Twenty down, two to go!

The house stretch is now on the horizon. There are two extra races to go, and but the championship’s vacation spot stays unknown. The final three weeks noticed the ultimate triple header of the marketing campaign. All that’s left is one final remaining push to Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.

There are nonetheless plenty of unknowns about what’s to return, however the final three Grands Prix gave us all of the twists and turns we have to replace the Unofficial Definitive Driver Energy Rankings for F1 2021.

10. Esteban Ocon (New!)

It was a good triple header for the Alpine driver. A twelfth place finish in Mexico meant Ocon was pointless in three of the final 4 races. Nevertheless, an eighth and fifth place finish in Brazil and Qatar was a a lot wanted increase in efficiency.

Good crew work in these two races helped Alpine transfer properly away from Alpha Tauri within the Constructors Championship.

Ocon and Fernando Alonso labored with one another to maintain Pierre Gasly behind for so long as they might in Brazil, and Ocon’s defence of a charging Sergio Perez within the late levels of Qatar slowed him down sufficient that Alonso may cruise to a podium in the course of the remaining laps.

9. Pierre Gasly (New!)

Mexico was a stand out efficiency from Gasly. A really strong fourth forward of the 2 Ferraris meant he truly drove fairly a boring race. His tempo was sufficient to remain in clear air for principally each lap of the Grand Prix.

Brazil and Qatar, too, noticed very spectacular qualifying performances. The truth is, Gasly completed every qualifying session in fourth on this triple header. However a poor Dash in Sao Paulo meant he began in seventh, and penalties upgraded him to a entrance row begin in Doha.

His races didn’t fairly fare so properly. The Frenchman couldn’t climb any larger in Brazil regardless of Norris’ puncture, Daniel Ricciardo’s DNF or Ferrari’s additional stops. In Qatar, the race tempo of the Alpha Tauri was seemingly nowhere, and Gasly couldn’t even safe a factors finish.

8. Valtteri Bottas (-1)

That Bottas took pole at two of the final three races and nonetheless dropped down this record says lots concerning the Finn’s performances. He described his Mexico pole lap as one in all his finest ever, however by Flip One he was circled by Daniel Ricciardo.

Your entire run as much as that Flip One was a poor show of spacial consciousness, as Bottas allowed Max Verstappen room to dive down the skin to overhaul each Mercedes drivers.

Bottas was abject in his makes an attempt to catch up, getting caught behind Ricciardo for almost all of the race, earlier than being sacrificed for a quickest lap level.

By Flip 4 in Brazil, Bottas had fallen from first to 3rd and had let each Red Bulls by him. Regardless of Lewis Hamilton beginning tenth in Brazil, and Bottas on pole, the 2 swapped positions by lap 5.

Qatar wasn’t significantly better, given crew boss Toto Wolff felt the necessity to hurry him up 10 laps in. He began forward of his teammate’s title rival in all three of those races and was behind him by Flip One at every, which is just not ok.

7. Lando Norris (-3)

It’s been a tough interval for Norris. Because the disappointment of Sochi, he has solely earned 14 factors from 5 races. This has allowed each Ferrari drivers to catch up within the driver’s standings.

Given present performances, the 22-year previous may finish seventh within the championship regardless of being in third for the primary half of the season.

The drop-off in outcomes has been a mix of the McLaren dropping some tempo to Ferrari and a few unhealthy luck — the additional pit stop in Qatar as a result of a puncture dropped him from fourth or fifth all the way down to ninth — however the mistake to chop throughout Carlos Sainz in Brazil value him factors via his personal fault.

6. Fernando Alonso (+4)

“Fuck, you realize, I used to be ready so lengthy for this, so I’m pleased,” swore Alonso after the Qatar Grand Prix.

However nobody may blame him for what felt like a large sigh of aid. The Spaniard earned his 97th podium in Formula One in 2014, however waited solely till final weekend to earn his 98th.

It had been coming based mostly on his performances earlier within the season, however the quick kind didn’t recommend as a lot. Mexico and Brazil noticed two ninth place finishes, although it ought to be mentioned he moved over for teammate Ocon on the ultimate lap in Brazil at hand him eighth.

These have been strong and constant drives, the sort we’ve come to count on from Alonso this season.

However, when the prospect arose to earn that podium, he kicked into one other gear completely. His lap occasions on worn Hards have been much like Perez’s on a lot brisker Medium tyres when each had clear air early in Perez’s stint.

He pushed like mad, and received the rub of the inexperienced because of the late Digital Security Automobile. It was a welcome sight to see Alonso again on the rostrum and a properly earned achievement for his comeback season.

5. Carlos Sainz (+/-)

Ferrari have taken management within the battle with McLaren for third within the Constructors Championship. The performances of their two drivers have been essential in that.

Firstly, Sainz earned a powerful 23 factors on this triple header, together with some extent for third place within the Dash session in Brazil. Consistency has been key to Sainz’s performances all season lengthy and this triple header was an awesome illustration of that.

He hasn’t fairly had the tempo of Charles Leclerc, however that’s to be anticipated given their ranges of expertise with the automotive and Leclerc’s spectacular fame inside F1.

The 2 now look probably the most even and spectacular driver pairing on the grid, and Sainz deserves plenty of credit score for that declare. Evaluating his adjustment to Ferrari with Ricciardo’s at McLaren is night time and day. This triple header simply emphasised that.

4. Charles Leclerc (-2)

Sainz has been a beacon of consistency recently, however Leclerc has been simply as constant and even sooner. The one concern the Monegasque suffered in these three races got here on Saturday in Qatar. However a cracked chassis was identified as the reason for the dearth of qualifying tempo, and an eighth place finish confirmed his true tempo that weekend.

Two fifth place finishes in Mexico and Qatar was about the perfect Leclerc may’ve executed at these venues, and was an awesome continuation of advantageous performances at Austin and Istanbul.

With third all however sealed, the 2 Ferrari drivers can actually begin to concentrate on 2022. If Ferrari can ship a championship contending automotive, then seeing them each compete for wins will certainly produce magic.

3. Sergio Perez (+3)

No driver has been extra up and down on this record in 2021. Perez has had such superb highs and such low lows. The Mexican has picked up a bit extra consistency because the Summer time break, however even in Qatar confirmed his potential to be up and down even over only one weekend.

Albeit, if it wasn’t for 2 poorly timed Digital Security Vehicles and a few uncommon technique choices then Perez may’ve simply completed on the rostrum in any respect three races on this triple header.

Most crucially, the Red Bull driver earned his first ever podium at his dwelling race. This was some of the emotional moments of the season and an awesome reward for his latest performances.

These latest outcomes have additionally seen Perez shut up the hole to Bottas to solely 13 factors, which has introduced Red Bull to inside 5 factors of Mercedes within the standings. It’s nonetheless all to play for, and Perez may but have plenty of affect over the vacation spot of each championships.

2. Max Verstappen (-1)

This wasn’t the perfect run of Verstappen’s season. The Dutchman was dominant in the course of the race in Mexico, however a poor qualifying efficiency put him third on the grid.

Second in Brazil and Qatar have been strong outcomes, however a race win at both venue may’ve given him such a tighter grip on the championship.

Particularly, his defence of Hamilton in Brazil was poor, and he was fortunate to flee any punishment for driving the Briton off the street.

The penalty for ignoring double waved yellows throughout qualifying in Qatar wasn’t his costliest mistake, however nonetheless completely avoidable and one thing he might want to study from as this wasn’t the primary time that he’s been caught doing so.

It’s nonetheless all to play for, however Verstappen will certainly want to seek out one other stage if he’s to earn his first ever world title.

1. Lewis Hamilton (+2)

Following Mexico, Hamilton wanted to be virtually good to keep up any type of threatening {position} within the championship combat. The seven time champion did primarily that.

Hamilton solely dropped factors within the Dash session in Brazil and the quickest lap level in Qatar — the one in Brazil not going to Verstappen means it evened out.

If not for the disqualification from the Friday qualifying session at Interlagos then he virtually assuredly would’ve earned a full complement of three factors in the course of the Dash.

The victory on Sunday may go down as one in all his finest ever wins, and it’s precisely what he wanted.

The dream of a file eighth title is actually nonetheless alive with two races to go.

However, as we’ve seen in 2021, there are such a lot of twists and turns but to return which makes it not possible to name who will win.

Who have you ever received? Max Verstappen, or Lewis Hamilton? Solely time will inform…

Declan Harte.

Photos courtesy of Formula1.com

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