2014 F1 season Finished, Who did the best this season?

[SagarisGTB]

1. Ricciardo
2. Alonso
3. Hamilton

Next would be Button, who was solid in an unimpressive car and thoroughly outclassed his rookie teammate.

Bottas gets love from the masses, but for me, he barely edged it against Massa. Massa finished ahead 8-6 when both finished, and even that may be misleading in Valtteri's favour (3 of Bottas' 6 include major issues for Massa: 1-minute pit stop in China, debris in floor at Spa and Q1 PU failure in Sochi). If Massa didn't have awful luck (the aforementioned, plus Kobayashi losing brakes at Australia, Kimi going crazy at Silverstone, Perez moving under braking in Canada, Ericsson making an untimely error in Monaco Q), things would look completely different.

Perez and Hulkenburg seem evenly matched; Checo being the spectacular and inconsistent one, Nico being more consistent but less spectacular. However, both have made errors and been underwhelming on occasions, whereas Button (who I rate similarly) hasn't (to the same degree at least).

Rosberg has been impressive in qualifying (other than the costly errors in China and Australia), but far too often has he underwhelmed on race day. Couldn't overtake when others probably could have (Bahrain, Spain, Hungary) and major errors under pressure (Italy, Russia, USA) make it hard for me to rate his season among the best.

I don't think there were any spectacular performances among the rest of the grid. However, Kvyat showed promise, Vergne was solid, Bianchi was very good mostly but against a questionable benchmark, Grosjean put in some solid drives early but faded slightly (and that error under the SC in Hungary was unacceptable), and Maldonado came on in the second half but was far too crash happy (and slow) in the early part of the season.

 

[Roger the Horse]

I would say Button did the best, taking home strong results in a not particularly great car a long way ahead of his team mate. Ricciardo, Hamilton, and Bottas all tie for second.

 

[Legro]

What? 2 people voted for Maldonado.

 

[mustafur]

What? 2 people voted for Maldonado.

That moment when Maldonado has more votes then Alonso and Rosberg combined.

 

[Hun200kmh]

 

[jjaisli]

I'm surprised Alonso hasn't got a vote, he destroyed his team mate more then any other driver.

However most will probably assume it is down mostly to Kimi's Lack of performance more then Alonso's skill for the massive gap which is probably right.

I just did. Voted for Alonso that is. For me, it was really a toss up between Ricciardo and Alonso. Both of them out performed their highly respected team mates, both in qualifying and in the races, both managed to do amazing things with a car that clearly wasn't the class of the field. Perhaps I was wrong and Daniel did the better job. He has much less experience than Fernando and was coming into a new team and was immediately on the pace with a born racer's instinct for moving through the field. Although Vettel's early season mechanical woes have to be considered as a mitigating factor. And I think to be fair, nobody really expected Daniel's amazing performance. Where as it was expected from Fernando.

Simply put, I voted for Alonso for the brutal way he dispatched Kimi throughout the year. His domination of his team mate, one of the most lopsided in the entire field, is a testament to how strong and how well rounded Fernando really is. He's massively quick, he's a thinker, he gets the best from his equipment, he's racey, he's politically savvy within his team--he's really the WHOLE package. And to me, he demonstrated this very clearly this year. If he ends up retiring from F1 with only two world championships it will be a travesty.

 

[trustjab]

It was only in Abu Dhabi that there wing wasn't legal. For the rest of the year there was nothing wrong with it.

Thats unproven. The wing was only found to be breaking the rules in Abu Dhabi. Thats not saying they only used it there. The fia called it into question because of the onboard camera's footage.

 

[Tyger]

Button for me. Sure I've always liked him but I thought he drove consistently and solidly in a poor car and way outclassed his rookie team mate, whom I think is also a good driver. He also did this with the passing of his father, and Ron Dennis and co acting like total tools and leaving him hanging about his future.

Closely followed by Hamilton for keeping it together and really growing up this year.

Then Ricciardo, Bottas, and Alonso, who also made the most of a poor car.

I was also impressed by Rosberg, Kvyat, Massa (consistency was his bugbear), Magnusson and Bianchi.

 

[theapex]

Daniel Ricciardo. Amazing season, always smiling and racing hard but fair and showed enough respect, a future WDC for sure if he gets in the right car.
Also (controversial) but Roseburg a close 2nd as driver of the season...let me explain:

Hamilton came into this season in knowledge he was in by far the best car on the grid, by a mile, even more than the Red Bull was for the last few seasons, almost an unfair advantage..in fact it was an unfair advantage to Mercedes...anyway.. LH former WDC, race winner, the Senna of our time, racer etc etc, he had all the platitutes leveled at him, he was already called a legend by some...
Then there was Roseburg...a steady if uninspiring driver over the last few seasons, OK so he beat Schumi but Schumi was in his 2nd wave at that point and he was not the driver he once was, and at this point the Merc was a dog. Schumi and Roseburg developed the Merc and helped make it what it was this season. Add to this Lewis rocked up to Merc on 20 mil a year....Roseburg was paid 6 mil...its clear who Merc thought was the Number 1 driver going into the season...

Hamilton for me was pushed so hard by Roseburg the like of which we haven't seen that often from a number 2 driver that really he has gone from an average driver to a driver who came soooo close to beating a former WDC over a season, where he was the better of Lewis at some races. Had Roseburg been a bit more like a Webber type driver then this season would of just been Hamilton drivng off in the best car as Roseburg plays number 2....thank God for Roseburg I say....
So for me Ricciardo and Roseburg.

I do hope they get the cars closer next year though, its been a bit of a joke this season, watching 2 cars fight for wins then the rest fighting over 3rd (bar mechanical failures from Team Merc)... also heard that Williams hd to ask Team Merc when they could turn up the power on their engines.....not sure if fact.

 

[niky]

Best performances, rated against the expectations we had for them at the start of the season, as follows:

1. Daniel Ricciardo - Clearly the stand-out performance of the season

2. Nico Rosberg - Nobody rated Nico before this season. They certainly knew he was quick, but not World Champion quick. He still perhaps lacks the racecraft of a champion, but if he can follow up his immense improvement this season in 2015, he may eventually become a champion, anyway.

3. Lewis Hamilton - You knew he was going to win. Didn't show the dominant qualifying form he's displayed in the past against Alonso and Vettel, which is why he's only sixth, but there is no doubting the depth of his racecraft. Some exceptional wheel-to-wheel work displayed this year.

4. Jenson Button - Too old? Too slow? Jenson rode his excellent racecraft to excellent results in a car that was clearly outclassed by the other frontrunners over the course of the season.

5. Valterri Bottas - Bottas showed exceptional form through the season in what was probably the second best car. Can't really rate how that compares, since he was up against a Massa who's probably past his championship-challenging form.

6. Sebastian Vettel - Say what you will about him being humiliated by Ricciardo... he still finished fifth in the championship, displayed excellent form in terms of overtaking and sizzling race starts on cold tires, and managed to close the qualifying gap near the end of the season. This season was a learning season for the young driver, and while he didn't adapt quickly, that he was able to fight back from such an embarrassing start deserves recognition.

7. Fernando Alonso - Yes, only seventh. Because we all know he's the best on the grid... so we're expecting him to place second in the championship, even if the Ferrari is barely better than a Caterham.

 

[sems4arsenal]

All top 5 did very well

Lewis was awesome on track

Nico had his best season and proved he can compete with one of the best in the business unlike some people (cough Webber)

Ricciardo amazed me so much, he has very good pace but my god this guy can overtake (a one man highlight reel)

Bottas did the best he could do with the Williams, OP saying when both on track he isn't that far better than Massa but that is Massa we're talking about.

Alonso again doing his best in a dog crap car, humiliating his world champion team mate in return. Best driver on the grid for me.

 

[SagarisGTB]

For me, Rosberg did considerably better last year. When both finished, it was 8-8 with his teammate last year, instead of a relatively embarrassing 10-4. He also had a few great runs (Abu Dhabi and India come to mind) and made less errors (at least ones that come to mind). I expected a better championship challenge this year, but Nico folded under the pressure.

 

[Peasantslayer]

But Nico comfortably outqualified Lewis this year, it was the other way around last year which could mean Lewis has perhaps compromised his quali setup a bit more this season which would explain the difference on race day or the fuel saving regs might just suit Hamilton's late braking.

 

[mustafur]

So Autosport announce Hamilton as the driver of the year, but get ranked 2nd behind Rcciardo when they rank F1 drivers: http://plus.autosport.com/premium/f...-of-2014/?_ga=1.187232557.42963397.1412919825

The international Driver of the year award just seems to go to whoever wins the WDC regardless.

 

[Roo]

The international Driver of the year award just seems to go to whoever wins the WDC regardless.

That's because many of the Autosport Awards - including IDOTY - are voted for by the (mainly British) public, whereas the Top 10 F1 Drivers article was put together by Autosport journalists only.

 

[Rich S]

I voted for the Hulk, I still remember that amazing pole lap at Interlagos was it, force India FTW although the car didn't look as stylish with the black in 14', still better looking though than most of the schemes. Not to say I'm a huge national India fan or anything but the car looks real nice.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

What does it for me is that Lewis came back, but more than that. When he screwed up or something didn't go his way he didn't revert to the 2011 bullcrap and run into the nearest Massa. Instead he clawed back, when Quali didn't go good he pulled out a dynamic start. Races like Austrian and British GP especially the starts are that of a driver that is out for blood and willing to win at all costs and he did (Austria was second place but still he was trying to win from the drop). It doesn't matter if you liked or disliked how fast the W05 was because in the end it wasn't a faultless car and both drivers had to work to overcome the issues it would have. However, in the end Lewis was the better driver on the day it counted.

 

[mustafur]

That's because many of the Autosport Awards - including IDOTY - are voted for by the (mainly British) public, whereas the Top 10 F1 Drivers article was put together by Autosport journalists only.

Not sure about that, the last winner was Vettel.

 

[mustafur]

Hamilton Wins team principals driver of the year: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/117125