Across the 2018 Formula 1 season there were 420 different drives – 21 performances from 20 drivers – and in this piece Motorsport Week picks out what we feel were the 10 standout displays from the course of the campaign…
10. Sergio Perez, Azerbaijan
The performance advantage enjoyed by Formula 1’s leading three teams in 2018 meant opportunities for the rest were few and far between – indeed, there transpired to be only one. It was not a perfect race by Perez’s standards but the strategy fell in his favour and he grasped it with both hands. Perez took the post-Red Bull clash restart from fifth and seized his moment to pick off the ailing Sebastian Vettel with aplomb for fourth. When Valtteri Bottas retired that became third – and Force India was able to celebrate an unlikely podium. Fernando Alonso, meanwhile, deserves credit for the manner in which he dragged his battered McLaren from the back to seventh.
9. Charles Leclerc, Russia
Leclerc was impressive on more than one occasion – making Q3 in France and his pre-retirement speed in Britain come to mind – but his classiest all-round performance came in Russia. At a circuit where he had no prior experience he qualified behind midfield rivals Kevin Magnussen and Esteban Ocon but crucially passed both early on, brilliantly usurping the Haas driver with a stunning move around Turn 3. It sealed seventh for Leclerc – as best of the rest – and his pace was such that he was the only midfielder not to be lapped.
8. Pierre Gasly, Bahrain
Gasly’s result was undoubtedly assisted by the retirement of both Red Bull drivers and Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen, but he displayed exceptional maturity and racecraft for someone who – at that point – was in only their seventh Grand Prix. Toro Rosso massaged its tyres well in the conditions in Bahrain, while Honda’s winter gains were in evidence, but for the partnership to excel so early on acted as a huge motivational boost for both parties, and provided early evidence of Gasly’s ability not only at race management but also to grasp the opportunities that came his way.
7. Max Verstappen, Austria
Verstappen had already rebounded from his dire start to 2018 by the time the circus rocked up in Austria, but this was a superbly judged victory, and a long-awaited triumph for Red Bull at its home circuit. Mercedes’ implosion was key to Verstappen’s victory but just as important was his cheeky-but-legal first-lap move on Kimi Raikkonen, and post-stop preservation of rubber that was prone to blistering. By the time Ferrari realised that Verstappen’s tyres were in good nick, issuing its drivers with a hurry-up call, it was too late. The Dutch lion roared in the Styrian Alps.
6. Daniel Ricciardo, China
Ricciardo only just made it out in time for qualifying after Red Bull’s entire team of mechanics worked flat out to repair an engine problem that struck in practice. They were rewarded handsomely. Debris caused by Toro Rosso’s inter-team clash caused a Safety Car phase that beautifully played into Red Bull’s hands, but while Verstappen blew his chance, Ricciardo grasped his. A sublime move on Hamilton was followed by a last-gasp dive on leader Bottas. The stamp was well and truly licked, and Ricciardo swept to a sensational win.
5. Sebastian Vettel, Bahrain
This was not a dramatically swashbuckling display, but rather a controlled performance when it could have gone wrong. Vettel had the best pace but the idea of running a two-stop strategy went out of the window when Raikkonen’s stop went horribly wrong, resulting in a mechanic sustaining a leg fracture, and effectively leaving its pit box blocked. At a circuit where the rear tyres take a pounding Vettel had to unexpectedly eke out a long final stint on used rubber, and did so to perfection to keep the charging Bottas at bay.
4. Lewis Hamilton, Germany
The picture of Hamilton, arms outstretched on the podium, basking in the torrent of rain, was undoubtedly one of the moments of the season. In reaching that point Hamilton had sliced forward from 14th on the harder tyres before taking on softer rubber shortly before the conditions worsened. At times Hamilton was two seconds per lap faster than his opponents, and he had almost caught the scrapping Raikkonen and Bottas when Vettel crashed. Hamilton inherited the lead when the Finns stopped, and kept his team-mate at bay at the restart until Mercedes instructed both to hold station.
3. Max Verstappen, Mexico
It seems almost churlish to miss out Austin and Brazil, for they could easily have featured on this list, but for the sake of having three different drivers in the top three positions, we’ll give it to Mexico. Verstappen was furious to have blown his shot at becoming Formula 1’s youngest polesitter and struggled to sleep such was his agitation at missing out. But on race day he made amends with aplomb, mastering the critical start to take a lead he would not relinquish. Verstappen was almost toying with Red Bull by setting fastest laps and wound up 17 seconds clear of Vettel, with only Raikkonen and Hamilton also finishing on the same lap.
2. Daniel Ricciardo, Monaco
Fastest in practice. Fastest in qualifying. Race winner. Ricciardo was exemplary in Monaco as he achieved redemption for the gut-wrenching loss of 2016. It was a Grand Prix he never looked like losing, even when an MGU-K issue robbed him of top-end power from lap 28, meaning he never reached the highest gears again. The circuit layout undoubtedly helped, but Ricciardo had to quickly adapt his references due to the lost power while simultaneously keeping his emotions in check, and ensuring that pursuant Vettel did not have even stand the remotest chance of getting by. It was a masterfully judged display from Thursday morning through Sunday afternoon.
1. Lewis Hamilton, Italy
Ferrari entered its home event having held the fastest dry-weather package at the previous few events and duly locked out the front-row of the grid, leaving Hamilton only third. But come race day Hamilton put up a fight and when he was given a chance into the second chicane he took it, launching an attack on Vettel that left his rival in a spin. The ensuing battle with Raikkonen was superb and Hamilton hounded the Finn and his team into pushing more than required after the pit stops, blistering his tyres, and leaving the Ferrari driver susceptible later in the race. Hamilton went around the outside at the first chicane, Raikkonen maturely gave him room, and the Mercedes driver clinched a victory that kick-started a streak of wins. Hamilton was frequently exceptional in 2018. Italy was perfection.
