(Motorsport-Total.com) – It is one thing who won the Dutch Grand Prix. But it can be another matter which drivers delivered the best performance in Zandvoort. Because in Formula 1, it’s not just about the driver’s performance. Crucially, it’s also about the car available to them, and of course the team’s performance as well.
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Isolating the driver’s performance from other factors is extremely difficult. Nevertheless, we dare to try. Our grading system consists of three pillars. First: the fans. Our users now have the opportunity to rate the performances of all 22 drivers. Analogous to the school grading system from 1 (very good) to 6 (insufficient).
Second: the expert. Marc Surer grades the performances of Max Verstappen & Co. as he has done in previous years. And third: the editorial team. We conduct our own small voting within our core Formula 1 team.
The three pillars then each contribute one third to the overall grade for the weekend. In the end, this produces the ultimate ranking – which is great for discussion!
Our format is inspired by the grades that, for example, football magazines give after each match. But grading only by the editorial team was too subjective for us. To arrive at a balanced judgment, we therefore ask our expert and our users for help.
Guide: How should you assign your grades?
For orientation: For grade 1, a driver should have done something very special. For example, relative to their teammate. Grade 2 is a very, very good performance by a world-class driver who only lacks a special element. Grades 3 and 4 are good or poorer average – so still quite good!
Grade 5 is given for rather poorer performances, for example if a driver is clearly dominated by their teammate all weekend or delivers an average performance and then causes a avoidable accident. Grade 6 should only be given in the “brainfade” category – that is, when a driver has done something particularly stupid.
Try to be objective! Of course, this is not always easy. But whether you are a fan of Max Verstappen or Fernando Alonso should not play a role in assigning the grade. No one will ever be able to completely free themselves from personal preferences and prejudices. But at least trying contributes to a fairer grading system.
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Don’t be blinded by external influences! Only what the driver had control over should be reflected in the grade. An example: Are degrading tires a driver factor or an external factor? If the tires degrade because the driver braked too late shortly before, this should negatively affect the grade. If the tires degrade due to a material defect, there should be no deductions.
Weight the race most heavily! Only there are points. The performance on race day should make up about 70 percent of the grade. Qualifying 25. And the three free practice sessions a maximum of five. An off-track excursion in free practice where a front wing flies off might cost a few minutes of practice time. One on race day might cost the win.
What about a sprint weekend? Then the weighting shifts a bit. The sprint winner receives eight points. The main race 25. So one could say: Sprint qualifying and sprint race should make up one third of the grade, qualifying and Grand Prix the other two thirds. And the only free practice counts only if something extraordinary happened there. For example, a crash that endangered participation in subsequent sessions.
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Remember who is sitting in which car! It’s easier to drive error-free in a Mercedes than in a Cadillac. This partly relativizes when George Russell takes pole with a commanding lead and Sergio Perez spins. That might not have happened to him in the Mercedes. But …
… always ask yourself: If two drivers sat in the same car, who would deliver the better performance? This way, one of the less talented drivers might only get a 3 or 4 even with a strong performance for them. Because in the same car, even on a good weekend, they would still perform worse than a Max Verstappen on a bad one.
Don’t take it too seriously! Of course, our grading system is an attempt to objectively classify driver performances. Ultimately, this is never 100 percent possible. Everyone evaluates things a little differently, and that’s okay. That’s why there are three pillars as mutual checks and balances. Criticizing others for their opinion is possible. But it should always be done with the necessary respect! For example, in discussions within our community on social media.
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And now: Have fun assigning grades! Here’s the link to the voting!