There are 2 more Grand Prix before the summer break, but this is the equator of the season – 11 rounds of 22 have passed. Choosing the best drivers was not an easy task – some started the season poorly, and then added to it. Others, on the contrary, did not too successfully spend the last race. “Daily Car News” editorial board names the top five drivers according to their version.
Max Verstappen
The reigning world champion has won 6 races of the season 11, as well as both sprints, and comes to the stage in France as a confident leader – Max is ahead of his closest rival by 38 points. This season Max has had only three unsuccessful stages – Bahrain and Australia, where he was let down by his car, and also the UK, where mechanical damage received the bottom. Only once has Verstappen looked worse than his team-mate – at a stage in Monaco.
For the rest of the season Max holds very confidently, he no longer feels the pressure of the past year and almost does not commit errors. And when his car is slower, it fights very correctly, as in the case of Leclerc in Austria. In General, if “Red Bull” and “Ferrari” will be equal in speed, it is the pilot from the Netherlands who is seen as the main contender for the title in 2022.
Charles Leclerc
Monegasque is one of the brightest and at the same time unlucky pilots. From obvious mistakes, we can remember only a U-turn in Imola, which deprived Charles of a few points. And about the technical problems and mistakes of the captain’s bridge of Ferrari too much to remind. Nevertheless, Charles continues to fight and starts each stage with a clean slate. And in the speed per lap, he has no equal. What we are seeing now looks like a bump in the road before the big win. Only when it is waiting for Leclerc, in the near future, or will have to wait as Michael Schumacher for 5 years, is still unknown.
But there is no doubt that Charles is one of the most talented pilots of his generation. It is he, along with Max Verstappen takes over the baton from Alonso, Hamilton, and Raikkonen in the personification of Formula 1 in the coming years.
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Esteban Ocon
It seems that the Frenchman does not race very brightly and is often even in the shadow of Fernando Alonso. However, if you look at the overall standings, Esteban has 52 points compared to 29 for his titled partner. In only two stages Ocon did not score credit points.
It is obvious that the Frenchman with his stability and minimum errors will impose a struggle for the title of “the best of the rest” on Lando Norris.
Moreover, with some luck, Ocon can win the podium, which will make the season for him even more bright.
Kevin Magnussen
Kevin, as an experienced pilot, did the most important thing – in the first races after the change of the rules was able to get the maximum possible number of points. Now he has 22 points on his account, and even with Haas’ slump in form on stages 4 to 8, the Dane is still 11th in the general classification. However, there is also room for progress – a clash with Hamilton in Canada and especially Barcelona has clearly deprived Magnussen of a number of more scoring points. Now the form of “Haas” again became noticeably better, and Mick Schumacher is pulling up to his partner. Therefore, it will be very interesting to look at the duel of the racers in the next Grand Prix.
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George Russell
We should say right away that we should evaluate Russell’s results as a whole, but not according to the last races. Recall that in the UK and Austria, George became the culprit of accidents. On the last stage, it took away his faithful podium. However, 10 races out of 11 Russell finished in the top 5 and is now in fifth place in the overall standings, located above Hamilton. Of course, in recent races, Lewis significantly added – the more fascinating will be a duel of partners. George can fight for the first victory in his career, but for this, of course, we need the problems of at least one of the Ferrari and Red Bull.