The 2021 Formula One season is taking their traditional mid-year break which the teams and drivers have thoroughly earned, but it’s a chance for us to bring you our post-mortem of their performances so far, so here’s our pick for the top 6 drivers of the season at this stage.
6. CARLOS SAINZ
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Carlos Sainz heads into the summer break with two points more than his team-mate, Charles Leclerc which wouldn’t be a big deal if it weren’t for the fact that this is Sainz’s first season at Ferrari. His consistency has been remarkable and his work ethic, moving to Italy to be closer to the factory and to the entire team, is part of the reason why the Prancing Horse is on its way back up in Formula One. While most drivers struggle to match a new (and more comfortable) teammate and come to terms with new machinery, Carlos has hit the ground running and has given Leclerc a run for his money in Qualifying and on Sundays, which is something even 4-time Champion Vettel struggled with at Ferrari.
5. PIERRE GASLY
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Should Red Bull ever need to replace Sergio Perez (or an unlikely Max Verstappen substitute) they don’t need to look very far, given the strong reminders that Pierre Gasly is giving them in 2021 of his capabilities. He has dominated his highly-rated Japanese teammate by out-qualifying him EVERY race and leads him by 32 points, but he has also scored points in eight of the 10 races that he has finished including an exceptional podium in Baku fending off the charging Charles Leclerc. Gasly has gone on to prove that what he achieved in 2020 was certainly no fluke and that he’s doing everything to barge the Red Bull Racing door down for a big-time drive again.
4. CHARLES LECLERC
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The changing fortunes of the Scuderia Ferrari team in 2021 have once again given us a glimpse of the incredible talent that Charles Leclerc possesses. While many speak of the ability of Fernando Alonso to drive the pants off of a Formula 1 car, this man certainly squeezes every ounce of that Ferrari every weekend; and barring a huge error at Monaco in Qualifying that perhaps cost him a home race win, Leclerc has been one of the stars of 2021. In what is still a midfield car (best of the rest maybe), Leclerc has two pole positions, excellent P4 finishes in Imola, Spain & Baku, and was within sniffing distance of an incredible win at Silverstone.
3. LEWIS HAMILTON
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It’s hard to choose between Lewis and Max in 2021 but a troubled patch in the middle of the season including the Monaco Grand Prix perhaps puts him lower than Max on this list. There is a deep hunger that is clearly visible though and his win in Bahrain displayed that he’s certainly among the very best in the history of the sport. Crucially he’s leading the Championship going into the break and will want to carry that momentum forward as he looks to cement his spot as the most successful driver in Formula One.
2. MAX VERSTAPPEN
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He may be trailing the 7 time Champion, but Max Verstappen has been magical to watch through the first half of 2021. If he saw the finish line in Baku without the tyre blowout & didn’t suffer the last two DNFs (including Silverstone which we’re still calling that a racing incident), he’d be ahead of Lewis by at least 20 points.
He’s been rapid in Qualifying and dazzling when he’s gone wheel-to-wheel with Hamilton. Mercedes seem to have the upper hand going into the break but RBR and Max will come back-firing in search of that elusive first driver’s title.
1. LANDO NORRIS
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When Daniel Ricciardo was announced at McLaren, everyone assumed that young Lando Norris would find himself in a spot of bother but if anything, he’s only used it as motivation to elevate his own driving skill, and for us has been the best driver on the grid, given the resources in 2021. They say numbers don’t lie so let’s bring some context through it – Lando is currently P3 in the standings on 113 points, has 10 top-10 finishes, nine top-5 finishes, and three podiums this year. This – in a McLaren!!!
[Image Credit: McLaren]
Suhail Chandhok
Vertical Head - Sports