Formula One Team Power Rankings After Great Britain
By Alex Herbst
Lewis Hamilton absolutely dominated the British Grand Prix on Sunday in Silverstone. But did that tip the scales of the team power rankings?
NOTE: The “Last Week” category includes each team’s rankings in the previous edition of the Formula One team power rankings.
MCLAREN
Stoffel Vandoorne and Fernando Alonso, Honda
#10
Last Week: 10th (NC)
McLaren showed in qualifying on Saturday that the team has plenty of potential. Fernando Alonso briefly took the top spot in Q1, while Stoffel Vandoorne advanced to Q3 for the first time ever. Now if the team could find some consistency in reliability with their machines, then perhaps points are not out of the question after the summer break.
SAUBER
Pascal Wehrlein and Marcus Ericsson, Ferrari
#9
Last Week: 9th (NC)
The drama surrounding the Sauber F1 Team has ramped up in recent weeks, and it’s not just with their drivers. Certainly, neither Ericsson or Wehrlein are secure in their seats for 2018, but neither is their new engine supplier Honda. Rumors are swirling that the deal was never official, and that the team could back out at any moment. This leaves one of F1’s continual backmarkers in a major state of flux.
Scuderia Toro Rosso
Carlos Sainz Jr. and Daniil Kvyat, Renault
#8
Last Week: 7th (-1)
Carlos Sainz Jr. did not even finish the first lap of the British Grand Prix this weekend, while Daniil Kvyat finished outside the points yet again. Now, rumors are spreading that the senior member of Toro Rosso may be moving on as soon as Hungary, leaving two potential open seats with Red Bull’s junior team heading into the 2018 offseason.
Renault Sport
Nico Hulkenberg and Jolyon Palmer, Renault
#7
Last Week: 8th (+1)
Nico Hulkenberg bounced back in a big way on Sunday in Silverstone, showing great speed out of his Renault ride and finishing comfortably inside the points. His teammate, meanwhile, did not finish. Perhaps the rumors could come true of Hulkenberg having a new teammate in time for the Hungarian Grand Prix in two weeks time.
HAAS F1
Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean, Ferrari
#6
Last Week: 6th (NC)
The young Haas F1 team has already accumulated as many points in 2017 as they did all last year. However, this hungry American team wants more. It would surprise no one if Haas F1 ended up on the podium in at least one race before this year’s championship is decided.
WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING
Felipe Massa and Lance Stroll, Mercedes
#5
Last Week: 5th (NC)
It was a quiet and forgettable weekend for the Williams Racing team, with Lance Stroll struggling to get his footing in Great Britain. His veteran teammate, meanwhile, mustered a single point on Sunday, further showing that the long-standing organization has taken a backseat to Force India in the battle of the mid-pack.
FORCE INDIA
Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon, Mercedes
#4
Last Week: 4th (NC)
Perez and Ocon have been quite literally stuck together in recent weeks on the Formula One grid. If one finishes ahead of the other in the running order, expect the opposite to occur the following week. The strong performances by the drivers could land them on the podium later in 2017, despite many legal troubles for their owner and team.
RED BULL RACING
Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen, Tag Heuer
#3
Last Week: 3rd (NC)
Finally, Max Verstappen has gotten a stroke of good luck. On Sunday in Great Britain, he finally finished a Grand Prix in the top 5 again, running home in 4th at Silverstone. Both Red Bull drivers showed pace throughout the weekend and it would not be surprising to see one or both of them in victory circle before the end of the year.
SCUDERIA FERRARI
Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
#2
Last Week: 2nd (NC)
The drivers championship is slowly slipping through Sebastian Vettel’s fingers. Tire troubles on Sunday cost him valuable points as Lewis Hamilton scooted away to victory in Silverstone. With Vettel running in seventh at the finish, the two are separated by just one point in the title fight. And with Hamilton finally hitting his stride, could the championship now be in doubt?
NEXT: Formula One Standings after Silverstone
MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS
Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
#1
Last Week: 1st (NC)
The team cruised away to another 1-2 finish on Sunday, with Lewis Hamilton tying Jim Clark’s mark for the most British GP wins of all-time. If there were any remaining questions about whether or not Mercedes had lost their title-fighting form after the departure of Nico Rosberg, they are long gone now. Mercedes is now the favorite to win again in 2017.