[ninjatalli]

So we are at the half way mark at an interesting point with regards to the Drivers Championship as well as the Constructors Standings

Technically Verstappen might already have one hand on the 2022 Championship with a strong 80 point lead that would require really bad second half for him to allow Charles or any of the other drivers to catchup, but the championship is still up for grabs.




However, the Constructors championship surely looks much more interesting. With only a ~100 point lead, and both Leclerc and Sainz doing well, it might not be enough to keep Ferrari away from gaining the top position. But with Mercedes seemingly looking to be a strong 3rd leg of the top contending teams (finally), it will be interesting to see how the situation pans out by the time we reach Abu Dhabi in November.




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Having said that, every "expert" in this field is coming out with their own mid-season report on how the drivers have been faring so far - who's doing well, who might have done much better but for the car/team, and who's definitely lagging behind and so on.

Here's a few reports that might tickle your fancy. While everyone has given importance of the points scored so far, they have factored in the capabilities of the driver and the performance of the driver (so far) irrespective of what points he's been able to score.

The Race: 2022 mid season F1 Driver Ratings
1. Max
2. Leclerc
3. Norris
4. Hamilton
5. Alonso

Formula 1: Power Rankings - how the drivers rank
1. Max
2. Leclerc
3. Russell
4. Hamilton
5. Norris

Autosport: F1 2022 so far - Winners, losers and everything in between
Interesting views on drivers across the top, middle & bottom of the list (e.g. views on Albon & Valtteri)

Formula 1: Our writers pick out their top drivers best performances
Multiple views with a mix of Max, Russell, Norris & Leclerc being rated high.

So while we wait for the summer break to end (till the end of this month) and the second half of the calendar race year to kick off in Belgium on Aug 28th, here's a survey to find out which driver you felt did much better than what he was capable off (given the condition of the car, the power/speed of the car vs the competition, and also the reliability and other aspects). Whom do you think has really shined so far - for instance it's quite clear that Alonso might have easily given the top contenders a run for their money if he had a more faster and more reliable car (hopefully Aston Martin do that next year!).

Do share your vote on the driver that has shined so far, not necessarily in the points, but beyond the reach of the car & team he's currently in.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[ninjatalli]

Voted for Russell.

It is a pleasant surprise when I think back that just a year ago, this was a chap driving a Williams, and mostly relegated to the last few slots. Bottas last year in the same position (as partner of Hamilton) was not able to make amends to his car/team as much as his partner, but even with a not so great car, Russell has been able to get top 5 positions on most of the races. Tells a lot with regards to the potential he holds.


I expect a lot more from him (and Hamilton) in the second half of the year, and definitely much more next year; so my vote goes for him.

[Sudarshan42]

People may have their opinions about who the best is, but the overarching story of this season will be how Ferrari, through driver, mechanical and strategic failures, repeatedly threw away a legitimate shot at both titles. The only thing worth watching from now on will be if they can somehow recoup their losses to make for at least a semi-competitive end to the season. Else it will be a Max and Red Bull show all the way, with Merc arriving on the scene of Ferrari's inevitable shitshow to pick up the pieces.



Being a Merc and Hamilton fan, I was so desperately hoping for Max to fail this year after the Masi episode at Abu Dhabi 2021. I was cheering Ferrari and Leclerc for the first few races, only to watch in horror as all that good work unravelled. But credit to Max this year- he has been sublime. He's gone from being Worst-happen to Whocanstophim over the last 6-7 races.

PS- added note about the Piastri-Alpine fiasco (or Piasco)- that was absolutely horrifyingly hilarious!

[skarface]

Voted for Max, the last race at Hungary where he had a great drive to win it despite starting a lowly 10th is a testament to the level where Redbull and he are at right now.

[petrolHead_1609]

Voted for Leclerc.

I won't say he could've beaten Max for Driver's championship but would have given a good fight if not for the stupid strategic calls from team Ferrari. Right from wrong tire selection to idiotic pitstops and ferrari's uncertainty of who their top driver is. Reliability of car is also questionable as Leclerc has couple of DNFs in this season. In one of the races he had clutch related issues and still was on podium. He's making the most out of what he has.

Also, some others who are killing it as of now : Russell, Alonso, Norris.
Expecting a bit more from Gasly and Mick.

[Vijin]

Max and Russell were in a close race for my vote. Russell is probably an expert in underperforming cars, and all he needs is the expertise to turn pole position into victory. Max, on the other hand, has exhibited patience and composure this season. He is aware that his car is inferior to a Ferrari, yet he seems to keep his head down, concentrate on what he can control, and wait for his rival to make a single error. Thus, Max

[AutoConsultant]

Voted for Russell

Coming into an 8-time consecutive WCC team (after a few frustrating years at Williams) he would have been expecting to fight for wins straightaway. However, he has shown a lot of maturity in getting the best of what he had with the current package, seldom showing frustration either in his words or his driving style.

He has played the team game quite well, scoring points while Hamilton was experimenting with setups to make the package faster. I feel the second half would be the biggest challenge for Russell as Hamilton is much more comfortable with the car now and showed his pace and class in Hungary. Together these two make up the strongest driver line up on the grid and I feel 2023 could again be a Merc dominated season.

Other notable mentions :

Max - Showing the maturity you would expect from a WDC along with consistency and mostly error-free driving. Currently the fastest driver on the grid IMO

Zhou - One of the best rookie seasons in recent times, he has shown that he is a capable driver and not just here because of sponsorships. Reliability has not been on his side though

[Turbohead]

Hands down Verstappen.

While Leclerc is also really gifted, Verstappen has truly defined what it means to perform at the highest level consistently which is certainly to the envy of everyone in the grid.

Russell is another upcoming star and I won't be surprised if he takes the battle to Max and Leclerc by the end of the year. Honestly, he's not under any pressure. Let's see how he reacts under pressure.

Leclerc is a case of brilliant talent being wasted by a clueless organization. Feel absolutely sorry for him but he really needs to calm his nerves when under pressure from Red Bull.

[Fiestaboy]

Voted for Max.

Max had grown over the years & this year he is showing that he has reached the maturity of a World Champion.

Russell is performing well, but he is not put into pressure now as Merc is not performing at the top. Hence, can't judge him as how he will react in pressure.

Leclerc - raw talent, but still need more patience. As they say in F1, not all races are won & you have to complete the race to win a championship.
Max learnt that in 2021 & I believe Lec learnt it(already) in 2022.

[Senna_sempre]

Voted for Russell.

Mr. Saturday has become Mr. Consistency this year. Faring on par in performance and sometimes better when compared to his much decorated teammate.

Sad state of affairs at Ferrari. The prancing horse is plagued with Driver errors, reliability issues and decent strategy (rather lack of it). They should have been leading the both championships by quite a margin.

I really want a turn around of fortunes for Ferrari and especially Charles otherwise Max will wrap it up the WDC with 3 or 4 races to spare.

[Reinhard]

Its a tough poll when I try to hit Submit. Not able to pick one. Max, Charles, Lando, George, Carlos, Lewis & Sergio - have all had moments of ups and downs - of their own. Majestic class once & utter stupidity somewhere else or whining for no reason some other day.

For me - they are all quite evenly matched for now, which is so nice for the sport (?) that was dying a slow death since nearly a decade now.

As for the 2022 championship - FIA/FOM should declare Max as the champion & help save fuel, environment & budget-cap . As much as the Ferrari fan in me would like Leclerc / Sainz to win, I think the writing is now on the wall. Ferrari will try its best to ensure an early championship win for Max.

[MrA]

13 races done, only 9 to go. I guess we are way past the half way mark and Verstappen really has to mess up really bad to lose this championship, which is highly unlikely. Seems like smooth sailing for him from here on, he also seems way more calm and composed than last year, fewer errors too.

[vj123]

Voted for Max.

Charles has a great car but i wish he received better support from his team.

George is doing great and i am looking forward to his performance in the second half.

[saats07]

Voted Perz:

Max and Leclerc are the obvious choice as they the present title contenders.
But we cannot ignore Perez. He is working in a team who dosent want to support him and as the history of Red Bull, they generally build a car which compliments their lead driver.

But even in all those conditions he has always made his presence felt. At a point in this season he was challenging Max for championship. Had he not been a team player and not followed team orders, I believe the gap between Max and Leclerc would be less and he would still be in contention for champoinship.