Now, you must be wondering why Lewis is so high up this list, despite the car being so unpredictable and arguably the fourth fastest on the grid. Well, the simple reason is – consistency and sheer skill. After the debacle that was the 2022 season, Mercedes came into 2023 hoping for better results, but they were wrong. The car was on a knife’s edge the whole season and did not have the straight-line speed to even put up a fight against the competitors. Despite these drawbacks, Lewis dug deep and produced absolute magic, sometimes outperforming the car’s potential, and in the end, thanks to him and George, the Silver Arrows finished second in the Constructors championship, a position they clearly deserved, given how bad the car was. Lewis’ performance this season has shown the team and the world that if Mercedes can give him a car that is predictable, he will deliver them wins and championships.
Number 2. Charles Leclerc (Scuderia Ferrari)
A driver who had his fair share of highs and lows, Charles rarely put a foot wrong this season, and you could argue that if Ferrari had operated a bit more optimised, and sorted out the reliability issues in the car early on, Charles could have taken the fight to Max, and soundly defeated Mercedes in the constructors championship as well. However, he suffered a string of bad luck, and they all cascaded into a season that did not fully justify Charles’ real skill as a driver. But, when everything fit into place, Charles was neck and neck with Max, and the two shared some great racing moments through the course of the season.
Number 1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
