The 74th Formula One championship resulted in Abu Dhabi final week, with Max Verstappen ending the season in type with one other dominant present. Though the Dutchman confronted no actual problem as he wrapped up his third straight driver’s title, there have been some distinctive performances throughout the grid, with drivers in much less aggressive equipment shining.
In distinction, some drivers in robust vehicles failed to grasp the complete potential of what was obtainable to them. The Hindu takes a take a look at drivers who stood out and those who came out with damaged reputations.
The better of the category of 2023
Max Verstappen (1st): Formula One is effectively and actually within the Verstappen period. With 19 out of twenty-two races, together with ten consecutive race wins, the third world championship title was by no means doubtful in the course of the season. After profitable a detailed title in 2021 shrouded in controversy, Verstappen had a better path final yr, however not earlier than battling Charles Leclerc within the first half of the season. This yr, although, Verstappen’s battle was extra with the document books than his rivals. With a Red Bull equipment that had no actual competitors on the grid, Verstappen solely wanted to beat his teammate Sergio Perez, which he did devastatingly. His 575-point haul was greater than what Mercedes (409), which completed second within the championship, managed.
Fernando Alonso.
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Fernando Alonso (4th): If there’s a residing instance of the adage Old is Gold, it will likely be the 42-year-old Spaniard. Last yr, the two-time champion brought about a flutter when he moved to Aston Martin from Alpine, which triggered a churn within the driver’s market. In the primary half, Aston Martin was the second-quickest automotive on the grid, and Alonso was metronomic in his consistency, taking six podiums from the primary eight races. Though the workforce’s kind nosedived within the later a part of the season earlier than stabilising in direction of the top, Alonso completed fourth within the drivers’ standings with 206 factors.
Alexander Albon
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Alexander Albon (thirteenth): At the top of the 2020 season, Albon’s profession was at a crossroads after a tricky season in Red Bull. He couldn’t adapt to the automotive’s traits, which is engineered to swimsuit Verstappen’s driving type and Red Bull dropped him in favour of Perez. After a yr on the sidelines as a reserve driver for a similar workforce, Albon joined Williams in 2022 and came of age as a driver this yr. Williams was not essentially the most aggressive automotive, however on choose tracks it was ok to battle for factors, and the British-Thai driver delivered, scoring 27 of the 28 factors and serving to his workforce end seventh within the constructors’ standings. It is the workforce’s greatest end since 2017, and having taken the picket spoon in 4 out of the final 5 years, it marks a change of tide and, extra importantly, value tens of thousands and thousands of {dollars} in further prize cash for the previous champions.
Yuki Tsunoda.
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Yuki Tsunoda (14th): It was the third season for the Japanese driver, and he wanted to indicate he could lead on the workforce after Pierre Gasly moved to Alpine. Unfortunately, the AlphaTauri came up with the slowest automotive on the grid, and it was a tricky first two-thirds of the yr for the Red Bull sister workforce. A late-season improve helped the workforce goal factors extra recurrently, and Tsunoda delivered. In the primary half, he comfortably shaded Nyck de Vries, who was booted out mid-season in favour of eight-time Grand Prix winner Daniel Ricciardo. Tsunoda then outscored the Australian as effectively and obtained his workforce to eighth within the constructor’s standings, simply three factors behind Williams.
Oscar Piastri.
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AFP
Oscar Piastri (ninth): No driver had extra strain to ship in his rookie yr than Piastri. The Australian was Alpine’s reserve driver in 2022’ and was caught in a contractual dispute final yr when the workforce unilaterally introduced him as a driver to exchange Alonso, just for him to rebuke them. He had already signed for McLaren to exchange the underperforming Ricciardo. He was topic to unfair assaults, and different workforce bosses questioned his loyalty with knives sharpened and able to assault if he failed. To make issues worse, McLaren, too, had a poor automotive till a mid-season improve remodeled its fortunes dramatically. Once he obtained the grasp of the car, Piastri was among the many most spectacular drivers within the yr’s second half. Though the 22-year-old scored lower than 50% of his teammate Lando Norris’ tally, the Aussie had extra misfortunes. His two podiums and one dash win confirmed his functionality, and he began out-qualifying Norris extra recurrently within the final a part of the marketing campaign. The proven fact that McLaren rapidly locked him down until 2026 is a sign of his long-term potential.
Battered and bruised
Sergio Perez.
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Sergio Perez (2nd): It may appear ludicrous to state the driving force who completed second within the championship is coming out as damaged items. However, Perez squarely matches into this class as he underperformed massively. The Mexican driver was the one one who had an opportunity to make the title battle fascinating. When he received two of the primary 4 races, there was hope he might give the Dutchman a run for his cash. But his implosion because the fifth race in Miami killed any curiosity within the season. The proven fact that Red Bull would have received the constructor’s title with out Perez’s efforts confirmed two issues: how good the Verstappen-Red Bull combo is and how unhealthy a season Perez has had! The 33-year-old is fortunate to have saved his seat in one of the best workforce on the grid for 2024.
Lance Stroll.
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Lance Stroll (tenth): Like Perez, Stroll additionally had an underwhelming marketing campaign and didn’t match what Alonso did within the early a part of the season. Granted, he suffered a fracture in his wrists earlier than pre-season testing and confirmed outstanding grit and dedication to make the grid in Bahrain. But over the yr, the Canadian went lacking, particularly when Aston Martin misplaced its early-season tempo benefit, and he struggled with listless performances. Aston completed fifth within the standings, 22 factors behind McLaren which began with one of many slowest vehicles on the grid earlier than turning issues round. Stroll managed simply 74 factors to Alonso’s 206, costing the workforce a spot within the standings. If not for the very fact his father dad owns the workforce, Stroll’s place on the grid wouldn’t be a given.
Logan Sargeant.
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REUTERS
Logan Sargeant (twenty first): The first American F1 driver to compete within the sport since 2015, Sergeant had a baptism by hearth in his rookie season going towards Albon within the Williams. While his inexperience was an necessary think about his underwhelming race performances, there have been too many crashes and missed alternatives. He obtained just one level to Albon’s 27. More importantly, he was the one driver to haven’t overwhelmed his teammate even as soon as over 22 races in qualifying, displaying a basic lack of uncooked tempo. The American, although, has managed to get a contract extension for 2024 and might want to discover a technique to repay the religion proven by a workforce that’s as soon as once more attempting to maneuver up the grid.
George Russell.
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George Russell (eighth): After beating teammate Lewis Hamilton final yr, Russell had a much more difficult yr in 2023. The Mercedes was a tough automotive, and the younger gun had a sub-par season, scoring simply 175 factors to Hamitlon’s 234. While it was nip and tuck in qualifying, Hamilton beat Russell comprehensively in races. Russell was additionally clumsy in wheel-to-wheel battles and made errors, like his crash in Singapore on the final lap that value him a podium. Next yr, Russell would want to return to the extent he operated in 2022 to be thought of an elite driver among the many new technology.
