TOP DRIVERS OF THE 2018 SEASON

2
Second Place Driver

Sebastian Vettel

1
First Place Driver

Lewis Hamilton

3
Third Place Driver

Kimi Räikkönen

2018 Season Details

The 2018 Formula One World Championship, the 69th season of the premier motorsport series, was marked by intense competition, strategic innovations, and significant regulatory changes. Spanning 21 Grands Prix from March 25 to November 25, the season witnessed a fierce rivalry between Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team and Scuderia Ferrari, with drivers Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel vying for supremacy.

Championship Overview

Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team secured their fifth consecutive Constructors’ Championship, amassing a total of 655 points, 84 points ahead of Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton clinched his fifth World Drivers’ Championship title, concluding the season with 408 points, 88 points clear of Sebastian Vettel. Hamilton’s performance included 11 race victories and 4 pole positions, underscoring his dominance throughout the season.

Key Highlights

Regulatory Changes: The 2018 season introduced the mandatory “halo” cockpit protection device, aimed at enhancing driver safety. Despite initial aesthetic criticisms, the halo proved effective in several incidents, notably protecting Charles Leclerc during a first-lap crash at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Mid-Season Developments: The championship battle saw momentum shifts, with Vettel leading after the British Grand Prix. However, a series of errors and mechanical issues in subsequent races allowed Hamilton to capitalize, notably with victories in Germany and Hungary.

Emerging Talents: Charles Leclerc, driving for Alfa Romeo Sauber, impressed in his rookie season, earning a promotion to Ferrari for 2019. Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing continued to showcase his prowess, securing two race wins and finishing fourth in the Drivers’ Championship.

Statistical Overview

Race Wins: Hamilton led with 11 victories; Vettel secured 5; Verstappen achieved 2; Daniel Ricciardo and Kimi Räikkönen each obtained 1 win.

Pole Positions: Vettel achieved the most pole positions with 5, Hamilton closely followed with 4.

Fastest Laps: Valtteri Bottas recorded the highest number of fastest laps, totaling 7 throughout the season.

The 2018 Formula One season was a testament to Mercedes’ sustained excellence and Hamilton’s driving mastery. The intense rivalry with Ferrari, coupled with the emergence of young talents, set the stage for an exciting future in the sport. The successful implementation of safety innovations like the halo underscored Formula One’s commitment to driver welfare without compromising the competitive spirit of the championship.

Statistics

Drivers

  • Most Wins
    Lewis Hamilton(11)
  • Most Podiums
    Lewis Hamilton (17)
  • Most Poles
    Lewis Hamilton (11)
  • Most Laps Led
    Lewis Hamilton (458)
  • Most In Points
    Lewis Hamilton (20)
  • Most DNFs
    Daniel Ricciardo (8)
  • Most Fastest Laps
    Valtteri Bottas (7)

Constructors

  • Most Wins
    Mercedes(11)
  • Most Podiums
    Mercedes (25)
  • Most Poles
    Mercedes (13)
  • Most Laps Led
    Mercedes (542)
  • Most In Points
    Mercedes (39)
  • Most DNFs
    Red Bull (12)
  • Most Fastest Laps
    Mercedes (10)

Drivers Championship Standings

Pos Driver Constructor Points Wins
1
British Lewis Hamilton
German Mercedes
408.0 11
2
German Sebastian Vettel
Italian Ferrari
320.0 5
3
Finnish Kimi Räikkönen
Italian Ferrari
251.0 1
4
Dutch Max Verstappen
Austrian Red Bull
249.0 2
5
Finnish Valtteri Bottas
German Mercedes
247.0 0
6
Australian Daniel Ricciardo
Austrian Red Bull
170.0 2
7
German Nico Hülkenberg
French Renault
69.0 0
8
Mexican Sergio Pérez
Indian Force India
62.0 0
9
Danish Kevin Magnussen
American Haas F1 Team
56.0 0
10
Spanish Carlos Sainz
French Renault
53.0 0
11
Spanish Fernando Alonso
British McLaren
50.0 0
12
French Esteban Ocon
Indian Force India
49.0 0
13
Monegasque Charles Leclerc
Swiss Sauber
39.0 0
14
French Romain Grosjean
American Haas F1 Team
37.0 0
15
French Pierre Gasly
Italian Toro Rosso
29.0 0
16
Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne
British McLaren
12.0 0
17
Swedish Marcus Ericsson
Swiss Sauber
9.0 0
18
Canadian Lance Stroll
British Williams
6.0 0
19
New Zealander Brendon Hartley
Italian Toro Rosso
4.0 0
20
Russian Sergey Sirotkin
British Williams
1.0 0

Constructors Championship Standings

Pos Constructor Points Wins
1
German Mercedes
655.0 11
2
Italian Ferrari
571.0 6
3
Austrian Red Bull
419.0 4
4
French Renault
122.0 0
5
American Haas F1 Team
93.0 0
6
British McLaren
62.0 0
8
Swiss Sauber
48.0 0
9
Italian Toro Rosso
33.0 0
10
British Williams
7.0 0

Driver Points Distribution

Constructor Points Distribution

Driver Points Evolution

Constructor Points Evolution

Australian Grand Prix

Australian Grand Prix

March 25, 2018

Bahrain Grand Prix

Bahrain Grand Prix

April 8, 2018

Chinese Grand Prix

Chinese Grand Prix

April 15, 2018

Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Azerbaijan Grand Prix

April 29, 2018

Spanish Grand Prix

Spanish Grand Prix

May 13, 2018

Monaco Grand Prix

Monaco Grand Prix

May 27, 2018

Canadian Grand Prix

Canadian Grand Prix

June 10, 2018

French Grand Prix

French Grand Prix

June 24, 2018

Austrian Grand Prix

Austrian Grand Prix

July 1, 2018

British Grand Prix

British Grand Prix

July 8, 2018

German Grand Prix

German Grand Prix

July 22, 2018

Hungarian Grand Prix

Hungarian Grand Prix

July 29, 2018

Belgian Grand Prix

Belgian Grand Prix

Aug. 26, 2018

Italian Grand Prix

Italian Grand Prix

Sept. 2, 2018

Singapore Grand Prix

Singapore Grand Prix

Sept. 16, 2018

Russian Grand Prix

Russian Grand Prix

Sept. 30, 2018

Japanese Grand Prix

Japanese Grand Prix

Oct. 7, 2018

United States Grand Prix

United States Grand Prix

Oct. 21, 2018

Mexican Grand Prix

Mexican Grand Prix

Oct. 28, 2018

Brazilian Grand Prix

Brazilian Grand Prix

Nov. 11, 2018

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Nov. 25, 2018