2018 F1 Midseason Driver Power Rankings Part Two Drivers 12 to 6

Welcome to the second installment of our comprehensive mid-season Formula 1 driver rankings. As the season progresses, certain drivers have begun to establish themselves not only as consistent performers but also as the burgeoning stars who will shape the future of the sport. This segment delves into the drivers occupying positions 12 through 6, highlighting their journey, challenges, and moments of brilliance that have defined their campaigns so far. We analyze their statistics, assess their on-track battles, and ponder their prospects as the championship fight intensifies.

Who made significant strides, who faced unexpected setbacks, and which young talents are firmly knocking on the door of the elite top five? Join us as we dissect the performances of these pivotal drivers who are pushing the limits and vying for supremacy in the highly competitive world of Formula 1. Read on to uncover the full analysis.

12. Sergio Perez

Sergio Perez has openly attributed some of his season’s challenges to the immense stress surrounding Force India’s precarious financial situation. His extraordinary, yet necessary, intervention to initiate administration proceedings during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend undeniably highlights the external pressures he has faced. While the exact impact of these off-track concerns on his performance is debatable – whether it’s a genuine factor, a convenient justification, or a blend of both – there’s no denying a significant shift in dynamics between him and his teammate, Esteban Ocon, over the past year.

Just twelve months prior, Perez consistently outshone Ocon, demonstrating a clear advantage. Now, the tables have turned, with Ocon frequently having the upper hand. Despite this shift, Perez impressively maintains a lead in the championship points standings. This advantage is largely thanks to his masterful drive at the chaotic Baku street circuit, where he secured a podium finish, single-handedly earning half of his current points tally. This standout performance underscores his ability to seize opportunities in high-pressure situations.

With Force India’s financial woes seemingly moving towards a positive resolution, the focus now shifts to whether Perez can regain his earlier form and deliver more consistent performances in the latter half of the season. His experience and race craft will be crucial for the team as they navigate the remainder of the championship.

11. Kevin Magnussen

For Kevin Magnussen, this season marks a significant milestone: it’s not only his first time driving for a single Formula 1 team for two consecutive seasons but also the first instance in his entire motor racing career where he has experienced such continuity. This stability appears to be yielding substantial dividends for both Magnussen and the Haas F1 Team, demonstrating the profound impact of consistency on driver performance and team synergy.

Magnussen has displayed remarkable maturity as a driver throughout the year, consistently scoring points and often outperforming his teammate, Romain Grosjean. This improved consistency has helped him shed a previous reputation for being overly incident-prone, showcasing a more measured and effective approach to racing. Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of his season, from his perspective, is the clear edge he has established over Grosjean in outright one-lap qualifying speed, reflected in his negative qualifying margin.

While Grosjean achieved the team’s best result of the season with a strong fourth place in Austria, it is largely Magnussen’s consistent efforts and ability to maximize the car’s potential that have propelled Haas to their best F1 season to date. His robust performances are instrumental in the team’s ongoing battle for a prominent position in the constructors’ championship.

10. Nico Hulkenberg

Nico Hulkenberg finds himself entrenched in a fierce midfield battle, driving a Renault car that often emerges as the “best of the rest” contender, albeit one that has occasionally struggled with reliability. Despite completing the fewest racing laps of any driver on the grid due to mechanical issues, Hulkenberg’s prowess shines through. Out of the nine races he has managed to finish, an impressive four times he has been the first car across the line behind the dominant Ferraris, Mercedes, and Red Bulls – a testament to his consistent performance and ability to maximize opportunities.

However, the season has not been without its frustrations. A potentially strong points haul slipped through his fingers in Baku, where for the second consecutive year, he made an uncharacteristic error and hit the wall. This incident served as a stark reminder of his elusive debut podium finish, a significant milestone that continues to evade him despite his consistent top-tier performances. Looking ahead, Hulkenberg will face arguably his toughest challenge yet when Daniel Ricciardo joins him at Renault next year. It will be fascinating to observe how this perennial “nearly-man” rises to the occasion against such a formidable teammate. In the interim, Hulkenberg and Renault are laser-focused on defending their crucial fourth place in the constructors’ championship against the determined challenge from Haas.

9. Esteban Ocon

Esteban Ocon, much like his teammate, also experienced a significant missed opportunity for a strong result at Baku. His overly aggressive and uncompromising move on Kimi Räikkönen on the very first lap saw him end up in the barriers, an incident that proved particularly costly. This was a foolish risk taken at a circuit where Force India typically demonstrates strong performance, a fact underscored by his teammate, Sergio Perez, who seized the moment to deliver the team’s only points finish of the year to date.

The Baku incident was an uncharacteristic error for a driver generally known for his restraint and composure in wheel-to-wheel battles. Despite this lapse, Ocon has consistently been the quicker of the Force India pair throughout the season. While the margin between him and Perez is often minimal, even small advantages count for a great deal in the fiercely competitive and congested midfield. A significant factor in Ocon’s improved performance has been his enhanced form in qualifying, where he frequently outpaces Perez, leaving his teammate with seemingly no clear answer to his pace. This strong qualifying performance positions him well for races, often allowing him to dictate terms over his teammate.

8. Pierre Gasly

Pierre Gasly is enjoying precisely the kind of season that Red Bull consistently looks for from its promising junior drivers. Having finally secured the full-time Formula 1 seat he arguably deserved a year prior, the 22-year-old Frenchman has emphatically demonstrated his readiness to handle the intense pressures associated with racing at the highest level of motorsport. His performances have been a clear statement of intent for his future aspirations within the Red Bull family.

The season began with significant promise, suggesting even greater results were on the horizon, particularly after he qualified an impressive fifth on the grid for Toro Rosso’s second race utilizing Honda power. He then drove a superb race to bring the car home in an almost unbelievable fourth position, a phenomenal achievement for the team. However, the inevitable power unit penalties have frequently relegated him down the grid, and the team has visibly been out-developed by rival customer teams benefiting from more advanced engine packages. Despite these hurdles, Gasly entered the summer break on a high note, skillfully repeating his “best of the rest” performance at the Hungaroring. He expertly capitalized on the opportunities presented by the slower, more technical track to secure a valuable haul of points. These crucial points could prove instrumental in keeping Toro Rosso safe from the rapidly growing threat posed by Sauber in the constructors’ standings.

7. Charles Leclerc

It’s quite easy to overlook the fact that Charles Leclerc endured a somewhat unpromising start to his Formula 1 career with Sauber. In his initial three races, he consistently found himself starting from the back three positions on the grid, a challenging baptism for any rookie. However, shortly thereafter, something significant clicked, signaling a dramatic turnaround in his fortunes and demonstrating his immense potential.

His breakthrough moment arrived in Baku, where he not only qualified an impressive 13th but also executed a flawlessly clean race, earning him a superb sixth-place finish. This remains his best result to date and truly kickstarted his season. That performance initiated an incredible run of five points finishes in just six races, showcasing his newfound confidence and mastery of the car. This streak was interrupted only once in Monaco, where an unfortunate brake failure led to a late-race crash. He was also on course for another strong points finish at Silverstone – potentially even outperforming Hulkenberg for the coveted ‘best of the rest’ position – when an error by his pit crew prematurely ended his race.

Beyond his race results, Leclerc has been emphatically outperforming his teammate, Marcus Ericsson, in qualifying, often by a considerable margin. By every measurable metric, Leclerc is unequivocally proving himself worthy of a highly anticipated promotion to a front-running team, establishing himself as one of the most exciting young talents on the grid.

6. Max Verstappen

In the initial races of the 2018 season, there appeared to be a slightly desperate and overly aggressive edge to Max Verstappen’s driving style. While he has always been renowned for his full-on, utterly uncompromising approach on track, he seemed to be leaving far too little margin for error at crucial moments, leading to a string of unfortunate incidents.

This early-season aggression resulted in a series of collisions and mistakes that significantly blunted his points-scoring opportunities. The races in Canada and Monaco, in particular, stood out as massive missed opportunities for substantial points, which his teammate, Daniel Ricciardo, expertly capitalized on. These setbacks raised questions about his maturity and ability to manage races effectively.

However, Verstappen’s immense core speed and raw talent were never in doubt – a fact clearly evident in his impressive qualifying margin over Daniel Ricciardo, a driver consistently lauded for his strong one-lap pace. Crucially, soon after the challenging and frustrating trauma of Monaco, Verstappen began to systematically cut out the costly mistakes, subsequently delivering the kind of sensational results that everyone in the paddock knows he is capable of producing. His ability to adapt and refine his approach demonstrated significant growth as a driver.

The Austrian Grand Prix served as Verstappen’s ultimate vindication: an instinctive and opportunistic first-lap pass on Kimi Räikkönen perfectly set him up for his first victory of the year, a powerful statement of his enduring capability. Since that pivotal win, he has largely recovered the significant points deficit to Ricciardo, showcasing his resilience and relentless pursuit of performance. With the championship effectively out of reach for both drivers, their final nine races together as teammates will be an enthralling battle focused entirely on which of them ultimately emerges ahead in the internal team championship.

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