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Formula One: 2018 preseason driver power rankings

By Asher Fair

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - OCTOBER 29: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (33) Red Bull Racing Red Bull-TAG Heuer RB13 TAG Heuer, Sebastian Vettel of Germany driving the (5) Scuderia Ferrari SF70H and Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes F1 WO8 battle for position into turn one at the start during the Formula One Grand Prix of Mexico at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on October 29, 2017 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - OCTOBER 29: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (33) Red Bull Racing Red Bull-TAG Heuer RB13 TAG Heuer, Sebastian Vettel of Germany driving the (5) Scuderia Ferrari SF70H and Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes F1 WO8 battle for position into turn one at the start during the Formula One Grand Prix of Mexico at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on October 29, 2017 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) /
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ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – NOVEMBER 26: Valtteri Bottas driving the (77) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes F1 WO8 leads Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes F1 WO8 (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – NOVEMBER 26: Valtteri Bottas driving the (77) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes F1 WO8 leads Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes F1 WO8 (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) /

Conclusion

Lewis Hamilton is the rightful favorite to win the 2018 Formula One championship after winning the 2017 title in dominant fashion, thus giving him three championships in the last four seasons. His 40 wins in that span are an all-time record for a four-year span, which also goes to show just how hard it will be to stop him this upcoming season.

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That said, it may not be as easy for him to win the 2018 title as it has been for him to win past championships, as he has admitted that Mercedes may need to up their game a little bit since Ferrari and Red Bull Racing are expected to be very strong in 2018 relative to recent seasons.

In the last 10 seasons, there have been four different Formula One champions. Of those four champions, two won one title apiece in that spam. The other two have both won four, and they are the two who are still driving. Hamilton is one and Sebastian Vettel, who finished in 2nd place behind only Hamilton in this 2017 drivers standings, is the other. Expect the 2018 Formula One championship battle to be tight between these two drivers and possibly a few others.

Next: Top 10 Formula One drivers of all-time

With the season opener of the 2018 Formula One season, the Australian Grand Prix, set for Sunday, March 25th, which is right around the corner, do you agree with these rankings? Which drivers should be ranked higher, and which drivers should be ranked lower? We’ll see which drivers deserve which positions in these rankings throughout the year.

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