Rank the drivers

[jens]

Another thread to discuss about something in mean-time.

Often it is fun to think, how drivers compare to each other. To exercise this in practice I created four tiers.

Tiers:
A: Hamilton, Alonso, Ricciardo, Vettel
B: Rosberg, Button, Bottas, Räikkönen, Hülkenberg, Grosjean
C: Massa, Pérez, Kvyat, Verstappen, Sainz, Nasr
D: Ericsson, Maldonado, Stevens, Merhi

Note 1: Several tier C drivers, like KVY, VES, SAI, NAS are very new to F1 and have potential to move up. Especially Verstappen, who may even have Tier 1 talent! But it is all too early. They need to prove their skills much more before even moving up to group B, where we already have very accomplished and proven drivers.

Note 2: Stevens and Merhi are impossible to rate, since they do not have a meaningful car. Based on feeder series evidence, gut feeling and how they are judged by teams I can't put them higher. Or I can leave them out altogether.

Note 3: I can't say I am convinced of putting Vettel that high. But he doesn't fit into "B" either, maybe something like inbetween. He has great opportunity to wash 2014 away as a one-off season. On the flipside I am very convinced in Ricciardo. His 2014 is up there with the best seasons I have seen being performed in F1 by a driver. And the rest of his career looks impressive too, just in rubbish cars, so nobody took notice!

More detailed comments on different drivers perhaps later on.

[Mia 01]

Thoose type of ranks occur on several forums. They are interesting, but, very subjective to.

[Storm]

Very subjective but then this forum business in general is

Are we ranking only on current form or historically? (I mean Kimi used to be much better than he is rt now, same with Massa before and after his shunt)
A: Hamilton, Alonso, Kimi
B: Vettel, Rosberg, Bottas, Ricciardo
C: Massa, Verstappen, Button
D: the rest

[Koz]

A: Hamilton Alonso Vettel
B: Kimi Ricciardo Gosjean Rosberg Hulk
C: Massa Button Bottas Perez
Can't rate the new guys yet.
Donkey: Maldonado

[journeyman racer]

I would put Raikkonen in that first group.

[pino]

Very subjective but then this forum business in general is

Are we ranking only on current form or historically? (I mean Kimi used to be much better than he is rt now, same with Massa before and after his shunt)
A: Hamilton, Alonso, Kimi
B: Vettel, Rosberg, Bottas, Ricciardo
C: Massa, Verstappen, Button
D: the rest

Totally agree with your list !

[pino]

A: Hamilton Alonso Vettel
B: Kimi Ricciardo Gosjean Rosberg Hulk
C: Massa Button Bottas Perez
Can't rate the new guys yet.
Donkey: Maldonado

Grosjean and Hulk, ahead of Bottas and Massa ?

[Hawkmoon]

A: Alonso, Hamilton, Vettel
B: Raikkonen, Bottas, Ricciardo
C: Massa, Button, Rosberg
.
.
.
F: Maldonado (the fact that this man has won the same amount of GPs as Jean Alesi is a crime against nature and proof that there is no justice in this world)

[Tazio]

This is a very subjective analysis, I'm only rating drivers that have been around a while, and to be honest I really don't feel a strong conviction for this list.


Fred and The Boss

Seb, Danny Boy, Hulk, Bottas

Kimi, Jense , Felipe, RoGro, Britany

Perez

Don't know what to do with the rest.

[jens]

Thoose type of ranks occur on several forums. They are interesting, but, very subjective to.

Of course they are subjective, because there is not scientific criteria to rank driver skills. Otherwise all the facts would be there and nothing to discuss!

And naturally tiers do not exist. It is just a method of compromise. In each tier you can question whether one or another belongs there, but you make this compromise, because you feel he doesn't belong to the other group either, and just fit in there.