W2W Ranks Drivers – Part 3

This is it, the moment you’ve been waiting for.

Finally, we come to the third and final instalment of ranking Drivers from the 2021 Formula 1 World Championship grid. We have only 5 drivers left, 3 former world champions but only one can reach the pinnacle of the #1 spot.

#5 – Charles Leclerc

The Monaco born driver showed his class in his rookie year. A Sauber car that had always been out in Q1 was now 5th or 6th on race day (such as the French Grand Prix in 2018). Following on from this, he had an extraordinarily successful first year in Ferrari and looks set to be with the Italian team for years to come. Surely a future world champion, he is definitely one of the best technical drivers on the grid today and, arguably, is not far off a certain Dutchman regarding quality with age considered. He has a bright future in the sport. If he’s not a multi time world champion by his retirement, I’ll eat my hat.

#4 – Fernando Alonso

Fernando is faster than you! Well, in a parallel car there is almost nobody that can beat him. The two-time world champion has been excellent wherever he has been, although some Ferrari executives would beg to differ, with him failing to deliver in their tussle with Red Bull 9 years ago. There is no doubt that a starting grid consisting of the Spaniard is better for the sport and raises the calibre of overall quality. Is he past his best? Well, overall performance this past weekend in Bahrain would indicate not.

#3 Sebastian Vettel

The first “podium” place of this list is former 4-time world champion Sebastian Vettel. The German has enjoyed an incredibly successful career with domination over a four-year period from 2010. He may have been in the best car at the time for Red Bull, but his quality cannot be argued with. He was the nearest thing Mercedes would class as a challenger for the constructors and is the nearest thing Hamilton has had to a challenger since Nico Rosberg in 2016. The last 18 months have seen a dip, of that there is no question but there is real possibility of racking up more points and podiums with his new Aston Martin team. Since the Azerbaijan incident involving driving into Hamilton, fans have seen a lighter side to Seb. He has become a fans favourite, as a result.

#2 – Max Verstappen

It speaks volumes that the Dutchman is at number 2 in this list having never won a world championship. Over the last year, he has become a more rounded, sensible and quality driver without losing any of that talent, fight and determination. Last year, he regularly took the fight to Mercedes in an inferior car, nobody else on the grid, other than perhaps number 1, could have done that. Without question, a future multi time world champion, there is a reason Red Bull centre their entire team around one driver. He will challenge for the world title this year, but he’s not the favourite for the title.

#1 – Lewis Hamilton

If you want to be the best, you must beat the best. How can you argue with Lewis Hamilton being number 1 on this list? It could be debated, and in fact is by many F1 fans, that the car is all that put him in this position. This has helped but he has done it through talent. 7 world titles, including beating Alonso, Vettel, Rosberg, Bottas, Verstappen and Massa in title fights. Record number of poles, record number of race wins, record number of laps led by a single driver. These records aren’t of current drivers only, this is of all time. And there are plenty more records he has broken and probably more he will break if he chooses to remain in the sport. The Brit is a polarising figure, but only because people lean towards cheering for the underdog. Whether you like him or not, Lewis Hamilton’s records speak for themselves. There is a reason Mercedes pay the money they do for him to drive for their team, being instrumental in the most dominating constructors runs the sport has ever seen. He is one of, if not the greatest of all time Goat’s. His recent win in Bahrain showed class is permanent, even when many had doubts following qualifying. If he wins a record eighth world title this year, then he may stand alone at the top of the tree. Even if his tyres are dead, Bono.

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By Joe Murphy