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The 2022 F1 driver rankings given by the team principals are out and it has left quite a few people stumped. In terms of credibility, these ratings should be held in the highest regard possible because if there's anyone who has access to all the behind-the-scenes data, it's the team principals.
If you have not seen the list, here are the top 10 drivers ranked by the F1 team principals for the 2022 season.
The list is not only important because it shows the top 10 drivers of the season. This is also important because the list shows how the team principals view certain drivers and their performances across the season. So, now that you've gone through the list, here are some important takeaways from the list that are worth looking at.
Note: To brief how the rate was compiled. Drivers were given scores based on the current F1 points system – 25 for the top driver, down to one for 10th. Those scores were then combined to create a ranking. This was done by each of the 10 team principals of the 2022 F1 grid.
#1 Max Verstappen was not the F1 driver of the season for every TP
Max Verstappen was the driver of the season with 207 points aggregated overall. It's no surprise to see him top the list. He was clearly in a league of his own for the most part. Having said that, what is somewhat surprising is to find him scoring a total of 207 points out of a possible 250.
What this means is that not every team principal ranked Verstappen at the top. There were quite a few that did not and that should come as a surprise.
One explanation for this is the premise that multiple team principals would ideally want to see their drivers ranked high up the order and hence rate them favorably. It could be possible that Toto Wolff ranked Lewis Hamilton or George Russell at the top or Mattia Binotto ranked Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz at the top. Other than that, it's hard to see an argument over Verstappen securing a clean sweep from all team principals.
#2 The surprisingly low rating for Norris
Lando Norris finding himself sixth in the rankings is somewhat surprising because it does dampen the kind of excitement that surrounds the McLaren driver. Norris has shown consistent improvement throughout his career. Even this season, he was the only driver outside of the Top 3 teams that scored a podium.
Most of the reputed publications have ranked Norris as a top-five driver this season (we ranked him third) and hence finding the McLaren driver not in the top five for team principals is somewhat surprising, to say the least.
#3 Team principals rate George Russell over Lewis Hamilton
For a publication to rate George Russell higher than Lewis Hamilton this season is not too big a leap. However, for team principals to think the same way and rank Hamilton below Russell is an interesting revelation.
What's more interesting is that the battle between the two in terms of points is not even close. Russell holds a whopping 27 points advantage over Hamilton in the ratings given by team principals, which shows consensus across the board.
It is a pity that these ratings are anonymous because if that was not the case then it would have been interesting to see who Toto Wolff had ranked higher, Hamilton or Russell.
#4 Bottas and Perez are ranked deceptively high
What is arguably a bigger surprise is the way Valtteri Bottas still found some favors from the team principals and was ranked in the top 10. It is debatable whether Bottas had a better 2022 F1 season than Vettel. It is even more debatable whether Sergio Perez (ranked in P5) had a better season than Lando Norris.
This should, however, give the F1 fans an insight into how the team principals think. Perez getting ranked in the top five should mean that the driver is still regarded as a handy talent behind the wheel by the fans. Similarly, it does appear that Bottas' reputation as a top performer has not been maligned after a year spent driving in the midfield.
#5 The damning absence of the two French Alpine drivers
At first glance, many would have missed the fact that neither of the Alpine drivers, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, found their way onto this list. Gasly did have an on-and-off season and looking back, he would not protest his placement too much. However, for Ocon, a driver who arguably had the best F1 season of his career and outscored a legend in Fernando Alonso, this should be disappointing.
What this means is that despite Ocon putting together the best performance of his F1 career, team principals do not feel he deserves the credit and don't rate him that high.
