Formula 1 Driver Ratings 2019: The GPFans Driver Index
Formula 1 Driver Ratings 2019: The GPFans Driver Index
The trophies have been dished out at the end of the 2019 Formula 1 season, with Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes once again celebrating title glory.
GPFans has scored driver ratings at every race this season, put into the context of the team's expectations, with some surprising averages thrown out as a result.
Here is the breakdown for every driver, ranked by average.
Let us know if you agree, or not, with the scores on Facebook and Twitter!
20. Robert Kubica
Ave: 4.4
High: 6 (Bahrain, Germany, Singapore, Russia)
Low: 3 (Azerbaijan, Canada, Austria, Japan)
Kubica might not have finished bottom of the drivers' championship this year, but he earns our wooden spoon, having qualified with the slowest time in every race this season amid a miserable campaign at Williams. The Pole will likely remain in F1 next year with a testing role at another team, but it seems unlikely he will race at this level again.
19. Romain Grosjean
Ave: 4.5
High: 7 (Germany)
Low: 3 (Great Britain, Italy, Mexico)
Haas' season never really got going as a misstep in aerodynamic development led to struggles with making the tyres last in just about every race this year. Grosjean failed to score a single point after the summer break, but will be back in F1 next year, with Haas having accepted the bulk of the responsibility for the Frenchman's failings in opting against signing Nico Hulkenberg.
18. Kevin Magnussen
Ave: 5.1
High: 7 (Australia, Spain, Russia)
Low: 3 (Great Britain, Japan)
K-Mag also suffered as a result of Haas' woes, but outscored and outqualified Grosjean across the season and there is little doubt that the Dane will hit his strides again in 2020 if Haas can solve the philosophy problems that have dogged them this year.
17. Antonio Giovinazzi
Ave: 5.2
High: 9 (Singapore)
Low: 3 (Monaco)
Giovinazzi secured a second full season in F1, like Grosjean beating out competition from Hulkenberg, thanks to a strong second half to the season, which saw him outqualify Kimi Raikkonen in six of the nine races following the summer break. If Ferrari are looking for a landing spot for Mick Schumacher in 2021, Giovinazzi will need to find another level again in 2020, you would assume, however.
16. Lance Stroll
Ave: 5.4
High: 8 (Australia, Germany)
Low: 4 (Spain, Monaco, Austria, Great Britain, Hungary, USA)
Stroll ended the season above Magnussen and Giovinazzi in the driver' championship chiefly thanks to his fourth-place finish in Germany, aided by Racing Point's fine strategy gamble. The Canadian was the only driver not driving the dog of a Williams to hit double figures for Q1 eliminations across the season, with 14. By contrast, team-mate Sergio Perez made it through the first segment 15 times.
15. George Russell
Ave: 5.5
High: 8 (Hungary)
Low: 4 (Japan, USA)
Russell perhaps did not deserve to end the season pointless, but did so largely due to a slight error in concentration during the chaotic German GP, which let Kubica through the ultimately take the final point. For the Briton to end the season with a 21-0 qualifying record over his experienced team-mate speaks volumes, however, and the hope will be that Williams' 2020 machine gives the former GP3 and F2 champion the chance to really show what he can do next year.
14. Kimi Raikkonen
Ave: 5.5
High: 8 (Bahrain, Brazil)
Low: 3 (Italy, Japan)
Kimi dropped off a touch in the second half of the season, but still ended the year in the 'midfield' of the drivers' championship and will be expected to lead Alfa's charge once again in 2020. How much longer he goes on remains to be seen, but he has shown little signs of slowing down this year overall.
13. Pierre Gasly
Ave: 5.7
High: 9 (Brazil)
Low: 3 (Australia, Canada, Germany)
Only three drivers ranked lower than Gasly in our summer break round-up of the ratings, as the Frenchman's efforts with Red Bull never got into gear. A demotion to Toro Rosso had the desired effect as he scored points in six of the nine remaining races, including picking up his maiden F1 podium in Brazil, out-dragging the freshly crowned world champion Hamilton to the line in the process.
12. Daniel Ricciardo
Ave: 5.9
High: 8 (Canada)
Low: 4 (Germany, Hungary)
Ricciardo and Renault will have expected more from 2019 and predictions for 2020 have already begun to be lowered compared to the lofty targets set when the French squad announced the Australian's blockbuster arrival from Renault. He is edged out by team-mate Nico Hulkenberg by the tiniest of margins, with the German's better start to the campaign, when Ricciardo was settling in, probably making the difference.
11. Nico Hulkenberg
Ave: 5.9
High: 8 (Australia, Bahrain)
Low: 4 (Azerbaijan, Spain)
On pure talent, Hulkenberg almost certainly deserves to have a drive in F1 next year after yet another season of admirable consistency. If he does not return, however, his record of grands prix entered without a podium will be his lasting legacy in F1, perhaps summing up the near-misses that have dogged the German in his decade in the sport.
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
F1 News Today: Vettel CONFIRMS stunning comeback as Red Bull boss issues Verstappen statement
- 34 minutes ago
F1 manager reveals Piastri 'balance' challenge
- 2 hours ago
EXCLUSIVE: Hamilton engineer reveals top drivers' key characteristic
- 3 hours ago
Red Bull now pressured into MISTAKES insists F1 rivals as title race heats up
- Today 11:57
F1 fan celebrates Verstappen failure with OUTRAGEOUS permanent change
- Today 10:57
Wolff opens up on WHY Mercedes are 'very bad'
- Today 09:55
F1 Race Calendar
-
GP BAHRAIN
29 Feb - 2 Mar
Max Verstappen
-
GP SAUDI ARABIA
7 - 9 Mar
Max Verstappen
-
GP AUSTRALIA
22 - 24 Mar
Carlos Sainz
- GP JAPAN 5 - 7 Apr
- GP CHINA 19 - 21 Apr
- GP USA 3 - 6 May
- GP ITALY 17 - 19 May
- GP MONACO 24 - 26 May
Related news
F2/F3 Power Rankings – Another MANIC Melbourne trip for F1 hopefuls
Australian GP shows Red Bull face a season-long PROBLEM
Champions aren't good enough for F1 anymore
Remembering 10 F1 years of turbo-hybrid power and domination
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860