Formula One Driver Power Rankings Round 15
A lot’s happened since we last spoke!
A whole lot has happened since the last update to the Power Rankings. Since returning from the Summer Break, Formula One has seen a race that wasn’t a race, a first time pole-sitter and the championship lead has changed hands twice!
Daniel Ricciardo also became the fifth race winner of the season at Monza as McLaren claimed the first one-two finish of the season.
George Russell earned his first podium while still in a Williams and out-qualified Lewis Hamilton on two occasions.
Almost all of the grid is set for the 2022 season, with only the second Alfa Romeo seat left up for grabs.
But, you ask, how has this all affected the Unofficial Definitive Driver Power Rankings of F1 Drivers 2021 (you know, the UDDPR F1 2021!)
Well, let’s find out…
10. Sergio Perez (-1)
Perez’s fifth place in the Drivers standings is certainly underwhelming. The Mexican hasn’t really been able to hit the same highs as in Baku or France since. But his poor results also have been somewhat circumstantial.
Silverstone weekend has been his only truly horrible performance, in which he spun out during the Sprint and never recovered.
In Spa, he was the only one to spin out before the race started which was also poor but there’s not a whole lot that can be done when a car aquaplanes like that. That the race never got underway means he never got the chance to come back from his mistake.
In the Netherlands, he was unlucky that the team didn’t quite calculate a good enough space on the track for him to get a lap in on time, but his first run out should have been enough.
In Monza he was sacrificed to tow his teammate, and then was close to earning a podium anyway. And in Russia, he was all set to earn a podium before a poor pit stop put him in traffic, which he then fought through, only for the rain to come at an awkward time that ultimately cost him.
Perez definitely needs to improve, particularly on Saturdays, but his poor results have masked decent performances. He still has a chance at earning third in the standings and the last seven races offer an opportunity to turn things around.
9. Valtteri Bottas (New!)
The Finn has had a strange season of extremely low lows but no extreme highs to balance that out. However, Monza was easily his best weekend of the season.
Bottas blitzed qualifying, including the Sprint, and managed to come from the back of the grid to earn a podium — and become a meme for his reaction to the Hamilton/Verstappen crash.
Bottas also earned a podium in the Netherlands, in a pretty standard performance from the outgoing Mercedes driver.
He was both unlucky during qualifying and then lucky during the race in Sochi. Getting stuck behind Hamilton’s broken car in the pit lane cost him the chance at a second lap on the slick tyres, which was evidently needed to set a quick time.
But, then good timing on the switch to intermediates in the wet saw him jump ahead of several cars for a solid fifth place finish.
8. Carlos Sainz (-1)
Sainz hasn’t performed poorly in recent weeks by any means. In fact, he earned a podium in Sochi despite a less than optimal strategy decision by Ferrari.
But, at a time when there are a lot of drivers pulling out all the stops, Sainz hasn’t really shined at any point. It never helps that the Spaniard rarely gets TV time during sessions, but he has been losing his battle against his teammate lately too.
In particular, the seventh place finish in the Netherlands was a poor performance relative to his teammate.
7. Charles Leclerc (-2)
Leclerc is another driver who has performed solidly but without any stand out moments. There is a clear divide between this spot on the list and those below as drivers performing well but not getting those big results and those who are.
Leclerc did perform well from the back of the grid in Sochi before the rain came, and also claimed Monza was one of his “top five performances in Formula 1.” However, Ferrari have lost ground to McLaren in the constructors standings.
Given Ferrari’s performance upgrades that are now in the car, the final seven races should see an uptick in fortune for the Scuderia and if Leclerc does continue to perform as he has done then he will surely reap the rewards.
6. Daniel Ricciardo (New!)
“Anyone who thought I left, I never left,” said Ricciardo as he triumphed at Monza. It’s been a tricky season for the Aussie, but this was a reminder that the 32-year old is a man who knows how to win an F1 race.
This was McLaren’s first win since 2012 and their first one-two finish since 2010. It was a huge moment for the team and won completely on merit.
Ricciardo jumped Verstappen at the start and controlled the race from lights to flag, it was extremely impressive.
Ricciardo followed that up by finishing a solid fourth place in Sochi. Despite coming 11th in Zandvoort, he was the victim of team orders that allowed Lando Norris to finish 10th.
Hopefully Ricciardo can continue to gain confidence in the car, having struggled to adapt earlier in the season. A high flying Ricciardo can only be good for F1.
5. Fernando Alonso (-2)
At 40-years old, the Spaniard is still showing us just how good he can be. The non-race in Belgium is his only race since Monaco to finish outside the points despite being in the fifth-seventh quickest car on a given weekend.
The sixth place finish in Zandvoort was particularly impressive. He managed his race superbly and left enough life on his tyres to attack the quicker Ferrari of Sainz by the final laps.
Alonso was very close to his first podium since leaving Ferrari in 2014 during Sochi, sitting in third during the final chaotic few laps. But it wasn’t to be, as the rain hit too heavily to stay out on the Medium tyres.
It was still an incredible performance in the Alpine, especially given Esteban Ocon’s total lack of pace in comparison. More performances like this and surely that elusive podium will come.
4. George Russell (+2)
Since we last convened for these rankings it was confirmed that Russell will drive for Mercedes in 2022. And Russell has shown why that was such an obvious decision since that announcement.
While this update is basically ignoring the Belgian weekend that wasn’t, the obvious shoutout must be given to Russell’s incredible qualifying lap that earned him a second place on the grid. To perform that well with the eighth or ninth best car is stunning.
More points finishes came for Williams following Russell’s ninth place finish in Monza — ahead of Ocon — and 10th in Sochi. That is points finishes from four of the last five events, or three from the last four races, and is extremely impressive.
With a few more of those, the Briton may even finish higher than the Alpha Tauri of Yuki Tsunoda in the standings despite the obvious pace difference between the two cars.
3. Lewis Hamilton (-1)
Hamilton wrestled back the championship lead after claiming his 100th Grand Prix victory in Sochi, but it was a difficult weekend for the seven time champion.
First, he ran into the front jackman in the pit lane, then he hit the pit lane wall and ended up also spinning during his final run in qualifying.
His race also wasn’t much better, being stuck in traffic for so long, and it looked like the victory was lost to Norris before the rain came. However, Hamilton’s experience and teamwork meant he won by over 50s thanks to a well-timed pit stop.
Monza was similarly difficult, losing positions on the opening lap of the Sprint. The crash with Verstappen was deemed the Dutchman’s fault by stewards, but he wouldn’t have been happy leaving Monza without having gained on his championship rival, given the pace advantage he had that weekend.
Losing out to Verstappen in the Netherlands also must have stung, but a second place finish in Zandvoort was still a fine performance from the defending champion.
Hamilton hasn’t been quite at his best this season, and yet he leads the championship by two points. And we all know that the 36-year old can never ever be counted out of a title fight.
2. Max Verstappen (-1)
Verstappen has been incredibly consistent all season, but Monza and Sochi definitely saw a slight dip in performance. He gained the lead of the championship during a confident win at his home race, but he failed to take advantage of Hamilton’s mistake at Monza, and was ultimately at fault for their collision.
The Red Bull driver did well to battle through the traffic at Sochi, but he didn’t make the most of his strategy and was passed on-track and on merit by an Alpine before the rain came.
Verstappen made the most of that rain to clinch second. It could prove a pivotal result come Abu Dhabi. However, he will have to stay at his very best to get the better of Hamilton.
1. Lando Norris (+3)
Norris has had a breakthrough season with McLaren. He earned his highest ever finish in Monza and then followed that up with his first ever pole position at Sochi. The Briton was unlucky not to take home a maiden victory in Russia, too.
These performances have helped the team to cement a lead over Ferrari in the fight for third in the constructors. The results have also helped him maintain a lead over Perez in the Drivers standings, which would be a remarkable result to hold on to.
Norris’ star is rising rapidly with the way he is driving and it has been very impressive to watch improve and evolve over the last few years.
It does feel like it is only a matter of time before he does take that first win, and he has really taken the mantle as a leader of the team in his stride.
Images courtesy of Formula1.com
With Turkey coming up this weekend, there are only seven races remaining for these drivers to leave their mark on 2021.
Another update will come on the rankings during the upcoming triple header, as the end of the season rapidly approaches. In two months’ time it will all be over, and suddenly the focus will switch firmly to 2022.
But, until then, so much more can happen in this entertaining and historic season of Formula One.