2010 F1 Mid Season Driver Ratings

The middle of the 2010 Formula 1 season is upon us, so it is time to do some ratings. So let’s get down to dishing on the driver reports for the major players.

The 2010 Formula 1 season is 19 races. We just finished the ninth with the incredibly boring European Grand Prix. Still, it has been a season of some exciting work overall by the drivers. With this in mind, here are the ratings with 10 being the best in the current order of the standings.


Lewis Hamilton – 8 – Leads the points race, but mostly because Red Bulls fall apart like toilet paper in a hurricane. A brilliantly aggressive driver, but one that still makes incredibly stupid mistakes. Passing the safety car in Valencia shows he still has much to gain in the brains category.

Jenson Button – 10 – Button has been sublime. Not only has he integrated into a McLaren team that favors Hamilton, but he is clearly the best strategist. One gets the feeling Button is happy to just accumulate points while others make rash, stupid decisions.

Sebastian Vettel – 6 – Why so low? Well, the accident at Turkey was clearly his fault. One also gets the feeling Vettel doesn’t know how to pace himself and take care of his car. It is one thing to say the Red Bull is fragile, but is it really true when you look at Webber? He rarely has problems, which makes you wonder.

Mark Webber – 9 – I never thought he could do this. It would be a ten, but he still has some ghastly races such as the just concluded European Grand Prix. Still, he has really stepped up this season and is rewarded here.

Fernando Alonso – 8 – This is a difficult grade. He is clearly dominating Felipe Massa, but it is hard to know where things stand with the car. Looking at Massa, you would think the car is very bad, but it is not clear where Massa is these days mentally. Ferrari appear to clearly be behind McLaren and Red Bull, so I will give Alonso the benefit of the doubt. Still, crashes like those at Monaco must become a thing of the past.

Robert Kubica – 10+ - If you say you saw this coming, you are a liar! Kubica has simply been brilliant. He has squeezed everything possible out of the Renault and deserves all the kudos coming his way. Heck, he deserves even more than he is getting. The Pole has simply been brilliant.

Nico Rosberg – 5 – The greatest Friday racer ever. Unfortunately, the races are on Sunday. Perhaps the most overhyped driver in the field. Show me one great pass by Rosberg and you’ll have found his first. Didn’t get all the DNA from his dad.

Felipe Massa – 3 – Has any man done less with more? The Ferrari appears to be the third fastest car in the field, but Massa typically finishes way down the order. Has to be coached past cars by his engineer. I gave him some space given his accident last season, but I am seeing nothing from him. Felipe is a good soldier at Ferrari, but his tour of duty needs to end.

Michael Schumacher – 3 – Yikes. Now we know why Hakinnen never came back.



Adrian Sutil – 5 - Regressing badly.

Rubens Barrichello – 4 – Retire already.

Tonio Liuzzi – 2 – Ghastly. Simply ghastly.

Sébastien Buemi – 7 – Actually not bad given his equipement.

Kamui Kobayashi – 1 – Kamui Crashayashi may put Sauber out of the sport by running up repair bills on his cars. Should be driving demolition derby cars instead of F1 cars.

Vitaly Petrov – 10 – Okay, he is a disaster on the track for the most part, but he makes otherwise boring races very exciting. You are not sure if he is going to drive into the stand, over another driver or what.

Jaime Alguersuari – 5 – Average. Very average.

Pedro de la Rosa – Wow, does he stink or what?

Nico Hülkenberg – So much for the great hope at Williams. The car ain’t great and neither is the driver.

Heikki Kovalainen – A pathetic driver for a pathetic car. What was he thinking when weaving in front of Webber at the European Grand Prix?

Karun Chandhok – Has he actually completed a lap yet?

Lucas di Grassi – Who cares?

Bruno Senna – Wrong Senna.

Jarno Trulli – A sad way to end your career, no Jarno?

Timo Glock – Glock showed flashes at Toyota. Now he can be seen with his head in his hands in the paddock silently weeping as his career goes down the tubes.

Rest of the Season

So, let’s get to the meat of the meal. Who will win the Championship? I’m going to surprise you – Jenson Button. I think we can say Vettel is hard on his car and the Red Bull is not a car to be hard on. Hamilton has a lot of choke in him and doesn’t handle pressure well. I can see him making some head scratching decisions as the pressure piles up. Of the three, Jenson Button is the smoothest driver and seems to have the most poise. I just get the feeling he is waiting in the grass to pounce. Time will tell.

Lemmy
7//2010