As the Formula One fraternity goes into its summer break, with 12 of the 21 races in the season completed, Graham Caygill picks his top five drivers from the first half of the campaign.
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1 Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Started the season with Toro Rosso but was promoted to Red Bull Racing after four races, and has made the step up look seamless.
Won on his debut with Red Bull in Spain, but arguably has been more impressive since that Barcelona victory, beating his more experienced teammate Daniel Ricciardo on his way to second place finishes in Austria and Britain.
There is still more to come from the teenager and his duel with Ricciardo to be top dog at Red Bull will be one of the fascinating stories of the second half of 2016.
2 Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-GP
F1 fans should be glad he had problems with his starts at the beginning of the season and the mechanical unreliability he suffered.
Without it he would be out of sight at the top of the drivers’ championship.
As it is a run of six wins in seven races has turned a 43-point deficit into a 19-point lead and the triple world champion, and when he has a clean weekend, he is pretty much a guaranteed winner.
3 Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing
An impressive first half of the season for the Australian, and only bad luck and poor strategy calls from Red Bull Racing’s have denied him a victory so far in 2016.
While he has been beaten on a couple of occasions by Verstappen, his strong displays in Hungary and Germany have shown he is determined to remain the No 1 in the team.
With Red Bull establishing themselves as the second best team in F1 he should have plenty more opportunities for podiums and chances to win races.
4 Sergio Perez, Force India
The Mexican’s stock has risen greatly with a fine first half of the season, highlighted by third-place finishes in Monaco and Azerbaijan.
While there was a bit of fortune in mixed conditions in Monaco, Azerbaijan was achieved on merit and was one of the drives of the season.
He is much sought after for 2017, with Renault and Williams reportedly interested in his services, and as long as Force India remains competitive, he will continue to score points consistently.
5 Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
Has been a frustrating year for the German. Should have won in Australia and Canada, but was let down by bad strategy.
Mechanical failures have also let him down, particularly in practice forcing grid penalties, and with Ferrari’s pace beginning to slip, the four-time world champion’s chances of triumphing at least once are receding.
Has hardly put a wheel wrong on track, and there is no doubt he is getting the maximum out of the Ferrari, which only highlights just how far the Italian team have fallen of late.
