Have Your Say: Who is Your F1 Driver of the Year?

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The 2021 Formula 1 season was a drama and action packed season; we want to hear who your Driver of the Year is.

We're just one week removed from the conclusion of the 2021 Formula 1 season. This was a season filled with moments of awe and controversy, and not one F1 fans are soon to forget. The amazing efforts of all of the drivers kept this season compelling, but certain drivers stood out as exceptional this year, and we want to hear from you who had the best season overall. Here are some ideas:

Max Verstappen / Lewis Hamilton - The obvious choices for Driver of the Year would be Verstappen and Hamilton, who battled week after week, each taking turns leading the drivers' points championship. Verstappen was the more consistent of the two and claimed his first championship, but the late season response of Hamilton was also impressive, so there's a strong case for either being Driver of the Year.

Lando Norris - Red Bull and Mercedes were close in points for most of the season. And while this rivalry was heating up, Lando Norris was quietly running in 3rd place in the drivers' standings, ahead of the highly favoured Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas. The season didn't finish that way, but Norris' first half of the season was well above expectations, and some poorly timed rain was all that stood between Norris and a deserved win in Russia.

Carlos Sainz - Most of us knew that the Ferrari team of Sainz and Charles Leclerc would have a strong showing in 2021 if given a good car, but there was a sense that Leclerc could steal headlines and establish himself as the top driver between the two. Carlos Sainz impressed everyone this year, collecting four podium finishes and finishing outside of the points only twice.

So let us know in the comments below who you think was Driver of the Year in F1. And remember to keep your comments respectful; we hope to end our Formula 1 coverage for the year on a positive note.

Photo credits: Red Bull Content Pool
About author
Mike Smith
I have been obsessed with sim racing and racing games since the 1980's. My first taste of live auto racing was in 1988, and I couldn't get enough ever since. Lead writer for RaceDepartment, and owner of SimRacing604 and its YouTube channel. Favourite sims include Assetto Corsa Competizione, Assetto Corsa, rFactor 2, Automobilista 2, DiRT Rally 2 - On Twitter as @simracing604

Comments

Mazepin
Sainz
Hamilton
Vettel
Verstappen
Alonzo
Gasly
Schumaucher
Latifi
Stroll
Perez
Bottas
Giovinazzi
Ricciardo
Russell
Tsunoda
Raikkonen
Norris
Leclerc
Kubica

Any person that can drive those cars, flat out, every race, under all that pressure and danger, gets my vote.
 
Lando Norris for me. Absolutely fantastic season, with 4 podiums and a pole position. Had a few moments (Russia and Spa most notably), but lost two strong results in the final 3 races to late punctures, which ultimately probably cost him 5th in the championship.

Honourable mentions: Sainz, Verstappen, Hamilton, Russell, Ocon, Alonso, Gasly

Worst: Not a driver, but Michael Masi
 
Max Verstappen for me. He outdrove his car every single time. No other driver on the grid is a match for him in the same car. If he would drive a WCC car he could have afforded a more defensive driving style like Hamilton, but like so often the last couple of years he drove the second best car.

Without Max on the grid this year, we would have another boring season in which Hamilton would have cruised to his eight title.
 
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1 Max by far
2 Lewis (his car is just too good and Bottas too bad

3 Gasly

Norris should actually be on 3 but I found him less impressive in the 2nd half of the season
4 Norris

5 Sainz (didn't expect to outperform Leclerc
 
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Well, there are several. Max would be my number one choice because the pace he was showing all year, even though the last race was a bit controverial, looking back on the whole season he deserved this title. Other notable mentions are: Lewis, because he is still a great driver, Lando, Sainz, Gasly and Ocon for their performances all season.
 
every driver exept mazepin and lewis was driver of the year
 
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I should say the evident Max Verstappen. He was Incredible in this season 10 win, 10 pole...

But i think Carlos Sainz jr. done a big step forward in just his first year of his Ferrari contract.
 
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Its a tough choice both Max and Lewis were in another league beating their team mates by significant margins - sure sometimes they were sacrificial lambs but all too often they were stuck down the order struggling to pass cars that they should have been ahead of.

Sainz stands out, taking the podiums when the opportunity arose but he only just outscored Leclerc and in races where they both finished more often than not he was behind Charles.

Norris and Gasly were maybe the most impressive to me, given the equipment they had and how both were consistently ahead of their team mates
 

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