Max Verstappen
No prizes for guessing the primary identify on this checklist. Eight wins in 13 begins and a commanding 80-point lead within the Drivers’ Championship bears testimony to the stellar 2022 of Max Verstappen.
Whereas title rivals Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have been responsible of unforced errors which have resulted in retirements and dropped factors, no such issues have befallen Verstappen, who has been solely too glad to reap the benefits of Ferrari’s errors to say most factors of his personal.
The Dutchman solely gained the 2021 title on the ultimate lap of the season’s final Grand Prix, however on present kind, he’s set to wrap up the 2022 championship in a far faster and extra convincing method.
With the strain of getting gained a championship now off, Verstappen is arguably driving even higher than he did in 2021, and it should certainly be a query of when, not if, he lifts the 2022 crown.
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George Russell
Lastly shifting over to Mercedes after a three-year stint reducing his enamel at Williams, many puzzled how George Russell would stack up alongside seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton.
If the primary half of 2022 is something to go by, Russell has firmly answered any critics who mentioned he would fail to chop the mustard in a number one staff.
Though Mercedes’ stoop in competitiveness means Russell continues to be but to win a Grand Prix, the Briton has extracted the utmost from his W13, and was comfortably the faster of the 2 Silver Arrows drivers till the season’s midway level.
Russell additionally took a shock maiden pole place in Hungary and, though he was unable to transform that into a primary win, Mercedes have to be assured they’ve a ready-made alternative for when Hamilton ultimately hangs up his helmet. Which brings us neatly on to…
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Lewis Hamilton
After the frustration of shedding the 2021 title in contentious circumstances, Hamilton began 2022 in sluggish trend, seemingly struggling to deal with the W13’s tendency to porpoise.
Nonetheless, Mercedes have since bought on high of their bouncing points, and Hamilton has been rather more his outdated self in current weeks, scoring 5 podium finishes in a row earlier than the summer time break, and rolling again the years by main a number of laps of the British Grand Prix.
With Mercedes edging nearer to the main Purple Bulls and Ferraris, Hamilton at present appears the extra probably driver to offer the Silver Arrows with a victory in 2022.
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Lando Norris
Having seen teammate Daniel Ricciardo rating McLaren’s first win in eight years in Italy final yr, Norris might need been hoping for his debut victory to come back in 2022.
Nonetheless, with McLaren slipping again in competitiveness, it seems unlikely Norris will break his duck this yr, however the Briton has however been spectacular to date.
Norris has comprehensively outshone and outscored Ricciardo, and is at present the one driver from outdoors Purple Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes to attain a podium end throughout the marketing campaign.
McLaren are clearly satisfied of Norris’ potential, and have signed the Briton up on a multi-year deal. The one query is whether or not the Woking squad can provide Norris the gear his expertise clearly deserves.
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Alex Albon
A stunning alternative, maybe, with Albon scoring solely three factors and rating nineteenth within the Drivers’ standings. However the Anglo-Thai driver has shone regardless of the constraints of his FW44, and has firmly established himself as Williams’ primary driver on his return to the game after a yr on the sidelines.
Driving an inferior automotive to most of his rivals, Albon has needed to depend on intelligent technique calls and tyre administration with a view to decide up locations, and each of those traits have been very evident in Melbourne and Miami, as he scored his and Williams’ solely factors finishes of 2022 to date.
Albon and Williams appear to suit effectively collectively, and a brand new multi-year deal has been inked that may see him stay at Grove for the foreseeable future, as each driver and staff search to pull themselves additional up the grid.