[ballfry]

For me it’s Pierre Gasley, his talent definitely outperformed the tool that he was given.
Agree that his teammate Tsunoda is a Rookie, but GasMan had a hell of season.

[JohaanTJ]

The Abu Dhabi podium kind of sums up my best drivers of 2021 list.

Without a second thought, Max was really the best driver on the grid in 2021. Personally, I feel like he needs to work a bit on his emotional/aggressive approach to overtaking to complete his driver skillset. This aggressive style also helped him to gain the advantage in some races where the W12 was the faster car so there's that. This guy really made sure after every qualifying and race session that he won't have any regrets regarding chances he didn't take.

Lewis will be second just due to the uncharacteristic mistakes he made in the first part of the season otherwise the guy was solid and consistent as he always is.

Sainz is definitely the best of the rest followed closely by Gasly and Norris. Sainz adapted to the SF21 really well and managed to beat his incredibly talented teammate on points with his consistency.

Sergio and Fernando amazed us with their defensive driving skills even though their pace was a bit off when the whole season is considered.

Special mention to Charles and George for displaying exceptional qualifying pace.

[Senna_sempre]

It has to be Max

He has improved his race craft a lot and even he is very matured with the way he handled the pressure in his intense rivalry with the 7 time world champion.

Of course he won the WDC in a controversial way but its not his fault though. He seized the moment and went for the glory without botching it.

If we can have a podium of best drivers for 2021 season here are my candidates
1. Max Verstappen
2. Lewis Hamilton/ Lando Norris
3. Fernando Alonso

[bhphog]

Ever heard work silently and let your work do the talking. The personified version of that is Checo.

Ultimate how he settled so quickly and delivered on his 5 race promise to win a GP in a car so difficult that it changed 3 drivers in the last 1.5 years.

Icing on the cake you ask, the last defense against lewis on worn out tyres. Show me someone who can do that on the grid, alonso excluded.

Considering Max has won the WDC, I am sure Horner would give an equal chance, if not more, for Perez to win in 2022.

[AutoConsultant]

It just has to be Max. He was the better driver throughout the season and committed lesser number of mistakes when compared to Hamilton. Had he finished in Baku and Silverstone, the championship wouldn't have gone to the last race. Yes, a couple of moves were a little too aggressive and desperate in the last few races but overall the kind of performances he got out of that RB was just spectacular.

Hamilton has to be second. He was a little inconsistent in the first half but in the second half he showed his true class with back to back brilliant drives.

For 3rd, I am divided between Norris and Sainz.

One one hand, Norris comprehensively beat his multiple race winning teammate and was consistent throughout the season. Although he already had experience with the team and Ric really did underperform.

Sainz, joining a new team, that too Ferrari which comes with a lot of pressure. Pitted against a teammate who is considered the next big thing and who outshined Vettel. To be the best of the rest, finish at 5th and beat Leclerc is just a huge achievement. I don't think anyone could predict at the start of the season.

So Sainz is 3rd for me, Lando at 4th.

Checo did his job well and played a big role in Max's win. Expecting more consistency from him in the next season. Russell also had a good few races to show what he is capable of.

Ricciardo was the biggest disappointment for me. Leclerc did shine in a couple of races but he committed a few too many errors with crashes etc.

[v1p3r]

Tough to pick between HAM and VER on driving skill alone. VER has shown the sort of naked aggression in his career that a young MSC / HAM / SEN were known for. I have no doubt that he will, racing gods and engineers willing, be one of the all-time greats. HAM himself has evolved to a higher plane, and I daresay transcended the sport itself. Both are excellent drivers - head and shoulders above the rest of the field this year, but his attitude nudges HAM ahead ever so slightly.

I hope Max comes out from under his father's shadow. That man is pure evil and I know enough instances from the European karting circuit of him punching a young Max for not winning. Well-founded, considering he has been charged with assault, up to intended murder, multiple times by wives and girlfriends. While Max's talent may be genetic, I sincerely hope his attitude shows a diametric opposition.

Originally Posted by iamahunter

Same thing applies for Sir.Crybaby, only for the camera man.

I would humbly suggest you stop using disrespectful nicknames and subscribing to conspiracy theories that abound on social media. This forum certainly isn't the place for them. If you can't give someone like HAM respect just because you happen to be a fanboy of his rival, maybe this forum isn't for you, and the mods will certainly decide. Unless of course, you're a WDC in disguise whom we didn't recognise.

[mindshack]

Can we include MASI? If not for him and his back seat driving, this season would be lot less exciting!

I do not agree with lot of his calls, he is not supposed to make the race entertaining, but he definitely did.

If not Masi, I stick with Max to give us a year that it has been. I dare Netflix to make it half as interesting of what we just witnessed in 2021.

[SedanGuy]

There were standout performances this year and I have to say this, it was one of best seasons of F1 in a long long time. For me the top performer was Max, Without any doubts he was best racing driver on the grid this year. Hamilton though picked up his killing instinct in the second half of the year. IMO Hamilton did not have so much competition in last 3-4 years, he had to work hard to get into his mojo this year. Mercedes had thought everyone were focusing on the rule changes for 2022 and expected a quite year. Well we know what happened.

Another standout performance this year has to be Pierre Gasly. He seems to have found some form this year and I am sure if he continues this, he will be in a top car for 2023.

Although theres enough said about Perez here, IMO he didnt quite deliver according to me. He was certainly not consistent with his results. Dont get me wrong, Horner has found a worthy driver for the second redbull seat but the championship could have been decided way in advance if Perez had stepped up earlier on this year.

[mac187]

I voted for Sainz. Simply because he has done outstandingly with a new team and outshined Leclerc who apart from being the designate world champion is also number 1 driver for Ferrari. We can compare the magnitude of his achievement to Ricciardo's first year with a new team.

My second vote will be for Gasly, he has a score to settle for being dropped mid season by RB and boy he does his best in all the races.

P.S: I excluded the new world champion and 7 time world champion out of this list!

[Bulls14]

On a lighter note, Nikita Mazepan can boast to his grand children that he defeated Lewis Hamilton in Baku

[venkyhere]

Hamilton is shell shocked because he didn't expect such a close fight from a driver with an inferior car. The Mercedes car stood head and shoulders above anything else, over the past 7 yrs , until this year revealed a Redbull car which could come close (not match, just come close). But the evolutionary speed of Max as the guy who could keep that car on its absolute limit, all the time, everywhere, is what Mercedes and Hamilton got done by. That it took a bit of luck, in the end, for the person who deserved it the most, over the season, is fate. Even if Hamilton had won it, the above fact remains.

That is the crux of the matter. Everything else - the racing discipline, FIA decisions, penalties quantum etc... are just backdrop.

The answer to the topic of this thread, will be got if we ask the lateral Q : if the machines were exactly the same throughout the season, they way they have undergone development, tweaks and changes, and if there was only 1 change - Max and Hamilton swapping cars, what would have happened ?

The season would have gotten over 3 or 4 races before - that is the prodiguos talent, fearlesness and focus which Max has.

And therein, lies the answer.

[ron_9191]

No doubt the 2021 Formula 1 season was absolutely sensational and a treat to watch. With Lewis, and a strong car beneath him, it is something most of us have been used to seeing for the last 7 years. In that aspect, I think I thoroughly respect what Mercedes Benz has achieved so far in Formula 1. He was as usual phenomenal particularly towards the tail end of the second half of the season.

However, my vote goes to Max. He was relentless. He made of of every single opportunity to challenge Lewis. And with the Mexican Minister of Defence by his side, it was a treat to watch the teamwork between the two of them right to the very last race.

Carlos Sainz was amazing in 2021 too. I am sure when that Ferrari develops into a reasonable package, he is going to be quite the operator, smooth or not only time will tell. But honestly I loved everything about this season.

[bosem123]

Aside from the fact that i love the taste of enchilladas and Mexican salsa, my vote definitely goes to Perez for 2021. To do the kind of driving he did in his very first season with such a new car and team, and to be able to keep Max's interest above his simply takes tremendous guts and courage. He drives with a passion that i've earlier seen only in Carlos Montoya and Ayrton Senna. One of the very few drivers who has the skill to overtake the entire pack and come to the front. How can one forget his defense and his one on one battles with Hamilton for two races. Completely agree with Max's words- Checo is a legend!

[mcsquare]

Cant vote right now but it has to be Max, though I am a LeClerc fan personally. 18 podiums in 22 races and that too all 1 and 2, that level of consistency is beyond imaginable. For the 4 he didn't make, 3 of them were definitely not his fault and the fourth(Monza) was the only one technically classified as his.

For second I would go a different route as Lewis was always expected to be there. For the first half of the season it would be Norris for me and for the second half after the Ferrari upgrade Sainz would take it marginally over Leclerc over me.

[fz_rider]

I'll let statistics speak, 18 podiums, 3 DNF, 1 points finish outside top 3 ( which again involved getting hit by other driver ). I vote for Max.
As Checo, Max has become one with car, which resulted in phenomenal season.
Each year Redbull Racing played catch-up to Mercedes, and this year's RB16B has been the culmination of three years of hard work.This year they were set to be right there with Mercedes, first signs of which we saw last at years Abu Dhabi GP.
Another stand out driver has been Carlos. It's amazing to see how quickly he adjusted to Ferrari.
Abu Dhabi GP's podium rightly represent the top 3 drivers of the season for me.