Formula One returns to action next week but which drivers performed best before the summer break? Here’s part one of the rankings.
Driver rankings articles archive
How well did each Formula 1 driver perform over the course of an entire season? RaceFans’ Driver Rankings analyse the data and offer our assessment.
2016 F1 season driver rankings #1: Daniel Ricciardo
2016 F1 season review
Posted onComfortably the most successful non-Mercedes driver this year, Daniel Ricciardo won just once in 2016 but was owed two more.
2016 F1 season driver rankings #2: Hamilton
2016 F1 season review
Posted onA fourth world championship title eluded Lewis Hamilton in 2016. Technical trouble made it hard for him to hold onto his crown but it wasn’t impossible.
2016 F1 season driver rankings #3: Verstappen
2016 F1 season review
Posted onMax Verstappen received a surprise promotion to Red Bull just four races into the year and was arguably the team’s leading driver by the end of the season.
2016 F1 season driver rankings #4: Alonso
2016 F1 season review
Posted onFernando Alonso driver a tremendous season in 2016 but the McLaren driver didn’t get anything like the reward which was deserved.
2016 F1 season driver rankings #5: Rosberg
2016 F1 season review
Posted onThere is no asterisk next to Nico Rosberg’s world championship, yet the debate over the manner in which he won it isn’t going away.
2016 F1 season driver rankings #6: Sainz
2016 F1 season review
Posted onCarlos Sainz Jnr didn’t get the promotion to Red Bull his team mate enjoyed but was not demotivated in the least, producing a string of top-drawer drives.
2016 F1 season driver rankings #7: Vettel
2016 F1 season review
Posted onSebastian Vettel endured his second win-less season in three years in 2016 and the Ferrari driver’s frustration was clear to see.
2016 F1 season driver rankings #8: Perez
2016 F1 season review
Posted onSergio Perez’s F1 career continued its post-McLaren recovery in his third season at Force India as he made two appearances on the podium.
2016 F1 season driver rankings #9: Hulkenberg
2016 F1 season review
Posted onBefore the 2016 season began it seemed incredible Nico Hulkenberg had never visited the podium. Following his near-misses this year it almost appears unjust.
2016 F1 season driver rankings #10: Bottas
2016 F1 season review
Posted onValtteri Bottas, who is in the running to become Lewis Hamilton’s team mate at Mercedes in 2017, destroyed his team mate in qualifying this year.
2016 F1 season driver rankings #11: Raikkonen
2016 F1 season review
Posted onThe 2016 season was Kimi Raikkonen’s best since returning to Ferrari in 2014. Yet he still wasn’t able to beat a team mate who was decidedly sub-par this year.
2016 F1 season driver rankings #12: Grosjean
2016 F1 season review
Posted onIt was a dream start to the year for Romain Grosjean and Haas, but life in the midfield quickly got very difficult for them.
2016 F1 season driver rankings #13: Magnussen
2016 F1 season review
Posted onKevin Magnussen seemed to be over-driving the Renault in his pursuit of points, to spectacular but not always rewarding effect.
2016 F1 season driver rankings #14: Button
2016 F1 season review
Posted onJenson Button achieved a few highs during his 2016 campaign but few will doubt he’s chosen the right time to hang up his helmet.
2016 F1 season driver rankings #15: Ericsson
2016 F1 season review
Posted onDespite two heavy crashes early in the season and an unfortunate collision with his team mate, Marcus Ericsson raised his game towards the end of the year.
2016 F1 season driver rankings #16: Palmer
2016 F1 season review
Posted onAfter taking a few races to play himself in Jolyon Palmer got on terms with team mate Kevin Magnussen’s pace but had a few scrapes along the way.
2016 F1 season driver rankings #17: Wehrlein
2016 F1 season review
Posted onPascal Wehrlein showed a good deal of promise at Manor and even scored a point. But he came under pressure from a new team mate later in the year.
2016 F1 season driver rankings #18: Massa
2016 F1 season review
Posted onFelipe Massa began his final season of Formula One well but by the end it was clear he’d chosen the right time to retire.
2016 F1 season driver rankings #19: Ocon
2016 F1 season review
Posted onEsteban Ocon drove for less than half the year after being promoted from the DTM but was coming on strong as the season ended.