WHO HAS IMPRESSED?
CARLOS SAINZ – P16, 9 points
Carlos Sainz came close to never being a Formula One driver. He was usurped by Max Verstappen for a Toro Rosso seat until Sebastian Vettel made his Ferrari switch and shuffled the Red Bull drive structure.
Paired with teenage prodigy Verstappen, who has attracted all of the limelight, Sainz has thrived under the radar to qual and often outperform his teammate. His ninth on debut in Melbourne and P5 qualification at his home race in Spain prove that his talent is real, and his 13-point gap to Verstappen is only the result of three consecutive car failures robbing him of likely points finishes.
FELIPE MASSA – P6, 74 points
The hashtag #BelieveInMassa is finally paying off. He looked improved last year, but the Brazilian stepped up in 2015 to tease shades of his 2008 near title-winning form – clearing his underwhelming Ferrari cobwebs entirely in the process.
Critically, he has shown strongly against the extremely well regarded Valtteri Bottas, sufficient to give Ferrari pause of thought about hiring the young Finn. Moreover, with Williams hoping to jostle for the title within the next two years, Massa’s ever improving form will keep him in contention to be its spearhead when the time comes.
SEBASTIAN VETTEL – P3, 160 points
What a difference 12 months makes. The downtrodden Sebastian Vettel of 2014 has gone, replaced by the effervescent championship=winning German of years gone by.
His performance should not be underestimated in the face of what is a serious, multifaceted challenge – he must piece together his reputation after is dismantling by Daniel Ricciardo last season while somehow revitalising Ferrari after one of its darkest era competing in Formula One.
So far he is handling it with aplomb, rather reminiscent of the last German to lead a Ferrari golden era…
WHO MUST IMPROVE?
NICO ROSBERG – P2, 181 points
Nico Rosberg came off second best to teammate Lewis Hamilton in the season-ending 2014 title showdown. He promised to come back better this season, and few doubted this calculating driver couldn’t at least match Hamilton for a second season – but he’s been blown away on all fronts.
A mini-resurgence after his third win in four races in Austria was undone with a Hamilton blitzing at Silverstone and a deeply uncompetitive showing in Hungary. His seat might be safe, but his reputation will be irrevocably damaged if he fails to mount a challenge in the second half of the year.
KIMI RÄIKKÖNEN – P5, 76 points
Kimi Räikkönen’s illustrious F1 career has delivered 20 wins and a world championship, but with the exception of a briefly competitive stint with Lotus upon his return from his 2010–11 F1 sabbatical, he has been off the pace.
To be fair to the Finn, he’s been let down by his car more often than teammate Vettel – he would have finished second in Hungary, for example, were it not for a power until failure. Nonetheless, Ferrari will struggle to win a constructors title if Räikkönen isn’t pulling his weight, making the second half of his season a battle against retirement.
PASTOR MALDONADO — P14, 12 points
Let’s be honest: Maldonado has underwhelmed for longer than just this season – but his situation is now dire. It is becoming increasingly likely that Renault will buy the Lotus team, meaning the PDVSA sponsorship money that has long guaranteed a place for him at the team dramatically less valuable. In any case, his performances aren’t becoming of a manufacturer entry.
To be fair, the Venezuelan has suffered more than his fair share of poor luck, but a ragged drive that earnt him three separate penalties in Hungary or running wide to enter the pits in China despite never having been called by the team lost him valuable points, amongst other incidents. For the first time, Maldonado will have to prove his worth on results alone. Does he have it in him?