Max Verstappen (F1i.com)
Yet another edition of the Formula 1 season was won by Red Bull's Max Verstappen, as the Dutch driver inches closer and closer to the cusp of history. His 13th victory over the season equaled an all-time record, set by a legendary German duo in the form of Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel.
Grim vibes around the paddock were created by the unfortunate passing of Red Bull F1 owner Dietrich Mateschitz and it was overwhelmingly clear that the manufacturer were willing to put all their cards on the line to make this a special weekend to thank Didi. Luckily for them, that is precisely what happened, as Red Bull sealed their first Constructor's Championship since the days of Vettel's last championship.
Elsewhere, the second Grand Prix in the States this season gave us a few intriguing midfield battles, including a hefty shunt between Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso. All in all, it was an entertaining weekend around the Circuit of the Americas.
As usual, I added all the drivers' scores together to find the top 10 drivers for this particular race and on a season-long basis.
If you've forgotten, we take machinery entirely out of the equation and simply judge the drivers based on how well they did with the equipment they possessed.
If you've forgotten, we take machinery entirely out of the equation and simply judge the drivers based on how well they did with the equipment they possessed.
Let's begin!
THE SCORES FOR COTA
1. Max Verstappen, Red Bull
Score: 9.1
Race Position: 1st
Verstappen is simply indomitable at the moment and even an 11-second pit stop can't keep him from winning. On what was surely an emotional weekend for Verstappen and co., the world champion did exactly what you would expect from such a world-class driver: he put his head down and simply drove a near perfect race.
Yet again, qualifying wasn't a flawless affair, which explains the score, but points are given out on Sunday, and nobody on the current grid can compete with Verstappen during this current stretch of form.
2. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
Score: 8.9
Race Position: 2nd
A qualifying session that seemed as if Hamilton left a few tenths on the table would not have put Mercedes in good spirits. However, Hamilton doesn't possess the F1 win record for no reason. He's an incredible driver who seems to be taking any possible measures to win a race in 2022. It's quite hard to compete with Red Bull and Verstappen, but Hamilton seems like the most likely to deal out a few punches.
Hamilton was utterly superb during the race; it's not his fault that his Dutch rival had such a monumental speed advantage.
3. Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin
Score: 8.7
Race Position: 7th
Perhaps the most heartwarming sight of the season was seeing Sebastian Vettel lead a Formula 1 Grand Prix. Though an ill-timed pit stop and poor time management from his Aston Martin team kept him from a potential top-5 finish, it's hard to criticize Vettel for his performance around COTA.
In his old age, he seems to have found a new competitiveness that pushes him forward. There is a lot to be said for what he is capable of in a suddenly reliable Aston Martin. While it may seem fantastical, it could be a reasonable suggestion to state that Vettel has a chance at a podium before his career is over.
4. Fernando Alonso, Alpine
Score: 8.6
Race Position: 15th
Despite catching flight and practically destroying his vehicle, Fernando Alonso still came home in P7, in what was arguably his greatest drive of the season. Unfortunately for the Spaniard, the FIA judged him to be partially at fault for the incident with Lance Stroll, as he was penalized and sent tumbling down the order, eventually garnering no points.
Still, we can't ignore what was potentially the best recovery drive from anybody so far in 2022, which is what earns him a top-5 spot in the power rankings.
T5. Lando Norris, McLaren
Score: 8.3
Race Position: 6th
You have to commend Lando Norris for keeping a cool head in what has undoubtedly been a difficult season. The British hotshot is singlehandedly keeping McLaren in the fight for P4 in the Constructors' Championship and as Daniel Ricciardo's woes continue to grow, it seems like Norris' responsibilities will follow that trend. Per my rankings, Norris has outperformed his teammate more than any other driver pairing, which is a tough load to bear.
Still, in a car that theoretically should not be competing with Alpine, Norris is essentially keeping them in the fight. The United States Grand Prix was no different, as the Briton drove a great race en route to P6.
T5. Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
Score: 8.3
Race Position: DNF
Carlos Sainz deserves better. A mistake from George Russell resulted in the Spaniard's 6th (!) DNF of the season, despite one of his best qualifying performances of the season. Against a highly motivated Verstappen and qualifying maestro Leclerc, Sainz lit up the timesheets to take P1 for Sunday's race, before eventually crashing out before he even had the chance to reclaim his lead and hold on for victory.
It was frustrating to watch from a fan's perspective and it must have been even more infuriating from Sainz's POV.
7. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Score: 8.2
Race Position: 3rd
Leclerc doesn't have the weight of a championship battle to deal with anymore, so it was no surprise to see him drive with more freedom and enjoy himself on track. A grid penalty for new engine components wound up causing no harm to Leclerc's day, as the Monegasque easily sped by the midfield to engage in a thrilling scrap with Red Bull's Sergio Perez for the final podium slot.
By the end, Leclerc used his more carefree approach to handle Checo's assault on P3 and stand on the podium for the 5th consecutive race.
8. Sergio Perez, Red Bull
Score: 7.9
Race Position: 4th
Like Leclerc, Perez knew he would have to fight through the grid to have any chance at the podium. While he did drive pretty well, the same issue that has befallen Perez in every power rankings reared its' ugly head. It is simply difficult to praise Perez too much when he is struggling to break away from his nearest competitors in a car that is vastly superior to any other on the grid.
It shouldn't be unreasonable to assume that Perez should be fighting with his teammate for victories every weekend, but Checo is not at that level as a driver and likely never will be.
T9. Kevin Magnussen, Haas
Score: 7.2
Race Position: 8th
At his manufacturer's home race, Magnussen put forth a really solid effort, driving a spectacular one-stop strategy to turn an unpromising qualifying session into a great result. That hasn't typically been Magnussen's method of success, particularly this season where he has usually excelled in quali. However, it was a refreshing change of pace and clearly a boon to Haas F1, who are putting all their chips in one basket of American fandom.
T9. Alex Albon, Williams
Score: 7.2
Race Position: 11th
Albon will evidently be frustrated to drive such a strong race and then falter at the final hurdle, giving him an unfortunate points tally of 0. Nevertheless, it would be a nearly impossible task for Williams to finish anywhere other than last in the Constructors' Standings, so it doesn't sting as much as it could have.
The Thai driver has been really effective at extracting maximum pace out of his vehicle, but it wasn't enough around COTA.
JUST MISSED
Despite finally retrieving his top-5 streak, George Russell had one costly mistake that sent him flying down the power rankings. At turn 1, at the very start of the GP, Russell locked up and lost control of the car, flying into Carlos Sainz's Ferrari and sending him spinning. Though the 5-second penalty didn't affect his race performance much, that major mistake was what left him on the outside looking in.
From Mr. Consistently Good to Mr. Consistently Bad (okay, that might be a bit harsh), the next player worth mentioning is Yuki Tsunoda. Despite having scored 0 points since the Spanish Grand Prix, Tsunoda finally found his groove and drove a fairly quiet race to P10 at the flag, before being promoted to P9 following Fernando Alonso's penalty. Yuki is probably more chuffed about finishing in the top 10 in the actual race than he is frustrated about not appearing in one man's power rankings, but that's how the game goes.
THE OVERALL STANDINGS
This race actually changed up the order pretty significantly. Some drivers boosted their score, while others stayed the same and some dropped. Even if the differential of change is minimal, it is typically enough to shake up the leaderboard. Notably, there is a 4-way tie for third, which seems to be coming down to the wire, especially with Sergio Perez on the outside looking in.
But longtime F1 fans will be particularly pleased to see Sebastian Vettel in the top-10. There is a long line of drivers hoping to break through, but Vettel outshone them all in Austin, giving himself the boost and finding his first appearance on the leaderboard of the season.
1. Max Verstappen, Red Bull
Season Average: 8.9
Last GP: 1st
2. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Season Average: 8.5
Last GP: 2nd
T3. Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
Season Average: 7.7
Last GP: T-5th
T3. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
Season Average: 7.7
Last GP: T-5th
T3. George Russell, Mercedes
Season Average: 7.7
Last GP: T-3rd
T3. Fernando Alonso, Alpine
Season Average: 7.7
Last GP: T-3rd
7. Sergio Perez, Red Bull
Season Average: 7.6
Last GP: T-5th
8. Lando Norris, McLaren
Season Average: 7.4
Last GP: 8th
9. Esteban Ocon, Alpine
Season Average: 7.2
Last GP: 9th
10. Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin
Season Average: 6.7
Last GP: NR
NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED
Comments
Post a Comment