F1 2021: Top 5 drivers of the season

With the F1 2021 season over, now is a good time to sit back and reflect on what has been an excellent season in so many ways. One thing that does get missed amongst the media hubris, however, is the quality of drivers the grid has had this season.

It needs to be reiterated here that this season was not all about Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. There were other drivers on the grid too, that put together fast and consistent performances throughout 2021.

In this piece, we rank the top 5 drivers in the F1 2021 season based on their consistency, race pace, as well as the performances that caught the eye more than others.

Top 5 drivers of the F1 2021 season

#5 Pierre Gasly

Pierre Gasly had a season of sorts this year. He ended 2021 going 21-1 against his team-mate in qualifying, while also picking up a podium at Baku. The Frenchman put together a splendid season of consistent scores, where he challenged and beat the likes of Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris on multiple occasions. If only for a slight lack of consistency, Gasly could be finding himself even higher up the order.

#4 Charles Leclerc

Charles Leclerc had a mixed bag season in F1. He lost a race win at Monaco, then at Silverstone, after valiantly defending against Lewis Hamilton, and finally ended the season behind his team-mate on points.

Despite this, Leclerc finds himself fourth on this list. That is because, when he was not crashing his car or trying to extract a bit too much from his Ferrari, he was putting together some sensational performances. Overall, throughout the season, Leclerc was comfortably the quicker F1 driver at Ferrari and he did prove that at multiple races.

Leclerc has performed well in 2021 but what he might be looking to improve is his lack of consistency this F1 season.

Top 5 drivers of the F1 2021 season

#3 Lando Norris

Lando Norris and his performance this season was a pleasant surprise. The McLaren driver was fast, just like his previous two F1 seasons. This time around, however, he was consistent as well. From the first race of the season at Imola to the last at Abu Dhabi, Lando Norris did not take the foot off the gas, unlike last year. The crowning moment was surely pole position in Russia.

Norris was not a driver that had his peaks and troughs throughout the season. He was more of a driver that would consistently deliver at a very level every weekend. If McLaren is a title contender for the F1 2022 season, then Lando Norris will surely be in the reckoning.

#2 Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton lost his first F1 title battle since 2016 and it surely hurt with the way it ended. Comparing Lewis Hamilton's season with that of Max Verstappen, however, would require nitpicking to find out who was the better driver this season.

While there were some ridiculously special performances by Hamilton in F1 2021, he had his off-days as well. For a special race like the Bahrain GP, there was the race in Monza as well, where Hamilton found himself in the gravel, essentially costing him a chance to fight for the win.

It was an excellent season by the seven-time world champion. At the same time, however, Max Verstappen had a slightly better one.

#1 Max Verstappen

Once the hullabaloo surrounding the last race of the season has been cleared, one can look at Max Verstappen's season in review. It can be said then that the Dutchman was undoubtedly the best driver of the F1 2021 season.

He was the most consistent, making the least mistakes, and until the miracle at the last race of the season, he'd had a pretty stellar run throughout the season. His 2021 season definitely makes him a worthy champion.

About the author

Charanjot is an F1 writer and Content Specialist at Sportskeeda with over 5 years of experience covering news, trends, and analyses related to the sport.

He started watching F1 when Narain Karthikeyan made his F1 debut in 2005 and was hooked when Kimi Raikkonen delivered a stunning lap in Monaco in the same season. He has been with the firm for almost 4 years and tries his best to put his links in the F1 paddock to the best use so as to report relevant and accurate information.

Charanjot has interviewed Indian motorsports driver Kush Maini during his time with Sportskeeda. He has also written 4K+ articles on the sport and is the key factor behind all the F1-related content that goes out in the domain.

If given a chance, he would like for India’s Buddh International Circuit to be added back to the calendar. A Mechanical engineer and an MBA, Charanjot aims to spearhead the cause of making F1 a mainstream sport in India. Apart from F1, he also follows MotoGP, cricket and MMA.

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