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Formula One headlines are often dictated by the top teams in the business. The fight for a podium finishes more often than not ends up as a tussle between the Mercedes, Ferrari and the Red Bull. These three teams put in spectacular performances almost every weekend, taking the spotlight away from some of the midfield teams and drivers, who at times have put in brilliant displays, delivering some remarkable wins for their teams.
These couple of special performances by the midfield drivers might not have secured them a race win but managed to capture the hearts of the fans and pundits alike due to their sheer class that particular weekend, and in this article, let us look closer at the top-5 midfield driver performances in the 2018 Formula One season.
#5 Charles Leclerc - Brazilian Grand Prix
The 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix is easily Charles Leclerc's best race of the season. The would-be Ferrari driver showcased his class across all the events throughout the weekend and left Sao Paulo with a brilliant seventh place finish.
Driving for the Sauber team, the Monegasque driver put in a performance of the season during Q2 under tricky conditions, which allowed him to enter the final qualifying session. He continued his pace in Q3 and secured seventh place on the grid.
Leclerc controlled the pace right from the start of the Grand Prix and didn't look troubled during most of the race. He held onto his starting place and finished the Brazilain Grand Prix in the seventh place, which was also his second successive seventh place of the season.
Charles Leclerc is in the fourteenth place on the drivers' championship table with 39 points to his name. With his current form, it would be no surprise if the Monegasque driver secures another top-10 finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
#4 Esteban Ocon - Belgian Grand Prix
After going into administration during the Hungarian Grand Prix, Force India arrived at Spa Francorchamps under new ownership. This didn't deter their drivers a bit for both of them put on good displays and managed to finish the Grand Prix scoring eighteen points in total.
Esteban Ocon's fantastic qualifying session under difficult track conditions saw him take the third spot on the grid for the race. His teammate, on the other hand, started the race alongside him in the fourth place.
With such a good starting position, Ocon tried to wrestle the lead away from the leaders on the opening lap of the Grand Prix. However, things didn't go as planned and he was forced to surrender his position to Sergio Perez. As the race progressed, the German was passed by superior-powered Mercedes of Bottas and Red Bull of Verstappen. Ultimately, Ocon finished the race in the sixth place with eight points on the board.
Esteban Ocon finished the 2018 F1 season in the twelfth place with 49 points. Unfortunately, the German driver does not have a ride for the 2019 Formula One season.
#3 Romain Grosjean - Austrian Grand Prix
Romain Grosjean struggled greatly during the first half of the 2018 Formula One season. The Frenchman failed to put even a single lap on the board until the ninth race of the season at Austria. However, his inspired drive at the Red Bull Ring allowed him to secure a fourth place and score the first points of the F1 season.
The 32-year-old had a very good qualifying session that saw him start the race from the fifth place, giving him a real chance to finish amongst the points at the Austrian Grand Prix.
Grosjean maintained good race pace, but the Haas machine could never keep up with the top-3 teams. However, things turned into the Frenchman's favour when both the Mercedes' retired from the Grand Prix along with Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo.
This allowed both the Haas drivers to pick up crucial points, with Grosjean in the fourth place and his teammate, Kevin Magnussen, in the fifth place.
#2 Pierre Gasly - Bahrain Grand Prix
Pierre Gasly's drive at the second race of his first full Formula One season showed everyone glimpses of the young Frenchman's talent behind the wheel. The would-be Red Bull driver for the 2019 season, Gasly secured a P4 finish at the Bahrain Grand Prix early in the 2018 season.
The 22-year-old French driver had a dream qualifying session as he made it to Q3 for the first time in his young career. He qualified in the sixth place but started the race from P5, thanks to a five-place grid penalty to Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton.
With both the Red Bulls' seeing early retirement and Kimi Raikkonen being forced to end his race early, Gasly's race pace not only allowed him to retain his midfield position but helped him finish the race in the fourth spot, over fifty seconds behind third-placed Lewis Hamilton.
Pierre Gasly has 29 points to his name and takes the fifteenth place on the drivers' championship table.
#1 Sergio Perez - Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Sergio Perez's drive at the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix was his best race of the Formula One season. The 28-year-old Mexican finished the race on the podium, which was his second podium finish at the Baku Street Circuit.
Driving for Force India, Perez started the race from the fourth row of the grid, alongside his teammate Esteban Ocon.
The Mexican driver controlled his pace during the early stages of the race, ensuring that he wasn't too far off from the leading pack. The first half of the race was dominated by the usual drivers, plying their trade for Mercedes, Ferrari and the Red Bull. However, a collision between the two Red Bull teammates on lap 40 and Valtteri Bottas retiring after taking the race lead due to a puncture propelled the Force India driver to the fourth place.
Perez, then, slipped past a struggling Vettel to secure a memorable third-place finish. The Mexican takes the eighth spot in the drivers' championship with 62 points.
