Formula 1 mock draft: How the grid might look if teams drafted drivers
By Simon Head
17. McLaren: Zhou Guanyu
With only a handful of names left on the board, McLaren have looked at the potential upside and selected the driver with the highest ceiling in Zhou Guanyu, whose performances for the Sauber team have shown signs of real promise.
Throw into the hat the additional potential investment from having a Chinese driver in the team, and it all helps make Zak Brown’s decision to pick Zhou at No. 17 a smart choice.
18. Ferrari: Kevin Magnussen
We said earlier how Ferrari were in “win now” mode. And with that in mind, they’ve gone for the raciest option left on the board.
Kevin Magnussen’s willingness to go wheel to wheel with anyone on the track, regardless of name, team, or status, makes him one of the most exciting drivers on the grid.
The only thing that has held him back in recent years has been the quality of the car he’s been driving, but the prospect of Magnussen in a Ferrari is a mouthwatering one as Fred Vasseur lets him loose on the grid with one instruction – don’t hit your teammate. If he avoids that, and races to type, Ferrari fans will have a lot of fun watching their veteran lineup.