Who is the best Formula 1 driver in the world?

You can of course simply look at the rankings, but there is so much more that determines whether a driver is actually performing better than the others. In Formula 1, a racer's performance depends, among other things, on his car and the technical team.

While F1 fans enjoyed a memorable duel between seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and Dutch challenger Max Verstappen last season, the 2022 season will have a clear number one: Verstappen.

It is difficult to conclude otherwise than that the Dutchman is currently the best driver in Formula 1. He meets the expectations of those who bet on him, and everything points to him being one of the biggest names in the sport by the end of his career.

World titles: 2

Wins: 34

Pole positions: 16

Despite Max Verstappen's current dominance in Formula 1, Lewis Hamilton still has more world titles to his name. That makes him, over the last ten years, the best driver in the world. The only person who has ever won as many World Cup titles as Hamilton is the legendary Michael Schumacher.

World titles: 7 (tie with Schumacher)

Wins: 103 (absolute record)

Pole position: 103 (absolute record)

The Monaco-born driver started this season at a spectacular level, taking pole positions, showing great race pace, and winning a Grand Prix. In addition, his on-track duels with Max Verstappen made it clear that he can still get close to the reigning champion with a competitive car.

The only thing that stood between him and the championship, you might say, were the strategic errors of Scuderia Ferrari and Leclerc's occasional mishap on track.

World titles: 0

Win: 5

Pole positions: 18

Leclerc's teammate at Ferrari has shown strong performances in both 2022 and 2021. He had his first win at Silverstone, no less. Yet, the driver from Madrid has to show even more potential to definitely belong to the greats of the sport.

His poor start to the season raised questions about his ability to handle the pressure and compete at the highest level, but his recent performances have shown that Sainz is a driver who can achieve great things.

World titles: 0

Win: 1

Pole positions: 3

The other Spanish driver, Fernando Alonso, is one of the most skilled F1 racers at 41 years old. Although he has been condemned to middle positions on the track in recent years, most experts blame this on his mid-level Alpine car.

Alonso is not easily overlooked thanks to his two-time world championship with Renault and his great performance at Ferrari. But is he the best in the world?

World titles: 2

Win: 32

Pole positions: 22

A similar case to Alonso is that of his old rival, Sebastian Vettel. His four world championships with Red Bull prove that he is one of the great drivers of recent decades, but in the last two seasons, he has had to fight to get into the top ten with Aston Martin.

Sebastian Vettel has decided to retire. However, his lack of success has to do more with the mediocre car he drives than with his talents as a driver.

World titles: 4

Win: 53

Pole positions: 57

The Mexican Red Bull driver has shown some brilliant performances over the years. Memorable, for example, was his victory in the 2020 Sakhir GP, the result of an incredible comeback from last place. In 2021, he mainly had to adapt to his new team, Red Bull, but in 2022 it almost looked like Perez would fight Max Verstappen for the championship.

His chances for 2022 were soon lost due to a series of poor results. However, that does not mean that Pérez is not a major contender for upcoming championships.

World titles: 0

Win: 4

Pole positions: 1

After several seasons of experience at Williams and remarkable results in a relatively mediocre car, the young Brit proved in his first season at Mercedes that he can become one of the best Formula 1 drivers.

Being a teammate of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton is no easy task, but Russell is reliable (hence the nickname 'Mr. Consistency') and has a good chance of winning championships thanks to his mentality and speed. Just look at his win in Brazil, and you know it!

World titles: 0

Win: 1

Pole positions: 1

Another young British driver with great prospects is Lando Norris. In four seasons with McLaren, Norris has built a reputation for strong qualifying results and excellent race pace.

The lack of consistency of his car has hampered Lando's chances. If he manages to get his hands on a truly competitive car in the coming years, this driver could easily emerge as one of the Greats.

World titles: 0

Win: 0

Pole positions: 1

Regarded for many years as one of the most skilled drivers, the good-humored Aussie has gradually lost the smile and aura of a top driver. Although he managed to save the 2021 season with an unexpected win at Monza, his performance disappointed in 2022.

In fact, things are so bad with Ricciardo that McLaren has decided to take back his spot for 2023 and opt instead for a rookie, his compatriot Oscar Piastri. Does this mean it's over for Ricciardo in Formula 1?

World titles: 0

Win: 8

Pole positions: 3

In the Netherlands, they will obviously say: Max Verstappen. But how would the current World Champion perform if everyone drove the exact same car and there were no internal team dynamics to deal with?

You can more or less compare some drivers. Lewis Hamilton won seven championships with the same car as Valtteri Bottas (zero). Similarly, Max Verstappen's dominance this season is partly explained by his car, but his team-mate 'Checo' Perez has the same car and he has only managed to win once.

As far as Perez is concerned, however, we also need to factor in the work he did to help Verstappen win several races. Formula 1 is largely an individual effort, but some part of it is teamwork, with a number 1 driver and his aides. It remains to be seen how the two racers would perform if each of them really drove purely for themselves.