I agree Norris is an all-star. This year proved it without a doubt. I'm still siding with George. I know it's one race, but to get in a Merc that does not fit with short notice, and wipe the floor with the rest of the grid 2 times through (because remember after the first Merc screw-up he nearly won again), that was unreal. One of the most impactful "top-team debuts" I've seen since Lewis went around the outside of Alonso in 2007 in Australia. Ocon is pretty solid, but I'd have a hard time ranking him over Gasly to be honest. I guess I would rank the under-25 crowd as follows:
Max - WDC title fight against Lewis. Speaks for itself
Charles - puts the Ferrari where it shouldn't be, is also a proven race winner. limited by Ferrari's incompetence.
*Mercedes George - if he was shorter and had a purple/black helmet, no one would have thought Lewis was absent, but the key difference is experience. Lewis calls shots from the car often regarding strategy and Merc is more likely to humor him vs George. That's understandable.
Norris - Extremely consistent, becoming that guy to pick up the podium should shenanigans happen up front
Gasly - more reliable now and a good racer. the car is inconsistent though.
*Williams George - one of the best qualifiers I've seen. Finally got points but still had some key mistakes in other races. I suspect is him trying too hard sometimes.
Ocon - inconsistent performances in qualifying, but he's trending upwards after the win. His time with Alonso (the old man mentor type) is going to be invaluable.
Gio - improved noticeably but is that due to actual improvement, or Kimi's regression?
Latifi - better than most people give him credit for. doesn't make mistakes.
Mick - Big upside, watching closely
Yuki - Needs more experience. The hot-headedness doesn't bother me, but he needs to learn to channel it. The greats, especially Lewis, are good at turning that energy into blistering pace.
Maz - yeah.....
Last edited by abm89; 08-04-2021 at 11:29 AM.
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