While the summer break plunged F1 into a well-deserved semi-torpor, certain statistics, known or less known, are revealing of the sometimes paradoxical physiognomy of the course of this F1 season. Here is a selection before F1 resumes its rights at Spa next week…
The gap is colossal in the championship between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc (80 points difference), but yet, this year, the Ferrari driver has led almost as many laps as the Red Bull driver (308 against 290). What give even more regrets to the Scuderia…
Also in terms of podiums, here is another amazing statistic that relates to Ferrari. The Scuderia has as many podiums as… Mercedes, which is nevertheless struggling in terms of pure performance.
Similarly George Russell has finished on the podium as many times as Charles Leclerc (5).
The Monegasque also has fewer podiums than Sergio Pérez and Carlos Sainz (6 each).
Red Bull already has 16 podiums, including 10 for Max Verstappen alone.
Only one midfield team made it to the podium: McLaren, with Lando Norris at Imola.
In terms of victories, Max Verstappen has won 8 Grands Prix. If we add the Grands Prix won by Charles Leclerc (3), Sergio Pérez (1) and Carlos Sainz (1), we are still far from equalizing the performance of the Dutchman.
On the other hand, Charles Leclerc is the king of Saturday: he has 7 pole positions, which is more than the total of all the other drivers combined (Max Verstappen: 3 poles; Sergio Pérez, Carlos Sainz and George Russell: 1 pole) . Free practice champion, will Ferrari also become qualifying champion?
Lando Norris is also the only mid-grid driver to have a faster lap. Red Bull and Ferrari are tied (5).
No midfield team however has led a Grand Prix round this year. Mercedes led 41 against 350 for Ferrari and 391 for Red Bull.
Mercedes is not strictly speaking the most reliable team
We have very often praised the level of reliability of Mercedes, which allows the team to count as many podiums as Ferrari.
However, in terms of laps covered, Mercedes (1511) is very slightly ahead of McLaren (1526) and Aston Martin F1 (1512). We therefore salute the reliability of Mercedes engines this year as a whole.
The three teams with the fewest kilometers covered are… the three Ferrari teams! Alfa Romeo (1332), Haas (1329) and the parent company (1281 only).
Lewis Hamilton is the only driver to have seen the finish at every Grand Prix, even though he hasn’t completed all the laps (one lap behind in a Grand Prix).
At Alpine, Esteban Ocon has covered 97% of the Grand Prix laps this year against only 90% for the unfortunate Fernando Alonso.
Big gap also at Aston Martin F1: Lance Stroll covered 98% of the laps against 80% for Sebastian Vettel. Or at Alfa Romeo: 93% of the laps for Valtteri Bottas and only 77% for Guanyu Zhou, the last of the field (while the rookie needs experience).
