamilton – Done brilliantly so far this season. Had the measure of Rosberg to an extent, despite being on “only” one win.
    3. Raikkonen – Occasionally matched or outpaced by Grosjean, but probably the most consistent driver this yer, along with Vettel.
    4. Alonso – Two great wins, but a bit lacklustre in a few races, e.g. Malaysia DNF, not really turning up at Monaco or Hungary.
    5. Rosberg – Another multiple winner, but rather fortunate to win in Britain. Unlucky elsewhere, with mechanical DNFs in Australia, China and Hungary, that have cost him more points.

    6. Di Resta – Scored in 7 races so far, and I believe that after 2 mediocre years, he’s finally starting to show some talent. Alonst got on the podium in Bahrain, where he always seems to run well. Excellent qualifying in Britain before the DQ, then still got points.
    7. Webber – Had a bit of bad luck, but still doing much worse than at this stage last year.
    8. Sutil – I get the impression he’s been rather unlucky this year, otherwise he’d be closer to Di Resta on points. Australia and Monaco are his best drives.
    9. Hulkenberg – Done effectively all he could with the Sauber, scoring points on a few occasions. Crushed Gutierrez.
    10. Button – Done moderately well with a struggling car, but the collapse of Mclaren, even if it isn’t his fault, does not do his image any favours.

    11. Ricciardo – Had some great qualifying performances, but struggles to beat Vergne in races. I still don’t believe he’s ready for Red Bull yet.
    12. Vergne – Conversely, he’s poor in qualifying, but commands similar or even better race pace than his teammate. Several unfortunate DNFs have stymied his racing results too.
    13. Grosjean – Another mixed bag from Grosjean. Solid performance in Malaysia, two great podiums, especially Germany, and a decent display in Hungary, despite the errors. On the other hand, his performances in Monaco and Canada were horrendous. 8-2 down on Kimi Raikkonen in qualifying.
    14. Perez – Shown some aggressive overtaking, which can be fun to watch, but after a great move on Button, he pushed his luck and paid the price. Hardly inspiring pace for Lewis’ replacement.
    15. Maldonado – Crashed less this year, but unfortunately for him, it’s when Williams aren’t that fast. As a reuslt, he’s yet to combine the speed from last year with his newfound consistency.
    16. Bottas – Hampered by the car, but done respectably against Maldonado. Obvious highlight is Canada qualifying.
    17. Massa – Started the season brightly, but faded as usual. Did well in Britain (6th despite the puncture), Spain, Malaysia and Australia. That spin in Germany still makes me cringe.
    18. Bianchi – Best of the backmarkers, shone in the early rounds, far better than Chilton.

    19. Pic – Not much to say, but at least he hasn’t got himself noticed for the wrong reasons.
    20. Van Der Garde – Obviously many will remember him for Canada, but in fairness, he reached Q2 in Monaco.
    21. Gutierrez – Hasn’t been as outrageously bad in the last few races, but the average gap in qualifying between him and Hulkenberg is the biggest on the grid.
    22. Chilton – Still not really good enough for F1.

    #239483
    Kingshark
    Participant

    1. Sebastian Vettel
    2. Lewis Hamilton
    3. Fernando Alonso
    4. Kimi Raikkonen
    5. Nico Rosberg
    6. Di Resta
    7. Sutil
    8. Button
    9. Hulkenberg
    10. Webber
    11. Perez
    12. Ricciardo
    13. Bianchi
    14. Massa
    15. Vergne
    16. Maldonado
    17. Bottas
    18. Grosjean
    19. Pic
    20. Van Der Garde
    21. Gutierrez
    22. Chilton

    #239484
    magon4
    Participant

    1. Vettel – the most consistent, although only really fantastic in Bahrain
    2. Hamilton – shone at Silverstone and Hungary, not as good in Barcelona.
    3. Raikkonen – Interestingly, not as consistent this season, with a poor showing in Malaysia and at most average in Canda. But great jobs in Australia, China and Bahrain.
    4. Alonso – poor in Malaysia and Monaco, fantastic in Barcelona and China
    5. Di Resta – was having a great season, but last two races have been the worst so far.
    6. Sutil – Poor in Germany, lackluster in China – but great in Monaco and Australia.
    7. Rosberg – he has not been very consistent at all this season, despite some bad luck. Great at Monaco, disappointing in China, and average in Bahrain, Germany, Hungary and Canada.
    8. Hülkenberg – very consistent with his material. Monaco and Canada were his worst outings, and they were lackluster at worst.
    9. Webber – besides Malaysia, the aussie had a pretty poor start to the season. Has been really sharp since Monaco.
    10. Button – not very good in Canada and Silverstone, besides that a pretty good season.
    11. Ricciardo – fantastic China performance, great in Silverstone, but not too consistent this season.
    12. Bianchi – good and consistent job. Only Monaco was weak.
    13. Vergne – Bahrain and Nurburgring were weak, but Vergne has been slightly more consistent than Ricciardo.
    14. Massa – showed signs of hope at Silverstone, Spain and Australia. But that is not enough, and races like China, Monaco and Hungary might cost him the job.
    15. Pic – the most consistent driver on the grid.
    16. Perez – has shown flashes of talent and racecraft, but risks too much and still makes too many mistakes. Really good at Bahrain, but China, Monaco and mostly Australia were very weak.
    17. Grosjean – bad jobs in Australia, Monaco and Canada. Bahrain, Germany and Hungary have been good. Too inconsistent!
    18. Bottas – had been doing really well for his first season, but was not up the game in the last two races.
    19. Maldonado – had a horrible start for the season, and his best race was Bahrain – which wasn’t all that good. He can do much more than this.
    20. Van der Garde – Hungary was his best race to date. Is he getting the hang of it?
    21. Gutierrez – good in Barcelona. Underperformed in all the other races, in my book.
    22. Chilton – it isn’t looking good for him, not one weekend with average or above performance.

    #239485
    Diceman
    Participant

    I’m terrible at making any kind of rankings, but I’ll try anyway.

    1. Sebastian Vettel – 38 points lead in the championship despite his DNF in Silverstone. Has been both fast and consistent. You can’t expect much more from F1 driver.
    2. Lewis Hamilton – If we count out his horrible performance in Spain, he has been brilliant. It maybe took a while to get in to the new team, but after that happened, he has made Rosberg look much weaker than he really is. Probably Vettel’s biggest threat at the moment.
    3. Kimi Räikkönen – Brilliant win in Australia, other very solid performances and one seriously bad race in Canada. Has been able to master the tyres better than anyone else, and could still be threat to Vettel’s 4th Champion.
    4. Nico Rosberg – His win in Silverstone was lucky, but otherwise he has been quite unlucky. Anyway, he became the first driver to outqualify Hamilton three races in a row, and that’s worth of something alone.
    5. Fernando Alonso – Not sure what to think of his season so far. 2 brilliant wins, and also very strong performances in Australia, Bahrain and Canada. But there have been some bad races like Monaco, and after last year his performance has been a bit of a disappointment. Which of course doesn’t mean his season had been horrible or anything. Could still win the title though, if he makes another 2010.
    6. Mark Webber – Yes, he has been outperformed by Vettel, but I still think Mark’s season has been quite good. He should have won in Malaysia, and luck hasn’t always been on his side. Vettel has made Mark look worse than he really is, just like Hamilton has done to Rosberg.
    7. Jenson Button – I think Jenson has done everything that has been possible with this year’s Mclaren. Could whine a bit less in the races though.
    8. Nico Hulkenberg – Only after few races I realized how great his race in Malaysia was. Has done everything he can in that poor Sauber. He must be hitting himself for leaving Force India though.
    9. Adrian Sutil – Probably the most unlucky driver on the grid this season. His performance in Monaco was magnificent, and he has been quite solid and consistent. IMO, the better FI driver.
    10. Paul Di Resta – Has showed some flashes of brilliance, but three times outside Q2 is a bit too much given the car he has. Probably the most overrated driver of the season.
    11. Jules Bianchi – Bu far the best backmarker this season. Has completely destroyed Chilton, and much more can’t be asked, when you drive at Marussia.
    12. Jean-Eric Vergne – Not very good in qualifying, but he is better than Ricciardo in races. That sixth place in Canada was brilliant.
    13. Daniel Ricciardo – Great in qualifying, but what happens to him in the races? I don’t think he’s ready to Red Bull yet, if ever.
    14. Sergio Perez – Has showed some of his potential, but then again, I expected more. Button has over twice as many points, and that’s too much. But I’d like to see him in a competitive Mclaren before I really judge him.
    15. Felipe Massa – Started the season ok, but hasn’t done much really. Should have reached more with the Ferrari he had in the first five races, and races like Monaco and Germany were really horrible. I hope he can make the kind of recovery he made last year.
    16. Pastor Maldonado – It’s hard to judge these Williams drivers, but I think Pastor has been the better one, even though it its his third season against Valtteri’s first.
    17. Valtteri Bottas – Except for his amazing third on the grid in Canada, hasn’t shown anything remarkable. Matches Pastor in qualifying, but in races Maldonado usually beats him.
    18. Romain Grosjean – You could say this ranking is a bit harsh on him, but 49 points against Kimi’s 134 speaks its own language. However, he has been good in the last two races, so I haven’t lost my faith on him completely.
    19. Charles Pic – Well, he has been better than Van der Garde for most part of the season, but I actually expected him to destroy the Dutchman, and that hasn’t happened.
    20. Giedo van Der Garde – Not as bad as I expected. After all, he’s the only backmarker to reach Q2 in this season, and his race in Hungary was pretty good. I still doubt we’ll see him on the grid next year.
    21. Esteban Gutierrez – Maybe another year in GP2 had been good idea?
    22. Max Chilton – He said he has shown why he’s in F1, but I haven’t seen it yet.

    #239486
    Njack
    Participant

    9 – Vettel, very consistent with only a few mistakes in the season.

    8.5 – Hamilton, mistake in monaco aside, an very good season.

    8 – Raikkonen, seems to still be missing a bit of qualifying pace, needing TO twice in the last 3 races.
    Super consistent otherwise.

    8 – Alonso, mistakes by him/ferrari in malaysia and bahrain have cost him critical points in the
    championship.

    8 – Rosberg, doing well against Hamilton, would be closer without car issues.

    7.5 – Webber, horrid run of luck for most of the season with minor-medium issues in several races
    costing him significant points.

    7 – Bianchi, don’t rate his teammate which costs him a 1/2 point.

    5 – Button, Sutil, Di Resta, Hulkenberg, Vergne, Riccardo, Bottas, Maldonado. – Doing what is possible
    with their cars.
    4 – Perez, Grosjean, Massa. – Have made mistakes or take bad risks in races.

    3 – Gutierrez, Chilton, Pic, Van de Garde. Non-existent for the most part.

    #239487
    Journeyer
    Participant

    1. Vettel – Seb has always been fast (he leads the field on wins so far with 4), but he has also become consistent: All his finishes are in the top-4. And his one DNF was a mechanical failure while leading.
    2. Raikkonen – Kimi’s 2013 title run reminds me a lot of his 2003 title run: one of meticulous consistency. He’s finished every race in the points, and been on the podium for 6 of them (more than everyone else except Vettel himself). But I do wonder if consistently qualifying a row or two behind pole has cost Kimi a win or two…
    3. Alonso – Fernando has experienced similar qualifying woes, but that may be down more to the car than the driver. In fact, the same could be said for his problematic pace in general. Still, he was impressive in the two races he did win (including that emotional win at home).
    4. Hamilton – Lewis must still be happy, truth be told. If you told him on January 1 that he’d have a race win by the summer and be within 50 points of Vettel for the title, he might’ve thought you were joking. But what will (slightly) annoy him is that his teammate still has one more win than him…
    5. Rosberg – Nico is my surprise package of the year so far. And I’m happy – not just because he’s kept (relatively) close to Hamilton, but because he’s made Schumacher’s comeback look a little better in retrospect too. Nico’s problem, though, is that when he’s not winning, he’s not on the podium at all. 3 no-points results don’t help his cause either. Case in point: they were just 15 points apart before Hungary. After Hungary, Nico is now behind by 40 points.
    6. Webber – Mark is steady, but a bit slow. I do wonder if Mark lost interest after Multi-21. He finished on the podium on the tracks he likes (Monaco and Silverstone), but his form has been rather indifferent everywhere else. For Mark, Le Mans 2014 can’t come soon enough.
    7. Button – Jenson’s car is certainly a handful to handle. But he’s always done his best to salvage results from it – and he (as well as teammate Perez) has done well to finish every race. The car won’t get much faster, either, as McLaren are now focusing on 2014. That said, Jenson’s been here before, and he knows that patience can be a virtue.
    8. di Resta – Paul’s pace has never been better… but his likability has never been worse. While Paul has consistently finished in the points, his team has messed it up for him more than a few times (in fact, he’s started from 17th or lower for 4 of the last 5 races). And he’s become more and more of a vocal critic of the team. While criticism of the team certainly isn’t unwarranted, I certainly wonder if such energy could be put to better use by helping the team improve.
    9. Sutil – Adrian has yet to recapture the form he had in 2011 that allowed him to comfortably beat di Resta. Then again, his best form that year came in the second half, so perhaps we should reserve judgment for a while yet.
    10. Hulkenberg – Hulk must’ve wondered why he decided to move sideways, so to speak. At the end of 2012, Sauber looked to be on the up, and Force India looked to be in financial trouble. And yet, eight months on, Force India look to be immune from Kingfisher’s troubles, and it’s Sauber who seems to be deep in it. That said, his four points finishes are quite extraordinary (and he could’ve scored a couple more times, but finished 11th). That should make him very attractive to the top teams – the only question is, Ferrari or Lotus?
    11. Grosjean – Romain is consistently inconsistent – the total opposite of his teammate. Four straight finishes in the points – capped off with a podium, then four straight no-points finishes, then a podium and another points finish. He does have flashes of brilliance, but that’s all they are – flashes. How much longer is Total’s patience?
    12. Ricciardo – Dan’s form this season has been a bit patchy, IMO, but he did it at the right time, and outlasted his teammate to stay in contention for the second Red Bull seat. But I find it hard for Red Bull to take him if Raikkonen AND Alonso are both available.
    13. Vergne – JEV has a secret, and it is quite something: he finished ahead of Ricciardo in the standings last year – and he’s ahead of him again this year! But why isn’t he in contention for the Red Bull seat anymore? Poor qualifying. I still think we will see JEV in a top seat elsewhere by 2015 – and it may not necessarily be a Red Bull.
    14. Perez – Sergio must find it odd: at this point last year, he already had 2 podium finishes for Sauber. This year, he’s not even come close to one in a McLaren. That said, it hasn’t stopped him from being feisty and battling wheel-to-wheel (perhaps he picked it up from Kobayashi at Sauber). That’ll serve him in good stead when (not if) the car is competitive again.
    15. Massa – Felipe has struggled since crashing twice at Ste. Devote over the Monaco weekend. I’m not sure if it’s just coincidental (given that the car isn’t a world-beater either). But at least Alonso has finished in the top 5 in the last 4 races – Felipe’s never been higher than 6th. It’s telling that he’s just one spot above the Young Driver on Ferrari’s payroll.
    16. Bianchi – Jules has just wowed everyone in a Marussia this year. He’s scored the best result of all the new team drivers this year – in only his 2nd Grand Prix. His car has come off the boil since then, but he’s already proven his point (even if he has yet to score one himself). The question now is, which team will pick him up for next season?
    17. Maldonado – Pastor has seemed a lot more anonymous this year. Not better or worse, just… more anonymous. He is still crashing (2 of his 3 DNFs were driver-related), but it’s just not as noticeable as it would be if he was towards the front. That said, he scored Williams’ first point this year. Their poor form this season may be down more to the car than the drivers.
    18. Bottas – Valtteri (the man with his own hashtag) has had a respectable first half of the year (most notably qualifying P3 in Canada), but he’s struggled to show what he can do given such a bad car. But unlike fellow rookie Jules, he has yet to show his talents can transcend the limits of his car.
    19. Pic – Charles is doing a decent job at Caterham, slightly edging out his teammate and scoring the team’s best result of the season so far. But I think if he really wants to show his worth, he will need to get Caterham that 13th or higher-placed result that will get them 10th in the Constructors.
    20. van der Garde – Giedo actually had a strong qualifying in Monaco (getting them into Q2), but again, has struggled to shine outside of that. It says something that it was rumored that he was set to be sacked and replaced by a returning Heikki Kovalainen in the summer. A good finish in Hungary quieted down those rumors, but unless he keeps up this upturn in form, the Dutchman may not see a second F1 season.
    21. Gutierrez – Esteban is just plain struggling right now. A bad car, with a teammate somehow getting it to score points, isn’t helping his cause very much. With so many drivers waiting in the Sauber wings (Frijns, Sirotkin, amongst other young talent), he’ll need either to go faster or pay more.
    22. Chilton – Max seems like a nice guy and a good lad. But he just isn’t good enough to be in an F1 car right now. And with very promising F1-team-backed talent in the wings (Magnussen, Vandoorne), he needs to take it a step higher – and fast.

    #239488
    Iestyn Davies
    Participant

    I would group this into sections based on car performance. The top 3 are very hard to differentiate between, IMO, while Mercedes drivers were usually hampered in the race up to this point – it looks good for them going forward to move up the standings.

    Group 1 – Red Bull, Mercedes, Lotus, Ferrari
    Vettel
    Raikkonen
    Alonso
    Hamilton
    Rosberg
    Webber
    Massa

    Group 2 – McLaren, Force India
    Button
    Di Resta
    Sutil
    Perez

    Group 3 – Toro Rosso battle
    Ricciardo
    Vergne

    Group 4 – Sauber, Williams
    Hulkenberg
    Maldonado
    Bottas
    Gutierrez

    Group 5 – Caterham, Marussia
    Bianchi
    Pic
    VDG
    Chilton

    This is actually the current WDC standings – and I think that putting Gutierrez in the last group due to his younger age would make some interesting driver pairings!

    Vettel, Raikkonen – Prospective RB 2014 line up
    Alonso, Hamilton – McLaren 2007 fireworks
    Rosberg, Webber – Always the runner-up
    Grosjean, Massa – Similar, promise and close but not quite there, except for odd periods. Yo-yo
    Button, Di Resta – Given stable times, probably should have been the 2013 McLaren line up (if not Hulk)
    Sutil, Perez – Developing runner-up situation? Not as interesting as Sutil-Hulk FI though, which Hulk would surely win..
    Hulk, Maldonado – Return of 2009 GP2 battle which led to Hulkenberg taking the title and a Williams drive until…
    Bottas, Bianchi – The best of the youth battle for a bright future. RB similar with Ricciardo, Vergne.
    Pic, Gutierrez – battle to establish credibility! History says Gut wins, but so far Pic is more impressive slightly
    VDG, Chilton – Same as above but a battle to shake off ‘pay driver’ status and gain respect with the fans!

    So far I think it’s a 1-2-3 of Vettel, Alonso, Raikkonen, Hamilton 4th and Rosberg 5th. Hulk, Bianchi, Button, Maldonado and a Toro Rosso driver (maybe Ricciardo) would make my top 10. PdR 11/12th due to poor qually.. Vergne, Bottas, Sutil, Pic, Webber, Massa, Perez, Gutierrez, VDG, Chilton.

    #239489
    Todfod
    Participant

    22. Chilton – Just been off the mark as compared to his teammate. A couple of strong quali performances got him within a couple of tenths of his teammate, but he never looked like the better of the two on any occassion. Some typical rookie mistakes would also question whether he entered the sport a little too early.
    21. Guttierez – Other than a good performance in Spain, Guttierez has been off the pace in quali and on race days. Consistently exiting in Q1 even though he has a car good enough to get into Q2. Being compared to the Hulk also makes him look poorer than he has performed, but Guttierez just doesn’t seem up for the challenge. At least he has gradually improved his sunday performances by avoiding shunts on raceday over the past few races
    20. Van Der Garde – Had a spectacular weekend in Monaco after which he went missing again. He started off the season as the poorest driver on the grid, but improved slightly to better his teammate on occassion.
    19. Pic – Hasn’t really made a lot of progress from last year. He showed signs of good pace last year, but he hasn’t seemed to capitalise on his potential this year.
    18. Massa – Started the year off as a threat to his teammate, but gradually deteriorated over the past 5 races. Even though Massa might find solace in the fact that he matched his teammate on a couple of occassions and out qualified him three times, he cannot forget that he has forgotten how to keep an f1 car on the circuit and out of the barriers.
    17. Vergne – Last year it was hard to say which of the Toro Rosso drivers was better. Ricciardo was a better qualifier but Vergne was a better races. This year however, it seems to be that Vergne was outclassed by his teammate on raceday as well. There were a couple of strong performances from Vergne on Sunday, but he has failed to impress the way his teammate has.
    16. Maldonado – Last year’s discovery seems to have fizzled out this year. He doesn’t have the car this year, but he doesn’t seem to be getting as much of the machinery as he has in previous seasons. On the bright side, he has stopped crashing into competitors, and he has scored William’s sole point this year.
    15. Grosjean – Another driver who seems to have taken a step backward this year. He has shown pace only in 3-4 races this year although the car has been capable of much more. Although there is an improvement in Grosjean’s DNF rate (due to his crashes mostly), he hasn’t shown an improvement in quali and race pace. It really makes you wonder if Grosjean was really that good last season or was Kimi just getting warmed up?
    14. Bottas – Bottas was a little off Maldonado’s pace at the beginning of the season but he has been getting better gradually and is having an a relatively good rookie season. His qualifying in Canada was supreme, and he showed signs of why he is regarded as a driver with a bright future. He has already started matching Maldonado on a regular basis, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he finishes the season ahead of his teammate.
    13. Bianchi – Very rarely do drivers in backmarking cars get to show their potential. Bianchi clearly emerged as the best of the backmarkers right from the 1st race of the season. He was matching the Williams and Toro Rossos on occassion and was a genuine threat to make it to Q2. Although Marrussia has taken a step backwards, Bianchi still takes the battle to the Caterhams. Surprsingly, Bianchi hasn’t made a lot of rookie mistakes either. Of the rookie class of 2013, Bianchi has emerged as the clear winner.
    12. Perez – Perez started the year rather poorly at Mclaren, but after Bahrain he has shown that he has the fighting spirit on raceday and is a match for his teammate during quali as well. As compared to Jenson , Sergio has more pace , potential and hunger to win, although unfortunately, he still drives over aggressively with an immature approach (as shown in Monaco). He trails his teammate on points, but you cannot argue that he is the quicker and more talented of the two drivers.
    11. Button – Has done what is expected of him. Nothing more nothing less. He has been consistent in his performances on Sunday and has tried to use his tyre management skills to his advantage whenever he can. Button still has nightmare qualis though, and he hasn’t looked like he has the motivation and pace of his much younger teammate.

    Will post my top 10 soon

    #239490
    Meander
    Participant

    Guys, time to end the love-affair with DiResta already.
    Anyway, here goes:

    1. Vettel – What can I say? Nothing to be done about it.
    2. Hamilton – Adjusting really well to new team. Usually not a fan, but great effort.
    3. Raikkonen – Team misses chances, but always seems to be there.
    4. Rosberg – Bad races obscure how well he is doing.
    5. Hulkenberg – I think the Sauber actually is pretty bad…
    6. Alonso – C’mon the Ferrari isn’t *that* bad. Too often colorless.
    7. Ricciardo – Showing a lot of speed, but either he or the team is failing when it counts. Time will tell.
    8. Webber – Really like the guy, and driving ok, but he needs to step up. Not everything is bad luck.
    9. Button – Keeping his chin reasonably up.
    10. Bianchi – Was not a fan before, but has the Marussia by the neck and is dragging it places.
    11. Grosjean – Really believe in his talent, but time is running out.
    12. DiResta – Driving ok. Car is good. Not outdriving the car. Should if he wants his promotion.
    13. Perez – Was a huge fan until halfway through last year. Has disappointed slightly so far for McLaren.
    14. Vergne – Seems to be pretty decent, but so invisible!
    15. Sutil – See DiResta.
    16. Bottas – Hard to judge. Is not really getting a chance to show what he can do.
    17. Pic – Seems consistent and gaining experience. But what to do with it?
    18. v/d Garde – Silly mistakes. Getting better. Ok debut season.
    19. Massa – Like the guy. But that’s not how you drive for a top team, sorry.
    20. Maldonado – Yes, the car is bad, and he’s not crashing! But it’s the time in his career he needs to step up!
    21. Gutierrez – Maybe I’m being too harsh, but I’ve seen nothing.
    22. Chilton – Hasn’t done anything to be positively noticed.

    #239491
    Michael
    Participant

    My Top 10

    1. Vettel – Boy does it hurt to have to put him at the top:-) There’s no denying it. The RB and Vettel are a match made in heaven or in hell depending on your perspective.
    2. Hamilton – Very impressive qualifying and impressive racing in a new car. Seems like his input has made a huge difference at Merc.
    3. Raikkonen – The iceman delivers – cool, collected, and aggressive.
    4. Alonso – Unlike last year, he’s definitely had some spotty results this season.
    5. Rosberg – Strangely he’s been unlucky and lucky during the season. The Monaco pole was an automatic win. His second win was a matter of luck.
    6. Hulkenberg – I definitely feel he deserves a better car.
    7. Webber – Really like the guy but this is his worst season so far. He needs to take the fight to Vettel.
    8. Sutil – Incredibly bad luck and some incredible racing in between which is not easy when everything goes to hell.
    9. DiResta – He’s able to do long stints on tyres but other than that he hasn’t shown enough brilliance. Another unlucky driver.
    10. Button – Doing the best he can but McLaren’s performance this season shows how much Hamilton’s input meant to the team. It seems that Button is not able to help the team improve the car.

    #239492
    George
    Participant

    I doubt mine will be much different to the guys above, but here goes:
    1. Vettel – Been at his best so far this season. Got the most out of the car when it wasn’t the fastest, and when it was. Dominating Webber once more. Miles ahead of the rest.
    2. Raikkonen – Hasn’t quite hit the high notes this season, but has been solid and dependable. Perhaps hampered by a car that doesn’t have the outright speed and some dubious strategy calls
    3. Hamilton – Took time to get up to speed with Mercedes but starting to show the Hamilton of old. Had a few lackluster races and a few brilliant ones.
    4. Rosberg – Had the advantage over Hamilton at the start of the season, but seems to be falling back now. Hasn’t capatilized on his car’s qualifying pace on some occasions but generally has been solid.
    5. Alonso – Quiet season so far for Alonso, as with Raikkonen his car doesn’t have outright pace so it’s difficult for him to make a mark, but even so hasn’t been outpacing Massa as much as recent seasons.
    6. Hulkenberg – Has been dragging the Sauber where it doesn’t deserve to be, kept his nose clean in races and picked up what points he could.
    7. Bianchi – Showing he deserves to be in a better car, especially at the start of the season. Completely dominated his teammate and attacked the Caterhams when he had the slower car.
    8. Ricciardo – Stunning pace in qualifying but seems to disappear in the races for some unknown reason. A conundrum
    9. Di Resta – Not much to choose between him and Sutil, has recovered well from qualifying misfortune more than once. Did well when the car was at it’s best.
    10. Sutil – Had his fair share of misfortune, especially when the car was relatively fast. Generally invisible in races but has been solid.
    11. Webber – Seems to suffer more from niggles than Vettel, especially in qualifying. Can’t match his teammate but has had some battling performances.
    12. Button – Has been performing on the car’s level, hasn’t had any dips in form this season but hasn’t done anything spectacular either. Struggling to contain his teammate.
    13. Maldonado – Has done his best in a slow car that doesn’t suit his style. Kept his nose in front of his rookie teammate while he waits for better equipment. A solid start to the season for a change.
    14. Vergne – There finally seems to be some daylight between the Toro Rosso pair. Has been decimated in qualifying by Ricciardo, but performed well in races.
    15. Pic – Generally the better of the Caterham pair, although not much to choose between them. Has occasionally taken the fight to the Marussias with a slower car.
    16. Bottas – Performed well so far against Maldonado, been clean in races but other than qualifying in Canada hasn’t done anything spectacular so far.
    17. Perez – Had good pace relative to Button so far, but over-aggressiveness in races has spoiled some possible results. Struggling to to refind his Sauber form.
    18. Van Der Garde – Steadily improving, been close to Pic on pace but racecraft has occasionally deserted him.
    19. Grosjean – Had a very poor start to the season, but three stand-out races. Needs to retain his form from the last two races if he wants a seat next year.
    20. Massa – Seems to be closer to Alonso on outright pace this season, but has made a lot of silly mistakes, seems to be struggling with locking brakes.
    21. Gutierrez – Has been decimated by Hulkenberg in qualifying, but so-so in races. Steadily improving but he needs to get on the scoreboard soon to save his seat.
    22. Chilton – Has improved slightly over the season, still too slow to rank anywhere other than last.

    #239493
    Deej92
    Participant

    1. Vettel – Very consistent and when he isn’t winning he isn’t losing much ground. Very few mistakes.
    2. Hamilton – Getting the most out of the car now. It’s no coincidence the Mercedes is quick this season and the McLaren isn’t.
    3. Raikkonen – Another very consistent driver. Qualifying pace sometimes leaves him with a bit too much to do in the races.
    4. Rosberg – He’s been doing a fine job against a very strong team-mate. Race pace is faltering a little though.
    5. Alonso – Two impressive wins, but qualifying is still a weakness, and sometimes race pace hasn’t been strong. Mistakes by him/team in Malaysia and Bahrain have been costly.
    6. Hulkenberg – Thoroughly beating Gutierrez and has been ringing the neck of that car to get some points. The poor car hasn’t hampered his chances of a top drive.
    7. Ricciardo – Very impressive qualifying pace, but fades in races (whether it’s the car or him, I don’t know). Good run in China though.
    8. Button – He’s getting the best he can out of the car in races, but qualifying pace is still sometimes weak. His input isn’t having the desired effects as Hamilton’s did.
    9. Bianchi – Thoroughly beating Chilton, and the margins are usually large. Sometimes fighting the Caterhams when the car shouldn’t be. Definitely the best rookie so far.
    10. Webber – He’s had some rotten luck, but Vettel is wiping the floor with him in qualifying and races. I think his season is getting better, but I’m not sure his heart is in it.
    11. Vergne – The 6th in Canada was outstanding, but again qualifying pace is lacking. I think he’s genuinely a good racer, but recently a bit anonymous.
    12. Sutil – Another driver who’s had some rotten luck, but impressive races in Australia and Monaco showed he’s got good pace. Keeping his head down unlike others…
    13. di Resta – Impressive 4th in Bahrain and has been strong in others. Pace in Hungary was poor, and persistent moaning won’t help. Could lead to Mallya looking elsewhere.
    14. Perez – He’s been a match to Button in qualifying. Strong in Bahrain, but sometimes a bit overly-aggressive. Still don’t think Monaco was completely his fault, and has done some good overtakes.
    15. Grosjean – The silly mistakes haven’t gone away, and he hasn’t had the pace he had last year. Last two races have been positive though. He needs to retain that level of performance if he wants the seat next year.
    16. Pic – The better of the Caterhams, who’s been very consistent. We won’t know how good he is until he’s in a points-fighting car though.
    17. Maldonado – Finally got Williams a point, and has actually been quite clean this season.
    18. Bottas – Fantastic 3rd on the grid in Canada, and doing well against MAL in qualifying, but has been a bit invisible in races. He probably has a lot of potential, but he hasn’t outperformed the car in races like Bianchi has.
    19. Massa – He did carry over his strong form from last season until Spain, but since then (except bad luck in Silverstone) has really gone off the boil. This surely has to be his last season with Ferrari.
    20. van der Garde – Notable Q2 appearance in Monaco and had a strong race in Hungary. Generally beaten by Pic though.
    21. Gutierrez – Only race of note was Spain. Not as many silly mistakes now, but I’m not sure he is (or ever will be) ready for F1.
    22. Chilton – His only solace really was not being bottom of the standings, but now he is. Only race of note was Monaco when he had an incident with Maldonado, so that isn’t saying much.

    #239494
    R.J. O’Connell
    Participant

    1. Vettel
    2. Raikkonen
    3. Hamilton
    4. Rosberg
    5. Alonso
    6. Webber
    7. Di Resta
    8. Sutil
    9. Hulkenberg
    10. Grosjean
    11. Massa
    12. Ricciardo
    13. Button
    14. Vergne
    15. Perez
    16. Bottas
    17. Maldonado
    18. Bianchi
    19. Pic
    20. VDG
    21. Chilton
    22. Gutierrez

    Hamilton edges Rosberg for being the more consistent producer. Chilton avoids 22nd because his expectations were much lower than Guti’s, and he’s actually exceeded them somewhat.

    #239495
    andae23
    Participant

    1. VETTEL – Finished every race in the top four this year (should have finished second at Silverstone, behind Hamilton). Two phenomenal wins in Bahrain and Germany, but he has made errors: tyre choice in Malaysia, last lap in China, brushing the wall and going onto the grass in Canada and damaged the front wing in Hungary. But his qualifying performance has been near flawless this year.
    2. HAMILTON – Has finished every race bar one in the top five so far. Struggled a lot in the first three races (settling in at Mercedes?), but has had good races in Bahrain and Canada, whilst Silverstone and especially Hungary were very impressive. The Spanish GP was a strange anomaly. Both Hamilton and Rosberg have been strong in qualifying, but Hamilton outperformed Rosberg in most races.
    3. ALONSO – Had a good start to the season, constantly making fantastic starts. His victory in China was well-deserved; brilliant win in Spain, amazing pass ‘round the outside of turn 3. Two bad races: damaged the front wing in Malaysia and got passed a lot in Monaco. Since then other teams seem to have made more progress and Alonso has had average races exclusively, though Canada was not bad.
    4. RAIKKONEN – Has had six top two results so far this year, though the podiums in Australia, Bahrain, Spain and Hungary were mostly due to making one pit stop less than others. Tangled with Perez in Malaysia and Monaco, although the latter proved his overtaking skills, passing three cars in two laps. Canada and Malaysia were not highlights at all, but overall a good season so far.
    5. ROSBERG – Probably the unluckiest driver so far, with three retirements. He has had three poles in a row, with Monaco giving him a victory. Generally able to keep up with Hamilton, but has had too few occasions at which he was clearly better, in contrast to Hamilton. Though I’m still massively impressed by his sense of honour at the Malaysian Grand Prix.
    6. BUTTON – Had an incredible start to the year, should have scored points in all of the first six races. Malaysia, China Monaco stand out as his best performances. Like Lotus, McLaren seems very willing to do one stop less than the competition, which has helped Button’s points tally tremendously, though his steady and quiet races have certainly helped too. Overall a very good first half.
    7. DI RESTA – Has had many races in which a bad qualifying left him with much to do in the races: Malaysia, Monaco, Canada, Silverstone and Hungary. He has pretty much been flawless in the races though, making the best of the Force India’s kindness to its tyres (China, Spain and especially Canada). Monaco stands out as the most impressive, making some sweet overtakes to take P9.
    8. WEBBER – Poor in qualifying all year, slower than Vettel, lots of bad luck: KERS in Australia, VDG in Canada, lost wheel in Germany and China, qualifying in Hungary was a disaster. But he has recovered very well in races like Spain, Britain, Germany and to lesser extent Canada and Hungary. Made a rookie error, taking out Vergne in China. Should have won in Malaysia, tyre choice was spot-on.
    9. HULKENBERG – Severely compromised by the Sauber’s inability to make the tyres last, although the Hungarian GP looked promising. Has had some great qualifying results, made few mistakes in races (Spain and Canada) and showed exceptional pace in the rain. I’m impressed how he manages to get into points scoring position pretty much every race. Malaysia and Spain are his highlights so far.
    10. SUTIL – Showed great potential right from the first race, but let down by the team on too many occasions. But generally outpaced by Di Resta, hasn’t been able to keep his tyres last like his teammate and has had made some silly errors in Bahrain and twice in Canada. Silverstone was good, but like his teammate, Monaco (P5) was his most impressive performance so far.
    11. RICCIARDO – Exceptional in qualifying (especially from Canada onwards), but the Toro Rosso’s tyre issues prevents him from shining in the race. Despite that, he has had some excellent results in China, where he clung on to seventh, and Britain, where he could have finished even better than eighth had he come in for tyres. He has looked better than Vergne in the majority of races.
    12. GROSJEAN – Struggled a lot in the first seven race (apart from the Bahrain GP where he finished third with the new chassis), usually a poor qualifying followed by a mediocre race. Showed off his old self in Monaco, Silverstone and Hungary, clumsily making contact with other drivers. The last three races he has shown better pace than Raikkonen, with the German GP being his season’s highlight so far.
    13. BOTTAS – Has beaten his more experienced teammate Maldonado in qualifying, the team (unsuccessfully) let him run alternative strategies in the races, but he simply hasn’t been able to make his mark in the races so far. Highlight was doing a Hülkenberg in qualifying in Canada, though the Williams’ inability to preserve the tyres meant he dropped like a stone in the race.
    14. PEREZ – Struggled to match Button’s pace in the first three races, but Ferrari would have been proud of him when he took the bit between his teeth from Bahrain onwards. Occasionally faster than Button, but generally inconsistent and way too many incidents. But he has shown he has the pace to be a McLaren driver: Spain, Silverstone and Germany were all solid performances.
    15. VERGNE – Has had a lot of bad luck this season so far, but hasn’t been able to make his mark. The Canadian GP was an exceptional performance which he hasn’t even come close to repeating in the other races. Generally slower than Ricciardo, particularly in qualifying. Has scored more points than Ricciardo though, but hasn’t really impressed in the races where he took those points.
    16. BIANCHI – A bit overhyped at the beginning of the season, but definitely challenging Bottas for ‘best rookie’. Especially Malaysia (13th place), China (undercutting Pic) and Spain (impressive despite front wing damage) were solid performances. Although his performances have been a bit irregular, this is still quite an impressive first half for a rookie.
    17. PIC – Has had some bad luck along the way, but he was typically much faster than Van der Garde in qualifying, stayed out of trouble and was more consistent than Bianchi. He finished ahead of the struggling Gutierrez in Bahrain and pressured Bottas in Spain. Difficult to judge his true pace though, since there is no real benchmark.
    18. MALDONADO – Scored Williams’ only point so far, but was a bit lucky in that race. Has had some scruffy races, like Australia, Malaysia and Canada. The Williams is unable to make the tyres last, so in general both drivers struggled in the races. Despite that, Maldonado has been beaten by rookie Bottas regularly in qualifying. His season can be summarized as bleak.
    19. MASSA – Seemed to be able to match Alonso’s pace early in the season. Australia was good, Spain was an excellent drive. Generally struggling with tyre degradation. Lots of crashes and incidents: tangled in Bahrain and Hungary (both followed by very poor recovery drives), crashed in Monaco, Canada, GB, and spun in Germany. Unacceptable for a Ferrari driver.
    20. VAN DER GARDE – Typically out-qualified and out-raced by Pic, though there are a couple of good results: P15 in Monaco qualifying and he finished 13th in Hungary. But apart from being slow, he has had a couple of incidents too: he hit Chilton in Australia, Maldonado in Monaco and Webber and Hülkenberg in Canada.
    21. GUTIERREZ – Consistently poor in qualifying and unable to make up for that in the races. He has made a lot of mistakes so far: crashed in Australia, Canada and took out Sutil in China. Tried to run alternate strategies, but he failed to make the tyres last pretty much every time (Australia, Malaysia, Canada). Spain was a pretty good race, climbing from P19 to P11.
    22. CHILTON – Way off Bianchi’s pace in qualifying and finishes almost every race far behind his teammate. He has not yet come to grips with the tyre wear issues he has had right from the very first race, where Bianchi seems to be doing fine lately. The collision with Maldonado in Monaco was unacceptable.

    #239496
    Antonio Nartea
    Participant

    I’ll get on the boat as well.

    1. Sebastian Vettel – His season has been absolutely impeccable so far. Period.
    2. Lewis Hamilton – Considering the fact that he’s theoretically in an accomodation year, having a real shot at the WDC is quite impressive. Also his win in Hungary was probably the best win this season, of all drivers.
    3. Kimi Raikkonen – A consistency monster. His season is and will probably prove to be even better than 2012. Quali is still a soft spot for him though.
    4. Fernando Alonso – Everyone expected Alonso’s season to start stronger than this. Truly great and skillful driving in most races, brilliant starts and overtakes, all kind of overshadowed by a number of mistakes and bad strategic decisions.
    5. Nico Rosberg – Proved he can be a real contender for the title with a little help from his team. A bit impatient at times this season and struck by a heap of bad luck. Still a great qualifier, mighty fast and undisputably the best no.2 driver on the grid.
    6. Paul Di Resta – His recovery drives this season have been stunning, to say the least. Has managed to get the car in the points from the back of the grid on numerous occasions. Force India constantly shooting themselves in the foot doesn’t help though.
    7. Mark Webber – Bar all the weird Malaysia episode and his retirement announcement, his season hasn’t looked that much different from his others. Manages to pull off brilliant drives once in a while and he keeps it all professional. However, the whole state of affairs inside the team and with F1 as a sport probably took their toll on his general enthusiasm levels.
    8. Jenson Button – Considering the car he’s forced to drive this season, I’d say he does a fairly decent job. Doesn’t really perform above the level of the car but he’s still doing his best behind the wheel on most occasions.
    9. Adrian Sutil – Another unlucky driver. Has performed well generally with a couple of sparks here and there. He would have been higher in the rankings if Force India would have capitalized on their advantage at the beginning of the season. Slightly outperformed by his team mate though.
    10. Romain Grosjean – Has showed flashes of brilliance and proved he’s one of the fastest drivers on the grid, but that’s still not really enough to compensate for his usual sheer idiocy behind the wheel.
    11. Daniel Ricciardo – His best season so far. Definitely upped his game in order to have a shot at the empty Red Bull seat. A bit more luck and better strategic calls wouldn’t hurt though.
    12. Nico Hulkenberg – I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes right now. He’s struggling to perform but he seems more and more frustrated, race after race. No major mistakes but not a clean sheet either. Performing slightly above the level of the car.
    13. Sergio Perez – Withmarsh was right saying Perez is, in a way, McLaren material. He proved in Monaco that he can take the battle to pretty much everyone on the grid, given a better car. He still needs to gather some more experience though.
    14. Felipe Massa – Five decent races, five bad ones. He simply doesn’t seem to be able to shake off the slumps in performance at the moment. But I don’t think his season was as disastrous as some people make it to be.
    15. Valtteri Bottas – Finished all but one race so far and managed to understand the car better than his team mate. Made everyone aware of his presence on the grid in Canada. Probably a future Raikkonen in terms of consistency.
    16. Jules Bianchi – His start of the season was explosive, to say the least. Marussia however seem to be losing out to Caterham in the development game and that threw him into anonimacy lately. Still, clean and consistent. He is probably Marussia’s best driver so far.
    17. Jean Eric Vergne – Purely average. Except for two decent back to back races in Monaco and Canada. 40% retirement rate and off Red Bull’s radar for 2014.
    18. Pastor Maldonado – Never really managed to get a grip of the car and the tyres except in Hungary. I expect he’ll do better and score more in the second part of the season, but so far, he’s been dull, to say the least. Drives a little bit cleaner than he did in 2012 though.
    19. Charles Pic – Should have done better but he wasn’t really horrible either. Average driver in an average car. Same thing, race after race for him.
    20. Esteban Gutierrez – wouldn’t say he is a disappointment as I don’t think anyone here expected him to do a good job this year. Actually, I thought he was gonna do much worse. Still, same as the following two guys, he didn’t do much to prove he deserves his seat in F1.
    21. Giedo Van Der Garde – same as Gutierrez, no real surprises here.
    22. Max Chilton – dead last. That’s all.

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