Here are our F1 team rankings after the eleventh race of the season.
The rankings are based on the currently expected levels of the cars. Performance could vary from track to track – and in different conditions – but these are the overall rankings as I see them at the moment.
1. Mercedes
They still have the quickest overall car, even though the competitors are getting closer. The W17 struggles at some tracks and both drivers have lost multiple podiums due to unreliability. Mercedes have space for further development, and despite winning only two of the last five GPs, they should still be considered favourites for the title.
2. McLaren
Back May when F1 visited North America, it seemed like McLaren were in front of Ferrari, but they followed up with some rough outings. In Hungary, they made it back to the top as their two drivers fought for the win up until Piastri’s retirement. McLaren have incredible aerodynamicists and engineers, capable of upgrading the car throughout the year, and now it seems like they are understanding the OP Mercedes engine a bit better.
3. Ferrari
The acceleration of the SF-26 is insane, so we could see Leclerc and Hamilton lead a lot of races early on. They are also able to defend well in wheel-to-wheel racing. The car has great aero features and excellent mechanical grip. Sadly, Ferrari still struggle with strategies and there are just too many silly mistakes. In Catalunya, they finally got it right for once, and Hamilton was able to take his first win in red. Leclerc followed up with a great performance at Silverstone where Ferrari actually had the outright best package. It will be interesting to see where they stand after the summer break – there’s certainly a chance that they can leapfrog McLaren again.
4. Red Bull
The new Red Bull car is very track dependent – but since Miami, it seems like they are able to compete near the front. The engine is quite powerful, and while it seems like the chassis is lacking, they’ve shown surprisingly strong performances. Verstappen has already achieved multiple podiums and might snatch a win at some point. And the car isn’t only suited for him – Hadjar is also doing well and has racked up seven straight top six finishes.
5. Racing Bulls
Like last year, they have a really solid package and massively underrated car. The engine provides them with a lot of performance, and the chassis is decent as well. Lawson has delivered on multiple occasions, and considering how bad he was last year, it’s a sign that the car is really competitive. Rookie Lindblad has also scored plenty of points recently. It should definitely be possible for both drivers to continue doing well in the VCARB-03.
6. Alpine
Only one points finish for Gasly in the last four rounds – difficult to say whether that’s down to the team being overtaken in development, or if Gasly is simply hitting one of his low motivation streaks. Colapinto is driving at his usual level, so I’m leaning towards Alpine still being among the best in the midfield. You could make the argument that Audi have caught up, as these two teams are super close.
7. Audi
Surprisingly solid start by Audi. Their engine looks decent and with plenty of room for improvement. They lost their team principal, but the fundamentals are well in place. The Audi drivers have struggled with race starts, so that needs to be sorted out. There are some reliability issues as well, but they are sorting that out, and the pace is better than expected. Audi should continue to improve as the season progresses and ultimately they’ll probably be more competitive than Alpine. Much depends on the engine development race, too.
8. Aston Martin
With the most recent upgrade, Aston Martin are seemingly back in the midfield. Alonso and Stroll both finished ahead of the Haas and Williams drivers, and that’s certainly better than before.
With that said: There are some fundamental issues with the leadership of this team: Lawrence Stroll’s strategy is to overpay for old, established names, and it’s not working out. Aston Martin are somewhat equal to the Toyota team of the 2000s – investing a fortune into the team with nothing to show for it. Nepotism is also an issue as F1’s worst driver is permanently occupying one of the seats. Rumours are now saying that Adrian Newey understands why the car struggles and that the right upgrades are coming, so at least that’s something. He might be the only person in the world who can take the team permanently forward.
9. Haas
Haas started the season well but has dropped to the back of the midfield and seems to fight closely with Williams now. That’s not a surprise – Haas always struggle with car development, due to the fact that they outsource almost everything, so their upside is limited. Bearman needs to move to a better team to continue his development. And Haas certainly need to fire Ocon and bring in a better pilot.
10. Williams
For about a decade, they’ve been completely incapable of building a fast car. Last season, they finally got some solid results, but mainly due to having two great drivers pushing the team forward. They were quickly out-developed by Racing Bulls, Haas and Sauber. Not a good sign. And despite using the Mercedes engine, Williams are at the back of the midfield this year. The chassis is overweight and the aero packages are underwhelming, so things are not looking good. But perhaps there’s room for some improvement. Sainz is looking for a way out, while Albon seems happy with mediocrity.
11. Cadillac
The new American team seems to lack upside in all departments. At least with Ferrari engines, they won’t break down every race, but I would be very surprised if their drivers score any points by merit. They are just too far behind. Now there are rumours that Bottas could be replaced, and frankly, it would be a good decision.
