'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The 2022 F1 season is at the midway stage right now. Teams and drivers are enjoying the summer break and recharging their batteries for the assault in the second half of the season.
The season has featured quite a few moments of brilliance from drivers across the grid. Having said that, when we talk about the top drivers on the grid, we talk about elites! We talk about drivers that perform at a very high level consistently and separate themselves from the group.
For the 2022 F1 season, who are these drivers? Let's find out as we rank the top 5 drivers for the season.
Who are the top 5 F1 drivers this season?
#5 Lewis Hamilton
What was Great?
It has to be the last five races, doesn't it? Lewis Hamilton turned things around beautifully once he got the break in Canada. Since then, he has not looked back. Five consecutive podiums is an impressive display of form by the Mercedes driver and he might be close to a race win in the second half of the season.
What wasn't?
The seven-race run where George Russell beat him in every race was embarrassing. While the experimental setup theory does hold true, what does not is Hamilton's rather defeatist attitude towards the races at that stage. If it wasn't for that, he would have ranked higher.
Final Verdict
Hamilton struck form at the 2022 F1 Canadian GP and has not looked back. Having said that, if there was no turnaround in Canada, he would not have found himself in the top 5 rankings either. He's going through the kind of form that made him the 7-time world champion in all these years.
#4 George Russell
What was Great?
George Russell is Mr. Consistency now, isn't he? The Mercedes driver has shown that he can compete at the front of the grid and he can do it ably. Registering within the top 5 in every race you finish is the kind of accolade Mercedes will be very impressed with.
What wasn't?
It's the occasional errors in qualifying, or even in the race sometimes, that do place him a peg below the other drivers. Russell is consistent, that's for sure! There is, however, that last piece of the puzzle missing, where he's able to match Lewis Hamilton and beat him head-to-head.
Final Verdict
With a strong first season with Mercedes, he might need to keep an eye on his teammate's form else, his position in the points tally as well as on these rankings could be usurped by the latter.
#3 Lando Norris
What was Great?
Every time McLaren has had a competitive car, Lando Norris has more or less finished as the best of the rest. The driver has not had an off-day this season! Sure, it helps when your teammate is struggling to cope with the car, but that's not Norris' fault.
He hasn't taken a step back since his improvements last season and even though the car masks his true level of results, he's been very impressive this season.
What wasn't?
The tangle with Pierre Gasly in Miami was not desirable. Neither was losing out to Fernando Alonso at Circuit Paul Ricard. If we have to nitpick, these are the few of the races where maybe Norris could have done better. Otherwise, he has been very impressive.
Final Verdict
Norris does not get the same recognition from pundits around the paddock for the level of performances he's putting together. He is the standout F1 driver in the midfield right now.
#2 Charles Leclerc
What was Great?
If Charles Leclerc did not have Ferrari compromising his every race, he would be very close to the F1 championship lead at the moment. The drives in Bahrain and Australia showed that Leclerc is ready to fight for the title. The drive in Austria showed that he can do it against Max Verstappen as well. This has been a season where Leclerc has proved he is one of the futures of F1 alongside Verstappen.
What wasn't?
It has to be the races in Imola and France. Both were unforced errors and should not be happening if you are fighting for the title.
Final Verdict
Whenever the team lets him, Charles Leclerc is a spectacular F1 driver and has finally shown his true worth in a race-winning car.
#1 Max Verstappen
What was Great?
Arguably the highlight of the season was the comeback at Imola, where the Red Bull driver scored the maximum possible points. The new Max Verstappen is smart, slightly more careful, and mature.
This was evident at the start of the 2022 F1 Hungarian GP where Verstappen tried to keep his nose clean heading into the first corner. The drive from 10th to 1st at a dry Hungaroring does not happen easily! Verstappen, however, accomplished that.
What wasn't?
It might just be the 2022 F1 Spanish GP where Verstappen went off the track into the gravel early in the race. Ironically, he still ended up winning the race despite that.
Final Verdict
It's hard to believe, but after compiling one of the best F1 seasons in 2021, Verstappen has improved even more. The Red Bull driver does not make mistakes, is more sensible now, and has a car capable of winning the title. He is the Gold Standard in F1 right now and will be very hard to beat for anyone.
Honorable Mention: Fernando Alonso
What was Great?
Is there anything better this season than Fernando Alonso's qualifying lap at the 2022 F1 Canadian GP that put him on the front row? The Spaniard has shown this season that he's still not lost any of his speed or his guile. Some of his performances have been scintillating, to say the least, and the level of consistency he is still showing in his game has been impressive. All in all, it's been amazing to see him race this well.
What wasn't?
It's Alonso's race execution at times this season. He should have been more careful in Miami and should have done better in Canada when he got the penalty against Bottas. Most importantly, while that missed lap in Australia was somewhat legendary, Alonso was arguably slower than his teammate in the race.
Final Verdict
Alonso's peaks this season have been the ones that would make anyone rank him in the top 5. If he keeps the peaks going and removes the occasional errors, he should find himself in the top 5 by the end of the season.
