Who are the best drivers currently in F1? [Archive]

Zico

1st June 2011, 20:25

Ok, I know the quickest teams paint a different picture from reality but based on performances vs team-mates and driving style.. who do you think the top 5 drivers in F1 are and what do you think the ultimate pairing would be?

(In no particular order) I really rate.. Alonso, Hamilton, Rosberg, Vettel and Kobayashi.

Button narrowly missed out and Kubica would have been in the top five but due to his current condition I had to leave him out.

As a pairing I think Hamilton/Button is the best currently in F1 in terms of working as a team, but I would love to see Hamilton paired with Kobayashi (to give him his big break) or Rosberg/Vettel to see who was the quickest.

Of the rookies, Di-Resta and Perez look like they could achieve a lot if they were with the right team.

Another thing I would like to see (if it could be done) is one whole season every 5 years.. F1 being a 1 make series as It would allow us to see how the drivers compared.

Would love to make this a poll but I cant find where/how to do it..

Opinions?

pino

1st June 2011, 20:42

Alonso, Vettel, Hamilton, Button & Trulli :p :

Garry Walker

1st June 2011, 21:24

Alonso and Hamilton are the two best drivers.

odykas

1st June 2011, 21:36

Alonso and Vettel for me.

Trulli is the best donkey :p :

Brown, Jon Brow

1st June 2011, 22:06

steveaki13

2nd June 2011, 00:02

I think Vettel, Alonso and Hamilton are at the top in terms of raw speed.

Mia 01

2nd June 2011, 00:21

Sebastian, a fair and very fast driver.
Fernando, a fast driver with a helper in Felipe.
Button, way to underestimated.

keysersoze

2nd June 2011, 04:02

keysersoze

2nd June 2011, 04:18

1. Vettel: just dominant
2. Alonso: Massa ain't no slouch neither
3. Hamilton: a beast most of the time, but Button is too close for me to put him second
4. Button: since leaving Brawn, he has REALLY impressed me
5. Webber: Vettel making him look ordinary, but he's not
6. Rosberg: next first time winner
7. Massa: I believe in him
8. Michael Schumacher: getting to grips with his teammate
9. Rubens: can still win
10. Petrov: I'm one of the few on his bandwagon
11. Kobayashi: a better racer than qualifier
12. Kovalainen: will end Trulli's career (and Trulli is quick)
13. Heidfeld: better racer than qualifier
14. Glock: a warrior who is starting to get frustrated
15. di Resta: will continue to climb
16. Perez: impressive start, yet a bit inconsistent
17. Buemi: starting to assert himself
18. Sutil: star is fading, but still may have something for diResta
19. Trulli: talented but, I believe, not determined
20. Alguesuari: was closer to Buemi last season
21. Maldonado: dominated GP2, excelled at Monaco
22. Jerome: not bad considering his equipment
23. Liuzzi: needs to keep a positive attitude in his situation
24: Narain: I can't spell his last name (not as bad as we think)

555-04Q2

2nd June 2011, 07:08

1. Alonso
2. Hamilton
3. Vettel

F1boat

2nd June 2011, 08:02

1. Alonso
2. Vettel
3. Hamilton
4. Button
5. Webber

The Black Knight

2nd June 2011, 09:59

Alonso and Hamilton are the two best drivers.

Hamilton and Alonso would be my top drivers, with Hamilton just tipping Alonso.

I'd rate Vettel 3rd and Rosberg would be 4th.

Kubica would be up there as well if he was racing in F1.

Vettel is a great driver but he still has to show me that he is on the level of Hamilton and Alonso. I don't think he is, but I'm open that he might be. His car advantage is making him look better than he is.

yodasarmpit

2nd June 2011, 10:21

1. Alonso/Hamilton
2. Vettel
3. Webber/Button
99. Massa

jens

2nd June 2011, 22:29

Current Top5? For me it seems quite obvious: Alonso, Vettel, Hamilton, Rosberg and Button. After them Webber may still hold onto P6, but Kobayashi is very much threatening to take it away from him.

Talking about 2011 alone - regardless of what people think about the car advantage, Vettel has been the best driver of the season so far. Alonso (China), Rosberg (Malaysia), Hamilton (Malaysia, Monaco) have all had their underperformances, which cannot be said about Seb. But season is still long, which can bring its setbacks.

Alonso and Hamilton are the two best drivers.

Wow, something unusual has happened. Garry Walker mentioning Alonso among the best drivers. :p :

19. Trulli: talented but, I believe, not determined

I have been disappointed about Trulli's qualifying pace and it looks like he has lost his edge there (I miss those spectacular hot-laps from him) or he is simply setting his car up differently nowadays as quali doesn't matter any more. But if you have followed GP's well, Trulli has actually outraced Kovalainen in the last three races. The gap between them has been small, but it is noteworthy considering he seems to be universally considered as a "finished article" by now.

N4D13

2nd June 2011, 22:55

Alonso and Hamilton are tied for me. Maybe Alonso would come in first, as I believe he's a little bit more consistent, but it's not a great difference at all. Then Vettel, then Rosberg, and no clue about who would be the 5th one.

Kobayashi is rather overrated, though - his overtaking is spectacular, but is he really that fast?

Cooper_S

3rd June 2011, 00:03

Vettel, Alonso, Hamilton are the best of the active drivers

Button, Webber, Massa, Rosberg are good but not quite the equal of the above.

Kubica before his accident would have been included in the best of the active drivers category.

Schumacher was in the best but he is clearly past his prime.

there are many drivers in the one to watch' but it is too early to say for sure.

SGWilko

3rd June 2011, 11:30

I'd Say Alonso is right there in terms of being at the top of his game, having been in the mix at the top for the longest.

Vettel and Hamilton are very much still on the up, albeit on a par with Fred.

JB and MW are nearing the end of their peak, but are still there or thereabouts. Massa - I think his own team have just about sucked all the will out of him now.

Nico - hard to judge - better than the Shoe, but thus far not had the machinery to show us what he can really do.

Perez, Koby, DiResta are the new guard.

wedge

3rd June 2011, 15:19

In no particular order Hamilton, Vettel, Alonso are creme de la creme.

Sarah

4th June 2011, 11:15

Alonso
Hamilton
Vettel

IceWizard

4th June 2011, 16:41

1) Alonso
2) Hamilton
3) Vettel
4) Button
5) Webber

Zico

5th June 2011, 19:00

I certainly agree that Button and Hamilton is the best team combination.

If all cars were equal then over one lap the order would be:

1) Hamilton
2) Vettel
3) Alonso
4) Rosberg
5) Button
6) Webber
7) Massa
8) Kobayashi
9) Heidfeld
10) Schumacher
11) Kovalainen
12) Barrichello
13) Di Resta
14) Sutil
15) Trulli
16) Glock
17) Liuzzi
18) Buemi
19) Perez
20) Petrov
21) Maldonado
22) Alguersuari
23) d'Ambrosio
24) Karthikeyan

Although being the fastest over one lap doesn't make you the best GP driver.

Yes, quickest over one lap doesn't make you the best but I dont know how some of you have such a comprehensive list in terms of who 'is' quickest, I couldn't or wouldn't dare as Im pretty sure there would be too many surprises if the opportunity for it to happen arose.. Is it just me who would be interested in seeing one make chassis event once a year?.. Im surprised Bernie hasn't thought of it. :D

Most of you agree (pretty much) about the top five which is all I was wondering.

harvick#1

5th June 2011, 19:06

Vettel, Hamilton, Alonso.

I'm putting Vettel first because while his car is been fast, hes consistently showing the raw pace that Webber cant do with the car. he knows how to push a car in Q-times and thats a huge advantage for race. Hamilton is alot more aggressive, while Alonso was in his prime in 05-06. but he could not get around Petrov last year with a championship on the line, dont think hes the best current driver just from that

Hawkmoon

6th June 2011, 06:20

Interesting to see the amount of love Rosberg gets. I don't really rate him.

For me, Alonso is the best. He's driven cars of various quality and put them in places that they probably shouldn't have been. Vettel and Hamilton haven't done that to the same extent but there have been glimpses. Hamilton in the woeful '09 McLaren and Vettel in the '08 STR.

Arjuna

6th June 2011, 09:14

24) Karthikeyan

24: Narain: I can't spell his last name (not as bad as we think)

So everyone rates Narain Karthikeyan is the slowest driver?

Come on, chak de Narain!.. If you can't outperform Mark Webber, try to get close to Jarno or Jaime.. pick up more rubber.. ;)

MrJan

6th June 2011, 09:46

Alonso, Hamilton and Vettel are a cut above, closely followed by Kubica. Jense and Webber I place a bit behind, certainly Jenson is a great driver but sometimes lacks the cutting edge. I've always said that to be a great driver/champion you kinda need to be a bit of a *******. Schumacher, Senna & Alonso are all good examples, as are riders like Rossi and Lorenzo in MotoGP.

I'm also interested to see what the future holds for a few drivers. E.G I'd be interested to see Sutil in a top team and Di Resta also (didn't expect him to come into a team that AS has been in for years and start beating him).

jens

6th June 2011, 20:49

I'm also interested to see what the future holds for a few drivers. E.G I'd be interested to see Sutil in a top team and Di Resta also (didn't expect him to come into a team that AS has been in for years and start beating him).

I don't think Sutil has any kind of future in a top team. He'd be fortunate to hang onto the Force India drive.

ioan

6th June 2011, 21:11

Interesting to see the amount of love Rosberg gets. I don't really rate him.

There is nothing to rate about him either. He's had 4 or 5 OK races in over 5 seasons, he's not spectacular, he's not as fast as Seb or Lewis, his race craft is not to be seen. And his father was a F1 WDC. That's pretty much it.

jens

6th June 2011, 21:32

There is nothing to rate about him either. He's had 4 or 5 OK races in over 5 seasons, he's not spectacular, he's not as fast as Seb or Lewis, his race craft is not to be seen. And his father was a F1 WDC. That's pretty much it.

And yet you think Schumacher is doing fine and should stay at Mercedes,.while he is struggling against an 'average driver'? Shouldn't Mercedes seek for top talent and hire a new young gun alongside Rosberg to find a new superstar if in your view Nico is not that?

For me it is always amusing to see people downplaying the team-mates of their favourite drivers. IMO this is a paradox, because in doing so they make "their driver" look in a worse light as well.

ioan

6th June 2011, 22:47

And yet you think Schumacher is doing fine and should stay at Mercedes,.while he is struggling against an 'average driver'? Shouldn't Mercedes seek for top talent and hire a new young gun alongside Rosberg to find a new superstar if in your view Nico is not that?

For me it is always amusing to see people downplaying the team-mates of their favourite drivers. IMO this is a paradox, because in doing so they make "their driver" look in a worse light as well.

Maybe instead of slagging MS you can show us something great about Rosberg?! Oh wait there is nothing great about Nico Rosberg and you're just a hurt fanboy.

I judge Rosberg for what he achieved in F1 and for being a so so young driver.
I also judge MS for what he achieved in f1 and for doing a good job given his age and all.
And all in all you can not compare their achievements unless you think that 91 to 0 is useful.

jens

6th June 2011, 22:55

Maybe instead of slagging MS you can show us something great about Rosberg?! Oh wait there is nothing great about Nico Rosberg and you're just a hurt fanboy.

Me and Rosberg fanboy? :p :

Nothing great? Well, Nico was actually fighting for a victory at the Chinese Grand Prix until MB ran short of fuel. Qualifying 3rd in Turkey was also a nice showing. Relatively consistent Top5/Top6 finishes in 2010 in a 4th and at times 5th best car, finishing only 2 points behind Massa by the end of the season.

ioan

6th June 2011, 23:09

Nothing great? Well, Nico was actually fighting for a victory at the Chinese Grand Prix until MB ran short of fuel.

Huh?

Fighting for the win? And still finishing only 5th? Strange perception of reality.
Why is that he was the only one running short of fuel? Maybe he used to much of it to give the impression that he is faster than he really was? Or did he destroy his tires in the process also?

So 5th place is a great achievement? That's why Rosberg is so 'great'? Maybe now you understand Hawkmoon's astonishment.

MrJan

6th June 2011, 23:10

I don't think Sutil has any kind of future in a top team. He'd be fortunate to hang onto the Force India drive.

Both the Force India drivers are pretty decent, that car is a dog. I don't think either of them will get the breaks to get into a top team but that's sadly how F1 works. Compared to some of the guys in 'better' teams I think that both AS and PdR could pull in some results.

rjbetty

7th June 2011, 06:22

Roamy

7th June 2011, 09:24

alonso vettel hamilton and rosberg is the sleeper

Dave B

7th June 2011, 09:24

Maybe instead of slagging MS you can show us something great about Rosberg?! Oh wait there is nothing great about Nico Rosberg and you're just a hurt fanboy.

All we can say about Rosberg is that he's won two competitive championships on his way to F1, and with the exception of his debut year has outscored all his team-mates. That's not too shabby!

Of course Schumacher has a better record, and it's unlikely we'll see it beaten in our generation; but at the moment Rosberg is performing better.

Roamy

7th June 2011, 09:30

I think rosberg is capable of winning - that is a big difference when looking through the field.

rjbetty

7th June 2011, 10:14

Drivers ranked into groups of how I currently rate them:

Hamilton
Alonso
Vettel

Kubica
Button
Rosberg

Webber
Massa
Barrichello
Kovalainen

Schumacher
di Resta
Trulli
Glock
Heidfeld
Sutil
Kobayashi
Petrov
Buemi

Liuzzi
Maldonado
Alguersuari
Perez
D'Ambrosio
Karthikeyan

MrJan

7th June 2011, 10:54

Drivers ranked into groups of how I currently rate them:

Hamilton
Alonso
Vettel

Kubica
Button
Webber

Rosberg
Massa
Barrichello
Kovalainen
Schumacher
di Resta
Glock
Heidfeld
Sutil
Kobayashi
Petrov

Trulli
Buemi
Liuzzi
Maldonado
Alguersuari
Perez
D'Ambrosio
Karthikeyan

I'd make a few changes to that. Personally I don't rate Rosberg much and, at the risk of a ban, I think that Trulli is well past it....and he was only ever a midfielder anyway.

rjbetty

7th June 2011, 12:18

Actually, I now agree with the above more than my own post!

Zico

7th June 2011, 14:44

Re: Opening post on thread

Kobayashi one of the top 5, ahead of Button? You serious?
Spectacular driving style does not mean fast. I'm glad to see more than 1 person here isn't falling for that illusion!

You may be a Mathew Wilson supporter :p , but are right. Kobay does have his own strengths but I think I put his style, hunger and overtaking ability above pace and so maybe it's unfair/unrealistic of me to put him ahead of a fast and smooth Button.

ioan

7th June 2011, 19:08

All we can say about Rosberg is that he's won two competitive championships on his way to F1, and with the exception of his debut year has outscored all his team-mates. That's not too shabby!

Of course Schumacher has a better record, and it's unlikely we'll see it beaten in our generation; but at the moment Rosberg is performing better.

Sure however I wonder why as soon as someone points out that Rosberg is not same level with Vettel, Alonso and Hamilton the discussion turns into an MS bash fest.
If a fan can not come up with worthy points that prove that his favorite is that great than what is the use to start bashing his team mate?

ioan

7th June 2011, 19:10

I think rosberg is capable of winning ...

90% of them are given the right situation.

Malbec

7th June 2011, 19:22

Sure however I wonder why as soon as someone points out that Rosberg is not same level with Vettel, Alonso and Hamilton the discussion turns into an MS bash fest.
If a fan can not come up with worthy points that prove that his favorite is that great than what is the use to start bashing his team mate?

Rosberg is in a difficult position isn't he? After all he's beating MS regularly but people aren't talking about how well Rosberg is doing but about how bad MS is.

I think Rosberg has done pretty well to put that car up where it doesn't belong several times this season and while I've had doubts about him especially regarding his motivation before, I think he's maturing nicely.

Kobayashi is also underrated by many because his overtaking attracts attention but that isn't what marks him out, its his racecraft. For those who talk about his 'lack of pace' in Spain he matched Perez in terms of laptime for the first half of the race. Nothing special perhaps except Perez was on softs and Kobayashi was on hards, supposedly more than a second a lap slower. This season he has impressed me a lot by being the only driver to finish in the top ten at every race who isn't at RBR, McLaren or Ferrari.

The top three are easy to pick out, its Vettel, Hamilton and Alonso in no particular order. There are many drivers immediately behind them of which Rosberg and Kobayashi are interesting because they are still improving. Drivers like Webber in the twilight of their career may be equal to them currently but they won't in a few seasons.