Wheel2Wheel End of Year Grades – Part 2 – By Joe Murphy
Let’s take a look through the next ten F1 drivers and discuss how they faired during the 2022 campaign…
Vettel – C+
I’m not prepared to insult the German by giving him a mark beyond his earning. The four time World Champion had a stuttering campaign as Aston Martin seemed lightyears aways from their former selves. He scored solid points but overall, all parties were a world away from where they wanted to be this year.
Stroll – D+
He holds arguably the safest seat in the sport, but it was an extremely poor season for the Canadian, something which has handily gone under the radar somewhat. His lack of points is probably the reason the team have spent the big bucks on Alonso for next season.
Schumacher – C-
I think that Mick had about as good a season as he could have reasonably expected to have. The German scored points on multiple occasions and Haas were more competitive. He did make mistakes and cost the team immensely in repairs, but he was still learning in his first ‘proper’ year after the disaster that was 2021. Whilst it’s great to have Nico back, I can’t help feeling Mick has been slightly hard done by.
Magnussen – B-
Notable points finishes and a pole position that he will never forget, K-Mag has had a good season all things considered. Whilst from the midway point, Mick had the edge, the Dane returned to the sport he once left in seamless fashion. He didn’t look out of place and won’t do next season either.
Bottas – C
Valtteri had a blistering start and then basically hibernated for the second half of the season. His strong points finishes in the first handful of races meant he still made the top ten of drivers, but fans were expecting more following the Spanish Grand Prix in May. Races seemed to pass the Finn by.
Zhou – B
A very solid debut campaign for the Chinese driver who learnt a lot and improved over the duration of the year. He came under scrutiny when claiming his seat back in early 2022, but fully deserves a second year on the grid. In fact, you’d have to say its his teammate who is probably more vulnerable heading into 2023. His car wasn’t quick but he bounced back from that horror crash at Silverstone and that has to be commended.
Gasly – C-
A very poor year for Pierre that culminated in him ending his long standings association with Aloha Tauri. The Frenchman looked out of sorts across the year, almost uncomfortable. He was also well off the pace and wasn’t competitive at any point over the season. He’ll be glad of a fresh start and I’m sure Nyck de Vries will be glad for him.
Tsunoda – C+
A solid campaign from the young Japanese driver. Yuki probably edged his teammate when it came to race performance, even if he did end up with 11 points less. He still has a lot to learn and will surely be praying his car improves next year. He will get another chance to show fans his skills next year, all the while improving his experience.
Albon – C
On multiple outings, Alex put his Williams in a place where it didn’t belong. He often lead DRS trains, hoping to make a one-stop strategy work after a mega stint, with Australia coming to mind as a perfect example. It was another backwards step for Williams overall
Latifi – D- (A*)
The greatest driver of all time even has his off day… and so did Nicolas Latifi. In fact most of the season was an off day, with shades of Mazepin rearing their ugly heads. His spell in F1 is done, and his F1 career in all can probably be said to be same. It was fun, Nick, but it wasn’t fast or even remotely competitive. Apart from when he topped a practice session, remember that? GOAT vibes.
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