Summer break in Formula 1! ABMS and F1-Insider present report cards for all F1 stars. Who earns a 10, who has been bad?
Sebastian Vettel has given himself five points out of ten after the Hungarian Grand Prix for part one of 2019. Lewis Hamilton rated himself 8.9 out of ten. It appears, Max Verstappen has no desire for ratings: “That reminds me too much of school,” he told reporters
Right now, the Dutch Red Bull star doesn’t have to worry about scores, because he would be the best of his class for the first semester. Have a look at our score cards. We use a scale that rates drivers from 1-10 with ten points the highest:
>>Drivers Stats and Comparisons<<
Max Verstappen: 10 points
Verstappen looks like the complete package in his Red Bull. He makes no mistakes and always gets the most out of the car. On top of that, he won two races in very difficult conditions (Austria and Germany). In the process teammate Gasly got crushed in qualifying and racing.
Lewis Hamilton: 9 points
Also Hamilton comes close to his top performance of the previous year. Eight victories in twelve races speak for themselves. However, Bottas was able to beat him in the same car five times in qualifying so far. Add to this, that he made a mistake in Hockenheim (Hamilton was sick that weekend) we can’t give him top marks.
Carlos Sainz: 8 points
At seventh, the son of rally star Carlos Sainz is currently ‘Best of the Rest’ and thus the King in midfield. Due to his experience, he is currently better than team-mate Norris (9: 3). P5 in two consecutive races. Thumbs up!
Lando Norris: 8 points
Strong year for British rookie Lando Norris. Hardly any mistakes, controlled more experienced Carlos Sainz with 7: 5 in qualifying. In the championship rankings only tenth, because McLaren Renault often failed to support him in critical moments. One bonus point for him being so young (19 years old).
Charles Leclerc: 7 points
Has shortened the gap to Vettel. In qualifying already 6: 6. With his speed, his coolness and strong fights (including against Max Verstappen) the young Ferrari pilot has conquered the hearts of the Tifosi. But: still he makes mistakes. Examples: Threw away the car in qualifying in Baku, crashed in the rain at the Hockenheimring during the race. Qualifying mistake mistake in Q1 at the Hungaruring. However, there, he als showed his raw speed and talent. In Q3 he outqualified Vettel.
Sebastian Vettel: 7 points
Yes, we give the German more points than he does himself, because he squeezes out his Ferrari like a lemon. He still has more world championship points than Leclerc and his years of experience are vital for the whole team. In Montreal, the victory should have been his, prevented only by an unworthy time penalty. But there were also the spin in Bahrain, adjustment problems with the new car and the unnessary crash with Verstappen in Silverstone.
Kimi Raikkonen: 7 points
With his 40 years he still has it: Eighth place with 31 points on the records. 8: 4 ahead in the qualifying against team-mate Antonio Giovinazzi, who just scored one point so far. By the way, when it comes to racing the Finn crushes the Italian by 12-0.
Alexander Albon: 6 points
If Red Bull Doc Helmut Marko praises a pilot, there must be something about that driver … Alongside Lando Norris, the discovery of the season. The newcomer from Thailand holds well against the experienced Daniil Kvyat (6: 6 in qualifying), scored a 6th place in a difficult race at the Hockenheimring. No doubt, he has a lot of potential.
Valtteri Bottas: 6 points
Two victories in the superior Silver Arrow are simply not enough. Bottas had started the season with rage in his stomach, porridge and espresso and a Viking beard. He was ready to defy Lewis Hamilton. Yet, that was only at the beginning. 9: 3 in favor for Hamilton in races, but qualifying he is able to withstand the pressure – 6: 6. His #2 championship rank endangered by Max Verstappen in an inferior Red Bull, but at Mercedes a comfortable #2.
George Russell: 6 points
Much faster than team mate Robert Kubica, many times more than a second. Although he is a freshman, he hasn’t allowed himself any failures yet, so no mistakes for him on the books. But when there was a chance to score points at Hockenheim, it was Kubica who attacked and scored the only point for the team so far.
Daniel Ricciardo: 5 points
Overall, Renault is a disappointment. Nevertheless, Ricciardo is on eleventh place in the rankings three places ahead of Nico Hulkenberg and he is considered a fast and solid driver. In qualifying duel it is 8: 4 for Ricciardo. A clear sign of his raw speed who is still new in the team.
Daniil Kvyat: 5 points
The Russian is more relaxed behind the wheel. He doesn’t cause so many accidents any more and cleans up when there’s something to get. His third place at Hockenheimring was one of the rare moments his team Toro Rosso has been working for. Nevertheless, he is not able to dominate his rookie teammate Alex Albon. In qualifying, it is 6: 6.
Sergio Pérez: 5 points
He is the lead-driver for Racing Point. As expected, he has been dismantling Lance Stroll (12: 0 in qualifying), but that shouldn’t be his benchmark. Clearly, it’s not the best season for Pérez. At Hockenheim he was the first driver to drop out. Usually these are always the type of races in which he flourishes.
Nico Hulkenberg: 4 points
With Daniel Ricciardo Nico Hulkenberg faces the biggest challenge of his career. In the race he can keep up with the Australian, however, not so much in qualifying (4: 8). On top of that, he trew away an opportunity to stand on the podium in Hockenheim due to a driving error.
Kevin Magnussen: 4 points
Probably, Haas F1 has the worst driver pair this year. Romain Grosjean makes too many mistakes, and Kevin Magnussen is usually slower than Grosjean. There are also those unnessary team-internal collisions.
Romain Grosjean: 3 points
Actually faster than Kevin Magnussen, but too many driving errors. The Formula 1 scene admires Günther Steiner’s patience with his driver pair.
Lance Stroll: 3 points
Yes, the Canadian could have made it to the podium in Hockenheim. But there was much luck involved: unlike many drivers, his driving errors didn’t have any fatal consequences so he was able to continue to race. In qualifying he is crushed by Sergio Pérez. 0:12. With the exception of Hungary, Stroll never goes beyond Q1.
Antonio Giovinazzi: 3 points
Against Kimi Raikkonen he doesn’t have the slightest chance (0:12 in racing). But most recently he gets closer to Räikkönen in qualifying. He was even faster four times already. Nevertheless, one point against the 31 is just not enough for him and the team.
Pierre Gasly: 2 points
The Frenchman does not even manage to be Best of the Rest in the Red Bull, even though team-mate Max Verstappen scored two victories already He is always outstripped by Verstappen, also makes mistakes and causes accidents. This makes him one of the flops of the year.
Robert Kubica: 2 points
His comeback is perhaps the greatest success for this F1 veteran. Even though his right hand and arm doesn’t hinder him according to his own assurances, compared to his rookie team-mate George Russell he is way too slow, often more than a second per lap. But Kubica doesn’t make any mistakes, so in Hockenheim he scored the only championship point for the team – not Russell!
*This article was first published in German at autobild.de/motorsport.
