The current 2022 Formula 1 season has been a rollercoaster ride so far. Following the events of the previous season, the world of Formula 1 was ready for round two between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. However, the 2022 regulations put a dent in those hopes and completely changed the script. Additionally, there have been too many incidents to focus on any two drivers.
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Keeping that in mind, with 13 races behind us, SkySports F1 expert Karun Chandhok has ranked his top five so far. Chandhok rankings has a clear winner, the new-gen rivalry, a not-so-surprising entry, and only one team with two drivers.
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On the rivalries front, Red Bull world champion Max Verstappen is the constant factor. The Dutchman carried his form from the previous season and has been brilliant so far. Verstappen has amassed eight wins from the opening thirteen races. The Dutchman has an eight-point lead from second and sits atop Chandhok’s as well as the F1 rankings.
80 points behind and also second on Chandhok’s list is Ferrari pilot Charles Leclerc. Leclerc has taken over from Hamilton on the rivalry front but hasn’t been able to keep up with the Dutchman. Leclerc’s misfortunes are mainly due to the Scuderia’s botched strategic calls and F1-75’s unreliability.
The variable factor in the Hamilton-Verstappen rivalry is the Mercedes’ man. Hamilton sits sixth on the championship table with an extremely poor start to the season. The poor start realistically ended Hamilton’s championship charge and put him second to Verstappen, at least in the current season.
DIVE DEEPER
Despite the poor start, Hamilton has taken long strides in the last six races, which he earned the fourth spot on Chandhok’s top five.
Who are the two drivers apart from Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, and Lewis Hamilton?
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The remaining two on the list are drivers from the same age bracket and old colleagues. The two even fought for the Formula 2 championship in 2018. One who came out on top then comes out on top in Chandhok’s lists as well.
Formula One F1 – Hungarian Grand Prix – Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary – July 31, 2022 Red Bull’s Max Verstappen celebrates on the podium after winning the race with second placed Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and third placed Mercedes’ George Russell REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo
George Russell and Lando Norris fill up the remaining spots. Chandhok ranks Russell ahead of his seven-time championship-winning teammate, an enormous compliment for the young Brit. The Mercedes man has been consistent despite the poor state of the W13 earning him the well-deserved third spot on the list.
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Norris has been the silver lining of a struggling McLaren. The McLaren Brit has been consistently finishing in points and is the clear leader at the Woking-based outfit. Norris secures the final berth in the top five of the SkySports’ expert’s list.
Did you miss our previous article...
https://formulaone.news/mercedes/power-unit-101-with-petronas-internal-combustion-engine-explained
