The Formula 1 season has come to a close. In his annual end-of-year report, driver and F1 analyst Tom Coronel assesses all the drivers in his unique way. After discussing the top 3 and the flop 3 of the past season, today we turn our attention to the rest of the field (final part). We’ll talk about the fresh face of Oliver Bearman, the extinguished fire in Lewis Hamilton, and Lance Stroll’s quiet wish for hockey.
Oliver Bearman: 7.0
Tom Coronel: “He raced twice this season and scored points both times, for Ferrari and Haas. That’s impressive. If I were to characterize Bearman, I’d say he’s young, wild, has a fresh face, and lots of potential. He’s also a guy who dares to take risks. Because of what he’s shown, other young talents are now getting a chance at the highest level, and I think that’s great. He’s set the stage. We’re definitely going to hear more from him.”
Lewis Hamilton: 6.8
“What happened to him? No idea! I was very excited about his move to Ferrari before the season, but during the season, I became less enthusiastic about him. I saw a Hamilton who no longer believes in himself. When I hear him speak, I think: where’s the fire, where’s the boxing glove? I would say: put on that red suit as soon as possible, because I really want to see you shine one more time.”
Fernando Alonso: 6.6
“Oh yes, he was also participating. If you’re that old, you really shouldn’t want to do this anymore, at least not with a team at the back. Fernando is a great driver, but I now see him more as a team boss, a leader. He understands Formula 1, he understands motorsport, and he’s still driven, but he needs to take a different path. The time is ripe to start helping others instead of himself.”
Esteban Ocon: 6.5
“I understand why they kicked him out at Alpine. In Formula 1, you have to be able to be a selfish jerk, but one that the team can rely on. And you can’t rely on Ocon. I’m amazed that Haas has brought him in for next season. Yes, he’s fast, just look at what he showed in the rain in Brazil, but he too often does the wrong things. His ego is bigger than the team’s interest.”
Alexander Albon: 6.2
“A quiet season. I’m not impressed by the development he’s shown this season, but that could also be due to the Williams. He was perhaps not challenged enough, with Sargeant and later debutant Colapinto as teammates. He seemed lethargic to me. Next year is, in my opinion, his last chance to really show what he can do. A six plus is generously rewarded.”
Kevin Magnussen: 5.5
“He’s leaving now and I hope he stays away. He once entered F1 with a big bang and showed some nice things afterwards, but now his F1 book is really closed. A promising career awaits him in other racing classes. He’s a racer, one with a knife between his teeth, but sometimes it was fighting for the sake of fighting and nobody benefited from it. And he was not suspended from a race for nothing.”
Lance Stroll: 5.2
“I wonder if Lance Stroll really enjoys Formula 1 or if he sometimes secretly thinks: I wish my father owned a hockey team. And I see him doing some very trivial things, like the way he put his car in the gravel trap in Brazil. Yet, he is sometimes faster than Alonso. I’ve said it before, if he can hit the sweet spot, he can really do something. A 5.2, also partly because of his annoying demeanor.”
Valtteri Bottas: 4.2
“As a team leader, you also have to score occasionally. He didn’t do that. Bottas should have stopped two years ago. This season he was more concerned with his image than with his performance on the track. So I would say: thank you and goodbye. Okay, he had a bit of bad luck with the team, but that doesn’t change the fact that he has occupied a seat for too long where a young talent could have gained experience.”
Guanyu Zhou: 4.1
“Well, I wish I had been Chinese, then I could have also driven Formula 1. Zhou is a guy who can earn his living in motorsport, but he has no place in Formula 1. The level is clearly too high for him. We will quickly forget him in Formula 1. Colorless, meaningless. And he simply lacks talent, a lot, a lot, a lot of talent.”
