Formula 1 Power Rankings after end of 2019 season

The Formula 1 season for 2019 came to an end with Lewis Hamilton claiming his sixth World Drivers Championship title while Mercedes romped to their sixth consecutive Constructors title.

This season was a complete roller coaster ride that saw many young drivers performing at their very best. Young gun Charles Leclerc outpaced Ferrari's No. 1 driver Sebastian Vettel in his first season with the Scuderia. Carlos Sainz and Pierre Gasly got maiden podiums this season. Lando Norris impressed as well for Mclaren while Alexander Albon did well after being promoted to Red Bull post the summer break. Overall, this season was a unique one with plenty of talking points.

Now that the dust has settled and the rubber cooled off, here are the Power Rankings for all the drivers from the season that has sped by. (We have not considered DNFs of any driver. It is purely performance based.)

#1 Lewis Hamilton

Highest: 1st
Lowest: 9th

Verdict: Without a shadow of a doubt. Had a clumsy tangle with Alex Albon at Intelagos (right after he wrapped his sixth world championship). Even if we take out a controversial Canadian GP out of his 2019 wins, even then there is no doubt about his sixth championship.

#2 Charles Leclerc

Highest: 1st
Lowest: 6th

Verdict: We know many would debate this and might want to see Max Verstappen in this spot instead. However, the case for Leclerc is strong. He defeated Ferrari's no 1 driver Sebastian Vettel throughout the season. The Monegasque had 7 poles, 10 podiums and 2 wins in 2019. He did had big mistakes like crashing out of Q2 in Baku and an error strewn Monaco Grand Prix but he balanced it by giving Ferrari a long-awaited home victory in front of the Tifosi in Monza.

#3 Max Verstappen

Highest: 1st
Lowest: 8th

Verdict: He could have been No. 2 on this list but stats gave him the third spot. Max had 2 poles, 9 podiums and 3 wins this season. His wins are all memorable in their own way. He has shown that he is ready to take the fight to Hamilton in Drivers' Championships. Red Bull just needs to step up their game to give him a fighting chance in each race.

#4 Carlos Sainz

Highest: 3rd
Lowest: 14th

Verdict: Carlos Sainz was an outstanding performer in 2019. His spectacular drives over the season have really shown just how much he has improved since leave Toro Rosso. He has evolved into a whole new driver with enough guts to match his race craft. He had a slow start to the season but when he found his groove, he was unable to beat. The highlight for him would be the podium in Suzuka and his last lap pass to take 10th in Abu Dhabi and clinch 4th place in the Constructors Standings for McLaren.

#5 Valtteri Bottas

Highest: 1st
Lowest: 8th

Verdict: Valtteri Bottas had a very strong start of the season. He really gave Hamilton a tough time at the start of the season. His season tailed off towards the end but he did show enough mettle to earn a new contract with Mercedes and will hope for a better turnaround in 2020.

#6 Lando Norris

Highest: 6th
Lowest: 12th

Verdict: Lando Norris was the youngest driver on the 2019 grid but raced like he always belonged. He really deserves his Rookie of the Year award. There were some struggles in his season, especially in the second half where he struggled to keep up with his partner Carlos Sainz. Overall though, he had a stellar season and Mclaren really have two great talents on their hands for the years to come.

#7 Sebastian Vettel

Highest: 1st
Lowest: 16th

Verdict: Sebastian Vettel was really generous to others in 2019 season. Leclerc outpaced him all season and the German managed to capture only a single win this season. He really had a dull season this year. He fought his own team more than he fought the others and mistakes cost him a lot this season. Let's hope to see a resurgent Vettel next season.

#8 Daniel Ricciardo

Highest: 4th
Lowest: 14th

Verdict: Most probably the only consistent driver for Renault's season, Daniel Ricciardo's decision to leave Red Bull for Renault does not look great from a competitive standpoint, but 2019 did little to tarnish his standing on the grid. Overall his performance was consistent when compared to the package Renault could offer on the asphalt.

#9 Alexander Albon

Highest: 4th
Lowest: 19th

Verdict: Alexander Albon's consistent driving skills and better performances coupled with a poor run of results from Pierre Gasly led to him being promoted to Red Bull in second half of the season. He flourished with the senior team and now his top priority in 2020 now must be cutting the gap to teammate Verstappen and proving that he too can be a contender.

#10 Kimi Raikkonen

Highest: 4th
Lowest: 17th

Verdict: The veteran Kimi Raikkonen showed himself as a strong midfield contender but later in the season his performances took a dip and he faded away. His early push this season is the reason behind him ending up 10th on this list.

#11 Sergio Perez

Highest: 6th
Lowest: 17th

Verdict: Sergio Perez is still one of the most reliable hands in the midfield. Overall his season was in contrast to what was expected from him. His supreme tyre-management skills weren't enugh to reem his or Racing Point's season.

#12 Daniil Kvyat

Highest: 3rd
Lowest: 17th

Verdict: Daniil Kyat's season started slowly but his performances improved after the German Grand Prix. The Russian also managed to claim a podium at German Grand Prix for Toro Rosso, their first since Vettel's infamous win in a rain-marred Italian Grand Prix in 2008. Overall his season was fairly ordinary.

#13 George Russell

Highest: 11th
Lowest: 19th

Verdict: It is very hard to judge someone in a non competitive car. It is even more harder to judge someone whose teammate makes a return after an eight-year hiatus. We can only see the fact for now; George Russell outqualified and outperformed Robert Kubica all year in his rookie season. It speaks itself about his potential that Mercedes happily let Ocon walk to Renault knowing Russell is waiting in the wings.

#14 Nico Hulkenberg

Highest: 5th
Lowest: 15th

Verdict: Out performed by Ricciardo whole year, Nico Hulkenberg's slow slide off the circuit into the barrier summed up his career perfectly. He may be a good driver but unfortunately he won't be on the grid next season He just could not live up the hype.

#15 Kevin Magnussen

Highest: 6th
Lowest: 17th

Verdict: Though Haas had a horrible year, this guy did give us glimpses of his punchy race technique to push himself up the order. His outstanding qualifying performances in Australia and Austria were the only bright spots in an otherwise frustrating campaign.

These are the top 15 drivers in our Formula 1 Power Rankings, summing up the final season of the decade.