Ranking the 2024 F1 Drivers

[@selder_7]

In before the Zhou triple win streak dates this video

[@Aldas001]

Justice 4 Zhou

[@Nebula_Ultra]

WAY before

[@not_super_street]

And then he will still have scored fewer points than Valtteri while they’ve been teammates…

[@thysniffer]

@@not_super_street Bottas is a fantastic driver no shame whatsoever ever losing to him

[@Cabashy]

Haha p8

[@RaskarKapaq]

I just want to see a real title fight between Max and Charles, those first three 2022 races were awesome

[@dylanburston7453]

And the couple we got in 2019

[@Jayxclusive44]

Throw in Lewis in the mix and the mclaren boys…if we have does 5 drivers going for it in 2025 it’s gonna be amazing 🎉

[@Jout8-re1ij]

@@Jayxclusive44 Even, when Mclaren has the best car on the grid. Both of the drivers dont seem good enough to achieve the Championship. I want to see Alonso also there battling for it with improved Aston Martin car thanks to Newey.

[@benjaminfriedrich2712]

Mercedes will come back to their best days. The team has got elite mentality and will get better again after the last few years. I‘ll see George Russell in the title fight and winning it.

[@richy69ify]

Awesome until he hit the curb and spun at Imola. He knew it, that must have scarred.

[@superkubus-nk8lb]

Sainz is the jenson button of our time, great driver, but to be the champion he needed that brawn gp difference, a car a bit above the rest and a teammate on a bit lower level than him. If williams gets the 2026 regulations on the brawn, merc 2014, or rb 2010, and 2022 level he would become the next champion

[@kakmaster6945]

If rb didn't exist in 2011 he'd have been champion.

[@EntropicExergy]

Williams is not going to do that, they are so far behind, not a chance.

[@superkubus-nk8lb]

@@EntropicExergy i know, just making a comparision, i think no one was expecting brawn, formerly a honda to be the dominatior in 09, jenson just was there at the best time

[@superkubus-nk8lb]

@@kakmaster6945 true, but already being a champion gives a big morale boost to drivers, after you get that title you become even better, since you have been assured that you are the best, and you no longer fear that you might not be good enough

[@EntropicExergy]

@@superkubus-nk8lb Honda was in fact the reason that Brawn won, it was a Honda engineer that first had the idea for the double diffuser.

[@BenjMenace]

Latifi catching strays with that category bruh

[@vanmantalksMetal]

Stroll has been trying to prove himself for 7 years. He still hasn’t done it

[@kristoffer3000]

He has proven himself... to be an utter moron unworthy of being in the sport.

[@Aldas001]

Here's to the next 7 years

[@ronintje7647]

He can't be a tier higher either as he won't be replaced.

[@thekingslayer5575]

Stroll should be a latifi as he has very well proven that in the last race at sao paulo.

[@PetruStefan25]

He's doing some stupid mistakes but people should remind who is his teammate and remember that he's doing better than Vandoorne and other drivers before 2010 and he's doing on par against him if we compare to Massa during 2010-13 or even comparing to what Kimi did in 2014, that doesn't mean Stroll is at their level but he's so overhated and the good things that he's doing are under the shadow of the stupid things

[@ajinkyakhanzode890]

I absolutely agree with putting Charles in the top tier! This year from Charles reminds me of Max in 2019, just getting rid of the mistakes and becoming the all round great driver who can create magical races and crucially able to go wheel to wheel with Max!! His win in Monza and his save in Mexico were the highlights of his season for me!

[@nathancorfield2609]

For me his best ever drive went under the radar, Zandvoort this year. That Ferrari had no pace compared to the mclaren, yet in the first stint he stayed on piastri's gearbox the whole time. In the second he kept the mclaren rocketship behind to hold on for a podium that Charles before the race he said it needed a miracle

[@youngwasabi209]

I would agree if you only count 2024. This is very very strong. But 2023 was not that good, that I would put him in the same tier as Max. Max dominated last year in a dominant car and he shows that he is the best in the third fastest car in 2024

[@Bananananananannananananna]

That Mexico save was a jumpscare for me. I screamed in horror when i saw that lol.

[@Eriksen-wp3tv]

​@@youngwasabi209 Why yall need to say Max is the best everytime, really? Like we don't know that already

[@superkubus-nk8lb]

​@@youngwasabi209you are as good as your last race, or the season in this case. Last year, and two years ago he struggled hard with his car especially when he had to go to overdrive, this year he is much more calm and collected and he hardly makes big mistakes. In Brasil he was able to keep verstappen behind, despite max just cutting through the field, and having clearly slower car (that ferrari really isn't good in wet)

[@sikanderhumedkhan6037]

Charles and max are on a different level

[@y_fam_goeglyd]

Do you mean compared to everyone else, or should be ranked differently? I'm not being flippant, your statement can be read equally either way. (I do think he's a fantastic driver, btw. This is an honest question about your opinion. Whatever it is, you're entitled to it!)

[@Jout8-re1ij]

@@y_fam_goeglyd Who said you were flippant by the way?😂🤦‍♂️

[@The_ZeroLine]

Charles is having a great season. Only Max has been better. But he hasn’t been under the pressure of being in the fight this season. He fell apart in 2022 when he was and got outscored by drivers in worse cars last season. So, not sure how you can say he is on a different level.

[@federicob9103]

Colapinto in the same tier as Stroll and Zhou is crazy. If you take his crashes into account, then Albon should be at least one tier down.

[@footballandf1fan523]

Massively agree on Leclerc, definitely his best and most complete season so far and it feels like he’s ready to take the fight to anyone if he’s given the adequate machinery, he’s cut out the silly mistakes and has been remarkably consistent even when Ferrari haven’t been, think 2025 could be his year.

[@dylanburston7453]

There never really were any to begin with, tbh. He made the least amount of mistakes in 2022, he made probabaly the 2nd least in 2023, losing only to max (who was 40 seconds ahead whilst charles was locked in battles with Mercs, Astons and Mclarens) and hes made the least in 2024, just two, and one didnt even cost him a place.

[@junnananas]

he didn't make many mistakes in 2022 aside from imola and france (admittedly the second one was a big mistake, but having 2 races with clear points dropped due to driver error is not much in the grand scheme of a season, and it's not why he lost the wdc) 2023 he made more (though the final stretch of last season he was the best driver after max imho), but he seems to have improved since then and he's been very consistent this year

[@rulifaller8474]

@@dylanburston7453 I agree that the mistakes were not as many as is often suggested. They were big ones though, and clearly a result of the direct title pressure. Until he faces that kind of pressure again we do not know if those mistakes are gone. I also think that he can get a bit down when things are not going perfectly, so he does not always maximize the result. I would rate him as the second best driver for 2025 though, so if the Ferrari is clearly better than the RB he could do it, I would fancy him against Lewis and everyone else.

[@dylanburston7453]

@@rulifaller8474 Leclercs best performances have come under pressue. Spa and Monza 2019, Monaco and Monza 2024, and the final 3rd of 23, where he nearly dragged to Ferrari to 2nd in the constructors. If he gets better with pressure for the championship, as he does with individual races/ fighting for a competitive 2nd, then i hope we get a battle with Max, because that would be absolute cinema

[@rulifaller8474]

@ That is not must win kind of title pressure, sorry but it really is not. It is would be great if you win but does not matter if you do not kind of pressure. In the races you mention he showed that he is a fantastic driver, other than some Sainz fans no one would deny that. But he only had they real title pressure in the first half of 2022, and then he made some big mistakes. Not many, but completely unnecessary and big.

[@dettikantor4357]

Completely agree with Max and Charles being in the best of the best

[@NicotineRosberg]

Let ppl watch the video without spoilers ffs

[@kristoffer3000]

@@NicotineRosberg Don't read the comments before you watch the video, Dumbo

[@edmardenosta5006]

Gordon ramsay went to las vegas gp and now hes ranking f1 drivers.

[@AlphaBet4]

Putting Zhou in the same tier as Colapinto is diabolical. Franco has shown more in 4 races than Zhou in 3 years. Also I think Albon and Perez could be dropped, but otherwise a solid tierlist

[@Aldas001]

Franco has also had a better car in 4 races than Zhou has had in like 2 or so years

[@Jayxclusive44]

@@Aldas001 I’m here to disagree with Aldas…Colapinto doesn’t have anything to prove more than lawson or bearman none of them have outperformed him…In respect to the point on his crashes, he’s been cleaner than Albon who has had more costly crashes than him…Lastly as a rookie he’s been close to and at times beaten his quality midfield driver teammate where as Zhou has been dominated for 3 years by a driver that is solid but replaceable…He’s already proven he deserves to be in F1.

[@PetruStefan25]

​@@Aldas001I completely disagree, Alfa Romeo in 2022 especially in first 8-9 races was 4-5th car on the grid, Williams was never since 2016 at the level of that Alfa Romeo . Zhou with that car scored points only in some races where many Top cars didn't finished because of problems. Meanwhile Bottas was best of the rest and a consistent Top 7 finisher in first races of that season. Colapinto jumped in that car after the summer break, he didn't even had a week to get on the car properly and he performed great since his first week and also proved that Albon is not that good as people thought only because he was demolishing Latifi and Sargeant in H2H.

[@utkarshbagri6443]

@@Aldas001 if we get into a teammate comparison w alex and bottas being of similar caliber, franco has gotten much closer to albon than zhou has to bottas despite the lack of experience

[@The_ZeroLine]

Colapinto is the only driver I disagreed with him on his rankings. I think OP is driving like a quality midfield driver, but I get why he put him where he did.

[@Caligula1488]

How is Max not in his own tier? I'm sorry but 43 year old Fernando Alonso was not on the same level as Max Verstappen this year, Lewis Hamilton has been awful at times too. Leclerc was probably the second best driver this year, but even he isn't in the same tier as Max, he's far closer to Lando and George than he is to Max.

[@anamarijakapac778]

True

[@The_ZeroLine]

He had too few tiers. Charles, Fernando and Lewis all deserve to be on their own tier alone below Max and above the borderline champions category. Don’t forget though, this is based on the past two seasons. In 2023 they beat every driver not in an RBR. And FA is P9 in a garbage car this season. He has more points than both Haas drivers combined in a worse car.

[@CommanderGinyu]

Even Charles had quite a few stinkers in the middle of the season. His year was far from flawless.

[@itzjasoneldridge]

Max, Charles, & George are the top 3, hands down.

[@kokushibo7464]

💯

[@alessandro88-g9h]

@itzjasoneldridge Russell top 3? Good joke 🤣 he is not a WC material

[@richy69ify]

@@alessandro88-g9h If Russell had the 2014 2015 2016 Mercedes he would've won all 3 titles. Those cars only dropped 1 pole per year. In 2023 Red Bull dropped EIGHT poles.

[@trueultimagod2465]

@@alessandro88-g9h Beat Lewis in 2022 and despite his horrible luck and dq this season, beating Lewis again in 2024. Think you need to have a word with yourself, setup excuses don't count, no driver has the same setup, the car is the same it's who sets it up the best for there driving style and gets the best out of it.

[@alessandro88-g9h]

@@trueultimagod2465 that’s because he is beating Hamilton does not mean that he is WC material, it shows that Hamilton is overrated

[@racing1000]

How can Lewis be ahead of George even though George is ahead of Lewis in the championship despite a massive points swing due to the Spa DSQ?

[@thejman99]

He said he’s also taking into account last year to reduce some recency bias and get a larger sample size

[@Glenntbm]

​@@thejman99bearman he did one race for ferrari and one race for haas and yet you put him on the same level as K-mag. Hamilton is only fast when he has a car that outperforms everyone else

[@Aldas001]

As said in the video I judge drivers over a 2 years period, in the same vein Lewis dominated George last year by an even bigger margin which I also take into account. If Lewis doesn’t improve next year there’s no way I’ll be able to put him in the same tier this time next year

[@Bananananananannananananna]

Its not just 2024, hes accounting for 23 and maybe 22..? Idk.

[@TristenFerrier-Barnes]

But does it not balance out?? Lewis comfortably beat george last yr this yr other way round? Coming from a george fan but yk​@Aldas001

[@BPBomber]

Aldas is a borderline champion F1 pundit. The brilliance of this channel is still underrated.

[@mladenbanovic3902]

Agree 100%. Also I have a hot take: Lec, Sai, Rus, Ham and Alo are ALL winning WDC ih that McLaren.

[@checkmichlinus7889]

I mean if they weren't fighting each other, than Yeah, absolutley

[@julienbrightwell]

Not even a hot take , lando is ass

[@manishv6932]

I don't think Sainz is winning it, but Russell definitely is.

[@Jayxclusive44]

@@manishv6932The opposite for me…i think sainz is more consistent and can handle the pressure better…though russell has a better single lap pace.

[@kristoffer3000]

@@manishv6932 Ain't no way Osama Bin Russell doesn't blow it. Sainz is underrated I think, very logical and clear thinking, good under pressure, all things Russell are not.

[@VenusDoom891]

The Leclerc rating in interesting but saying that, it seems Max does have more respect from him than the likes of Lando - it reminds me of how Mika Hakkinen got Michael's respect over the likes of Hill, Montoya, Villeneuve etc.

[@Boostaddict11]

I think in Brazil max even said he was quite decent compared to everyone else. He was struggling to pass him so I’d say he’s definitely top 3 drivers this season. Very good qualifier and even great race pace but sainz has put some pressure on him which I feel like keeps him down a notch.

[@metamonogatari3139]

Gasly is underrated I feel, last few races he got equally as many points as Perez I saw as a stat, in a really struggling Alpine

[@RickRuckus]

Putting Nando and Lewis in the same tier as Max in 24 is borderline insane

[@The_ZeroLine]

He said this is based on the 2 seasons: LH + FA beat everyone non-RBR driver in 2023 despite not having the 2nd best car. Right now, FA is 9th in the WDC w/ one of the worst cars on the grid. Lewis, yeah that just be to avoid angry cultists. OTH, he only has one less win than Norris despite Lando having the car for nearly 70% of the season. And he’s only what 8 points behind GR despite struggling. Since he crushed GR last season, it’s maybe fair for him to stay above him.

[@The_ZeroLine]

I’ll just add that no one is on Max’s level. But if Charles gets placed on that tier, then it’s not “borderline insane.”

[@CF_Racing]

leclerc finally gets the recognition he deserves

[@todd.sherley]

Lewis has been beaten by George pretty consistently. So they should both be in the same tier at very least.

[@ey1615]

Yeah the Lewis glazing is insane. It's like still putting Vettel above Leclerc in 2020 just because he had a successful career. Russell has had a lot of bad luck this year yet still overtook Lewis in the standings again and has had a very clear advantage over him in both race & especially qualifying H2H. It's pretty obvious that Russell has surpassed him.

[@dh41005]

Lewis Hamilton has been no where near Russell this year and Norris is demolishing his teammate so I’d say u should swap them. Norris has done brilliant and the fact that such minor mistakes have led to him losing wins and stuff just shows how close the grid is, not how bad of a driver he is

[@2555Edu]

in my humble opinion, the drivers that can challenge Max when given a good car are Charles, Lewis and Fernando, the mentality and thoughness these guys have are capable to put up a fight with Max

[@ey1615]

Lewis should beat his teammate first.

[@JustaRandomGuy890]

Colapinto in something to prove is INSANE

[@joshuabeckham2387]

Why isn't this video being made after the season. Like, when we actually need extra F1 content.

[@XsYoutube]

The disrespect to George is baffling to me He raced against 7 time WC Lewis Hamilton for 3 years which brings with it immense amounts of pressure in comparison to Norris who had Ricciardo and a Rookie, and definitely is having a better season than Charles this year How is Charles still considered a tier above

[@gamechip06]

Lol his raring is generous at best, especially with the ego hes building up against mv when hes got more wdcs than he has race wins.

[@superninjaracer9971]

Back then, Leclerc was overrated. Now, he is one of the most complete drivers on the grid imo. He will fight against the McLarens next year.

[@PetruStefan25]

He was never overrated, this was always his level but this year the clown errors from the team which ruined so many amazing performances from him dissapeared. And that's making people to see his consistency, but he was always consistent in terms of performances

[@DanielFernandez-eo2ry]

Why is Colapinto two tiers below Albon when they have been evenly matched with everything that includes replacing a driver mid season lmao.

[@MimMdance]

1. Verstappen 2. Leclerc 3. Russell 4. Hamilton 5. Alonso 6. Sainz 7. Norris 8. Piastri

[@tcxtn3903]

i agree with your rankings. charles is ready, but he needs a consistent decent car (not necessarily the fastest) and a competent team that will back him like mercedes/hamilton and redbull/max

[@Lburt07]

Question: Why do you do these vids before the season end? 3 races could improve/decrease a drivers rating.

[@julienbrightwell]

No it doesn’t it does not change much

[@quigglyz]

So he’ll make a new video if that happens (it won’t)

[@Aldas001]

I don't feel like the last 3 races will really change my opinion enough on a driver to change their ranking especially given that I take the last 2 years into account. Also I've got a lot of other videos planned already for the off season so I tend to get this video out just before the season ends

[@WilliamTheBoo]

I think this will age like milk. I would wait until the end of the season. But it's your ranking

[@The_ZeroLine]

People keep ignoring this list is based on 23/24: in 2023 FA + LH beat every driver not in an RBR + FA is P9 w/an awful car + has more points than Haas’ drivers combined in a worse car.

[@Rikinbili13]

Crazy how many errors Charles made when he was battling max but Lando only makes a couple maybe four or five and he’s under Charles

[@negsterarchive7911]

How have you put Perez so high

[@losblancos384]

I think Russel underrated

[@beatrizvallim-ef9rs]

Colapinto with Zhou and Stroll? This doesn't make any sense

[@AIDISO24]

I don’t understand how Stroll gets a pass when he comes down on Albon. The calming effect that Alex has had on Williams is undeniable and they perform better each season he drive for them.

[@LPChipi]

Silly question, but why not wait for the season to end? Seems pointless to do it with 3 races to go

[@ey1615]

Guy is either an idiot or desperate for content farming so he can do the same video again after AD.

[@avivana4556]

Perez and Stroll should have been in the latifi tier. Totally worthless drivers that don’t deserve a place on the grid

[@starcraftyschannel1926]

K Mags return in 2022 was so great, and he ruined Mick Schumacher, complete dominated him , cheers Kev 🍻

[@gold6813]

Only to be dominated by Hulk

[@Arado_Missile]

That stroll review still should be latifi tier regardless, bc what he’s proven to us is that ppl who take no accountability for their own mistakes and blame others for their crashes shouldn’t even be inside of the cockpit, keep in mind that his f3 season he was supposedly driving a tuned car in a spec series whilst supposedly getting extra training time in a Williams simulator and was always let through by his teammate and as a result won the f3 championship by a huge margin.

[@DrErlkönig]

Ocon better then gasly this season, for real? I know gaslys start was not great but just look at the Championship!

[@Baz_0_4]

Charles Leclerc is the Hakkinen to Max’s Schumacher. Hopefully we get to see it as a title fight in the future.

[@s_m_exist]

Such a solid list. The opinions said about Charles, Oscar and Ocon-Gasly were pretty accurate to the T. Personally, I would push Colapinto one tier up and Stroll one down andddd rename it as Latifi/Stroll....

[@haroldasraz]

Wait, Russel out-qualifies Lewis this year. Yet he is below in this list? LOL. Just look at some stats: F1 2024 head-to-head qualifying record: Mercedes Lewis Hamilton 5-16 George Russell. Sprint qualifying: Lewis Hamilton 1-4 George Russell. Even with disqualification, Russel is ahead in the championship. I know that not many fans like Russel, but let's be objective and give the lad his due for the work he has put in.

[@prajwalnavada7851]

9:23 aged well😂 although I still think it was just poor communication from all parties

[@shads929]

I don't think your ratings are bad .. but .... I do think your analysis is a bit too emotionally biased. In understanding what makes champions and potential champions most of us underestimate the importance of mental fortitude. This shows itself in consistency and the ability to do the best with the car and circumstances given or earned, (if you're lucky). Dare I say F1 has had many champions where their crowns were do more to the cars and teams than their exceptional long term prowess. Of course the overall balance of many factors over time is an ever changing dynamic but it will always be fun trying to predict the future based on the past. I think it would be great to do what you did here with the drivers with the teams and the cars and their seasonal development. After 60 years of following F1 and many other forms of racing, IMHO ... right now, nobody is in Max Verstappen's class. The next tier is very close with LeClair, Sainz, Norris, Russell and maybe Piastri. Next level .. Hamilton & Alonso. Sorry, but as an old fart I want their futures to be as good as their pasts, but really doubt they will. As far as my list of who is ready to go and make way for some of the very good young prospects like Drugovich and Pourchaire my list is: Stroll, (won't happen soon), Perez, (has no regrets), Bottas, (already checked out), Guanyu, ($$), Magnussen, ( can't win on emotions) and Ocon, (defense does not win championships). I won't mention my boarder liners as I'm pretty sure this list has already pissed off a lot of people😆 (I won't even mention my top 5 GOATs)🙃 Thanks for the video...

[@stevenwitts6968]

Perez was outqualified by Sargeant! He was midfield 4 years ago.

[@The_ZeroLine]

I love how you make rational ratings rather than judging everything based on the last weekend or even session like so many fans and media these days.

[@matthewkirbitson7688]

Not just hating on Lance for no reason, but after 8 years in the sport, 166 entered GP’s, the now most experienced Canadian F1 driver and you’re telling me that Lance Stroll still has “something to prove” is completely incorrect in my opinion. He has good and bad races like any driver and we all know why he has a seat but most importantly, we know what level this guy operates at in comparison with his experience and with this as a factor in mind, is not acceptable at all. Yes I don’t like him but I believe this is fair and reasonable criticism.

[@tshepokgatle5620]

Hey Aldas. If you don't mind I don't want to focus on the drivers (Great video though😊). Great to see you back on KZbin. Hope you have rested well in Japan and everything is going fine from your side. P.S I'm jealous. You got to go to Japan🙃

[@elliotcook3853]

I have seen no evidence to prove piastri is better than ocon, gasly, or hulkenburg - why is he that high up?

[@bp8__163]

I think you nailed it with this video. Every take you said I agree with. Such a special time to be a F1 fan!

[@stonedage5087]

Charles was always a top tier driver, but didn't have the much needed stability provided by the team, in the same way that Max did. But of course this season, with a very good package, a much more predictable car to drive, and also smoother with the tyres, hes just able to push more through the races, and doesnt seem on the absolute edge like previous years. I believe george is going through a similar process with mercedes. Very difficult car to drive and to set up, in a team that is lacking identity at the moment, after losing key members over the years. But hes also showing that with the right people around him, a solid project and enough trust on his capabilities, he can be at the a very high level.

[@valentinafuffa535]

not trying to criticize what’s ultimately a subjective tier list, but I’ve got a few suggestions. the tier names feel a bit off, like lance stroll does deserve to be in that position in the list but the name being "something to prove" is funny for someone who's been in F1 for 7 years. also, having only one tier between the best of the best and the midfield seems odd. I’d add another tier for older champions, sainz, and russell. as for lando, he’s shown he might need a bit more time to be a borderline champion

[@sagarsrivastava3549]

Hey Aldas! Great video! I agree with most of your ranking but a few, here are my thoughts: 1) Lance Stroll: I think he should've been put in the "latifi" tier purely due to the fact that he's had so many chances to prove himself but hasn't done that yet. I wanna go ahead and say he's got a sense of security of not losing his seat even if he makes mistakes and I think this makes him complacent. 2) Lando Norris: I think he should've been put in "Something to Prove". I don't think he is taking the WDC fight as seriously as Max took it in 2020 and 2021. I think he messes up and then plays the victim card. 3) Lewis Hamilton: I think the same goes for lewis as well, with ferrari showing an upwards trend, I think he needs to show the mentality he's shown in the previous years.

[@jnl7196]

It’s possible the Red Bull is faster than the McLaren but Checo is just that bad this year…

[@oscarovegren]

I would swap Hulkenberg and Piastri and put Perez in latifitier honestly. but I agree with the rest. Ocon to solid maybe

[@anfini15]

i think you should rename tiers to S, A, B, C etc, for example sainz isnt a borderline champion but hes a A tier driver

[@markozizic9938]

He very much is a borderline champion. Only 5 hundreths of Leclerc in qualifying and in race trim this season on avarage.🤷‍♂️

[@Caligula1488]

@@markozizic9938 And Leclerc isn't a champion for a reason, he had the car in 2022 and 2024 but he wasn't even able to mount a title challenge.

[@junnananas]

@@Caligula1488 yeah why didn't leclerc win in spain, baku, monaco, or hungary in 2022? oh wait...

[@otusthenocturnal187]

​@@Caligula1488 Leclerc had the car in 2022? Mate, you're reaching... Yes he had the car for about a third of the season, and even during that time he had 2 mechanical DNFs that cost him almost guaranteed wins. As for this season, Ferrari have had the clear fastest car for maybe 3-4 races. Are you maybe watching a different championship to the rest of us?

[@PetruStefan25]

​@@markozizic9938That average means absolutely nothing because China Sprint, Silverstone when conditions became better in Q3 and Budapest as well are in favour of him, also the car was suiting on Sainz's style so many times this season and the fact that the Ferrari is completely different this year with the tyres and it takes more in qualy to bring them at a good temp it's against Leclerc but at least it's a great thing for the race

[@arielamadio8947]

Leclerc is every bit as capable as Verstappen to extract the most performance out of a car he's driving, it's just that he crumbles under pressure at times (see 2022). If there's a tier between the borderline champion and best of the best, I'd put him there slightly below Max but a cut above the others.

[@ManOfPillowDoom]

No way you put Perez in solid midfield driver when he literally struggles to get into the points let alone get into Q2 in the majority of this season...

[@richy69ify]

Last year Lewis got all his podiums except ONE. thanks to safety cars. George had a higher running position on average, but was unlucky. George has also been very unlucky this year.

[@icyveins21]

Finally someone giving Charles the respect he deserves! Top driver

[@Smithy2204]

Checo in a tier ahead of Bottas is so wrong

[@luis-gk9ri]

Okay i get the idea of putting Charles next to max, he had a great season and showed again and again that he is championship material. But as much as i love Fernando, you can't put him and Lewis in the same category as Verstappen, that is just straight up disrespecting his performance an constistency this year imo

[@Mr-sBinotto]

Giving Hamilton best of the best in a season he calle a nightmare and can't wait to be over is wild . Hamilton himself said that the season can't end soon enough for him

[@scoutisred6319]

Yuki's situation is a bit weird because while it does seem that they have no intention of promoting him, they did activate the clause in his contract and retained him so its a bit hard to see what theyre plans are for him

[@Matt04108]

He goes to Aston Martin when they are the only Honda team on the grid. The interesting thing to see will be if they have a clause in the contract that requires a Honda driver in the car, the same as at Red Bull.

[@TheUnsainted]

I don't think they have since Alonso extended his contract for 2025 and 2026. And while would like to see Lance get replaced I doubt it will happen

[@parkmia1752]

​@@TheUnsainted Yuki's clause is til 2026 if he meets the standards of his 2025 clause he gets another year

[@loftydog1120]

Biggest disagreements i have here are that George should be ahead of Lewis - or at least on the same level - and Checo has to be down on something to prove based on a long period of consistently terrible results without even a flash of a pulse. I have always loved Alonso, but i might drop him down 1, he did seem to take a few races off this year. I'm not gonna die on this hill, but i also think you have to drop Stroll down to Latifi....... yeah he's less incompetent, but after beaching it in Brazil he has to go. I mean, if the Latifi tier isn't for paid drivers that don't belong in F1, then what is it for?

[@Farigeri]

Perez should be in the Latifi tier

[@andreasandremyrvold]

Next season will be very interesting. With so much driver shuffles going on, and how close the constructor championship was it is kind of a wild guess. Verstappen, Norris, Leclerc, Hamilton and Russell are all viable for the championship, given the teams they will race for are still in the top flight. Lets hope their racing machines are on par.

[@ashish-tyagi]

i don't how checo has ended up in quality mid field driver while he was on pace out qualified by logan few times throught the season

[@username980]

W. I'm sick of this Colapinto glazing, Lawson and Bearman have shown more this year so far. Good to see someone looking at it more objectively in terms of his performance instead of looking at how marketable he is

[@mertcanhacfazloglu4862]

A very big Alonso fan here, he is definitely not top tier this year. Made too many unforced errors, possibly due to frustration of Aston being awful but still. Sainz was very good but nowhere close to a borderline champion. Russell is literally much better than Hamilton this year. Norris is much better than Piastri, they can't be in the same category. Perez is definitely not better than Bottas and doesn't belong in any category higher than Latifi.

[@JMRope]

Incorrect. Norris has not been much better than Piastri. Over the full year, maybe slightly better, but even ignoring the whole team orders debate Lando has been prioritised with updates so it is fair to expect he will get the better results. At times both drivers have been exceptional, and both have underperformed occasionally. On balance I think it is fair to say both could probably have done a bit better this year. Difference is that more is expected of Lando due to his experience.

[@usernamenotwrittenoutoflaz9865]

@@JMRope Head 2 Head between Lando and Oscar: 331-262 points 14-7 race 17-4 quali 16-4 fastest lap 3-2 wins 7-0 Lets compare that with Alonso v Stroll: 13-5 race 16-5 quali 14-5 fastest lap Now lets look at Nico v Kevin: 14-4 race 14-5 quali 7-11 fastest lap That is 2 of the most “onsided” pairings on the grid currently and the gap is somewhat similar to the gap between Lando and Oscar. Secondly Both Nico and Alonso has gotten upgrades prioritized as much as Lando has against his teammate. Now lets compare the H2H between another top tier duo where 1 driver is “clearly” superior aka Charles v Carlos: 291-244 points 12-6 races 13-7 quali 8-11 fastest lap 3-2 wins 3-1 poles In other words Carlos is closer to Charles than Oscar is to Lando. And for the people who say Oscar is only in his 2nd year then lets look at some other “future” WDC’s in their 2nd year: Charles v Vettel: 264-240 points 7-10 races 12-9 quali 9-12 fastest lap 2-1 wins 7-2 poles So Charles in his 2nd year was superior than Vettel, but Oscar in his 2nd year isn’t superior to Lando. Either Lando is better than Vettel or Oscar may not be that elite. Now lets look at 2nd year Lando against Sainz: 97-105 points 6-7 races 9-8 quali 6-9 fastest laps So Lando was just as fast as Sainz in his 2nd year(remember this was the weird Covid year so not much practice in the winter). So clearly Lando didn’t have a problem keeping up with Sainz like Oscar has with Lando. And lets be real Carlos has been slower than Charles but not by much so he is no slouch. Piastri is solid and his the right mentality, but his raw pace is not at the George, Lando and Charles level and will probably never be(Max is obviously in a different league of his own). Raw pace is already there in the 2nd year and it is usually mindset, tyre wear, racecraft etc. That you develop after a drivers 2nd year and not pure pace. Oscar has the mind of a champion but not the speed of one while Lando has the speed of a champion but the mind of a Stroll. Neither will be champions unless they sit in a far superior car like the 2022-23 RB, 14-16 and 19-20 Merc or the 2011/13 RB.

[@JMRope]

@@usernamenotwrittenoutoflaz9865 interesting point of view. Though I''m still not sure what it is. My comment was that Lando is not MUCH better. Quoting figures at me proves nothing. I've worked in statistics and data analysis for 30 years, and I can assure you that clever people can find data to support any argument. In your case, you have looked purely at results which doesn't tell the whole story. Lando could outqualify and finish ahead of Oscar at every race but if Oscar was less than a tenth off him in qualifying and right on his gearbox across the line each time they would still be closely matched. But most confusing is your final comment. You seem to conclude that neither Landoz nor Oscar have all the skills required of a top class driver with one having the raw pace and the other having the mental strenghts. So if neither are top level drivers does this not put them both at a similar level?

[@usernamenotwrittenoutoflaz9865]

@@JMRope Very well worded response and i somewhat agree with what you say. Piastri has obviously been consistently closer to Lando than say Stroll to Alonso. Usually he is 2 places behind him in quali which is not a massive gap, but in my opinion a big enough gap to conclude that he doesn’t have the raw pace of the greats of F1(Lewis, Kimi, Alonso, Vettel etc.) since they all showed their raw pace in their 2nd year if not their 1st or Landos raw pace may actually be really underrated(i consider his raw pace to be similar to some of the best to ever do it but as i stated he lacks a lot of the small things) I do agree that my last part was a bit confusing, but in my opinion Raw Pace > Mentality. The extra ability to communicate with your engineer regarding a strategy or execute a late dive is a bit meaningless if your teammate is ahead by 10 seconds. Someone like KMag has a really strong mentality and excellent tyre wear, but that doesn’t really matter in a head2head against Hulkenberg who is faster. At the same time i also believe that the mental side of F1/the small things(starts, feedback etc.) can be improved upon at a far superior rate than race pace. This follows my statements about most top tier drivers being at the best pace in their first 2ish seasons, but having later improved upon the extra things. I suppose what i tried to say is that Lando is the superior driver to Oscar this year and they can’t be put in the same tier(i actually think they lack an “Race contender” tier in the ranking where i would put Sainz and Oscar while Lando and George stay in their possible WDC winner tier). The extra point would probably be that i doubt Oscar will ever be much better than Lando due to the historical precedent of drivers finding their maximum pace in their first 2ish years. If i had to do a historic driver comp between the 2 i would write Lando down as a Hakkinen ish driver and Piastri as a Button ish driver. This would be my best case scenarios for Lando’s and Oscar’s careers.

[@JMRope]

@@usernamenotwrittenoutoflaz9865 Fair enough. Personally I don't agree that Lando would be at the level of Hakkinen. I admit I didn't pay close attention to Hakkinen prior to his first championship but I don't think he was making the same sort of mistakes. Yes Lando can work on these issues but how long might that take him? I don't think it is unreasonable to expect a driver to have overcome these little problems after 6 years. But then you equate Oscar to Button, who did win a WDC but you don't think Oscar will?. I guess you rate Hakkinen as a superior driver to Button. If I am honest I probably would agree with that but I am sure many might see those two as equal. Not sure how old you are but would you rate Senna and Prost equally? I don't think many would argue that Senna had more raw pace but I believe Prost was the better driver overall. If the current points system had been in place when Prost was racing he would be a seven times world champion with one of those extra titles being at the expense of Senna. Prost brought the car home when Senna would drive it flat out even if that meant it wouldn't go the distance. But then again the cars are so reliable these days maybe that quality is no longer as important as it was 40 years ago.

[@diegolarrache]

Mostly agree with you, but with colapinto you were spot on! cheers from Argentina.

[@andreicranga14]

Max did not lose any points from Lando partly because McLaren gifted him some points and partly because he was a total A-hole and just focused on ruining Lando's races and also took advantage of the fact that Lando did not really afford any crashes. This is not a guy I would ever consider a worthy champion. But nevertheless he is incredibly ruthless and Lando should copy him for 2025, hopefully the car performance trend will be similar.

[@ForzaFerrari1789]

I agree with you putting Charles on Best of the Best, He was so Consistent this season, only thing he needs is a Decent and fast car next year and I believe he can win the WCC

[@dude35124]

If Max isn’t in his own tier, I think the only drivers that could be in the same tier right now are Leclerc and maybe Norris. This coming from a Sainz fan

[@EatingHaaland]

Criminal opinion

[@As-qz5lr]

Solid list

[@TheJamonLance]

I am eager to see how Lewis compares to Leclerc. It could be very disappointing for either of the fanbases, or be quite equal, alas I think with Charles knowing the car and team, the first year will be really hard for Lewis.

[@supermerio8335]

Last year your evaluations/predictions went pretty well

[@pabloruedaarzoz8065]

Great list honestly, I would change some things though. Pérez should 100% be in the Stroll Zhou tier, he has been a disaster for far to long an until he goes to a team and performs, he has to be in the mud. Colapinto has went toe to toe with Albon, I think he deserves to be in the tier above, impressive debut It's a bit weird to see Lando and Leclerc in different tiers, but maybe I overrate Norris (don't think he is in same tier as Max btw). And about Alonso and Hamilton, even though they have shown at times what they are capable of, it looks odd to still see them there after this dissapointing season. With the context of last year and a bit more I guess, but still, it's a bit strange for me at least. We should acknowledge their lows

[@inspiredglue2056]

In my opinion, Leclerc has developed into the best on the grid by learning from his mistakes, which is something Norris will never do if he can't get rid of his massive ego. Leclerc 2025 WDC!

[@EntropicExergy]

Max is the best on the grid, not Chuck. Max already beat him in karts quite easily and that won't change in F1.

[@Smithy2204]

Massive ego? Lando has had a few poor comments in the heat of the moment but him and Leclerc are two of the most self critical drivers on the grid

[@inspiredglue2056]

@@EntropicExergy In your opinion he is better. In my opinion Max is not. I just think Leclerc has shown more pure pace and this year has been awesome.

[@callmecon15]

max is better

[@EntropicExergy]

@@inspiredglue2056 Your opinion is meaningless. Who is higher up in the WDC, who won from 17th on the grid? That's Max, not Chuck. Facts show Max is better, no opinion necessary here.

[@sebastiandierks7919]

Don't feel the need to call the category literally "Latifi". It's so harsh and non-empathic. Also, I think Perez should be in "something to prove". He has exactly to prove where you put him, namely that he is a quality midfield driver, or alternatively a number two to Max.

[@happysquid2604]

I think Hülkenberg definitely would have deserved a higher tier. Having him on the same tier as the alpines just hurt not because they were bad but I don't see where they were on the same level.

[@Miguel-yf4yc]

Albon needs to drop down a tier

[@chuckmeat87]

New viewer here good video by Gordon Ramsey’s son. 2025 could be contested between a lot of drivers here

[@ApothecaryTerry]

Only 1 significant change I'd make to this list: Logan Sargeant should be 1 tier lower 😆 I'm not saying I could do better, probably, but lots of people would beat him. I reckon if you put Russell in the McLaren he'd have done as well as LeClerc would. I feel like Max's early season and awesome Sao Paolo drive means he'd have won against anyone, except perhaps Alonso or Hamilton. Best of the rest definitely isn't Yuki either - Fernando has that one nailed unless Yuki gets podiums from now on! Yuki deserves a spot in a decent car though, he's barely put a foot wrong this season. 4 retirements, none his fault although perhaps he could have avoided 1-2 a little, but that's it, he's not even let loose over the radio very much! Edit: I forgot Perez, easy to do this season...he's in something to prove 100%. I've historically been a big fan, he was brilliant until he joined that team, but it just hasn't worked for him.

[@TheGamesWin]

Absolutely mad to put Perez there. I get what you mean that *maybe* he can be a good midfield driver if he was in a midfield team, but given his performances over the last two years (as you stress so much during the video) he has too often been near touching the edge of the Latifi tier almost comparatively. Something to prove tier 100% based on his last 2 years results. Your supposition that he could still be a good midfield driver is literally the something that he has to prove.

[@rspct9654]

The Alonso glazing is beginning to get nauseating.

[@ey1615]

same with Hamilton Somehow gets put a tier above a driver who has literally outperformed him this year in equal machinery. There is no world in which current Hamilton belongs into the same category as Max.

[@Abd_Alrhman_443]

15:55 not even a debate he would finish it in singapore

[@paulflood2709]

3 races left? How could opinions on Lawless or Collapinto be complete, what if Norris costs McLaren’s the title or comes 3rd in the championship? You can argue Carlos Sainz has had the edge on Leclerc since the summer break he out qualified him today in Vegas. Video a bit early

[@deadsheeran]

Supporting it majorly except I believe Alonso and Hamilton do not belong in the top tier currently. Also Russell feels ahead of Sainz Norris and Piastri currently, tho not on same level as Max and Charles

[@hodensack5306]

Btw I think russel is a great driver. He will be world champion before Leclerc or Norris.

[@KiyoPapi]

stroll has been here 8 years, he has nothing to prove, he should be out the sport so Latifi tier

[@Bigfarmer8]

Since you are reviewing the 2024 season I fully agree on your picks for best of the best except Max. I think his performance this year was so good he is in a league of his own.

[@newhorizons.english]

I'm willing to bet Bottas would beat Perez. I feel like they should be placed the other way around. Just my two cents

[@stevenwitts6968]

Bottas at Merc showed that he is a borderline champion. Perez couldn’t even outqualify Sargeant in his Williams.

[@ajitgopalakrishnan8051]

Swap out Lewis for Russel and Carlos and we are good ( based on this year's performances, not overall)

[@ey1615]

Yeah the Hamilton glazing is insane. Literally has a borderline Vettel 2020 type of season but with a more competitive car.

[@adityaprakash9565]

I agree with all of your rankings and reasoning. solid. Just the thing is Honestly i think Carlos and Charles must stay in the same teir. No other is absoulutely BETTER than the other. Yes We might see more of charles at points and wins but there is a HUGE role of Ferrari bias in it. Leclerc is THE PROJECT ferrari has been building since he was A CHILD and many times gets this advantage over carlos like in better pistratergy and onestops etc. Also, the wdc points difference is not much as carlos had a SURGERY and MISSED a GP and also got CRASHED BY PEREZ. So i think Charles and Carlos areTOTAL NECK TO NECK no one better than other and must both be in Borderline champions. 🤠 Obv max is better rn.

[@mo215300]

i disagree charles s a tier above right now look at this abu dhabi race carlos wouldn’t have finished p3 if he started p19 also carlos at maximum would have scored 12 points in jeddah or maybe 15 which means still finishing 50+ points behind charles that shows what insane season charles had aldas is right to put charles in topmost tier

[@adityaprakash9565]

@ yup okay … i consider that… Charles rn is in the form of his career and is better than carlos. But i would rephrase it as ‘ Charles is really very good and at a tier above carlos. But not in same tier as Verstappen still. Verstappen Lewis and Alonso. Another tier in middle is req for leclerc FOR RIGHTNOW. Great man who can do better in the Fastest Car. ‘

[@mo215300]

@@adityaprakash9565 fair enough max is all time great though i do believe if ferrari can improve sf24 weaknesses ferrari definitely has very strong chance for wcc next year wdc is another matter though i do believe if that mclaren was in charles hands wdc battle would have gone on to the end

[@adityaprakash9565]

@ 100% agreed mate 🧉

[@سامرخضر-ظ6ر]

As an Alonso Fan i wish he gets a better car next Season. It would be a very good opportunity to prove that he ist still one of the best of the bests