Carlos from Spain:
As many already realize, the driver's championship in F1 is just an illusion for entertainment purposes... the driver's and constructor's championships are in reality both constructor's championships with different point allocation rules, the rest matters little at the end of the season.
https://thejudge13.com/2022/07/06/new-scientific-study-f1-car-overwhelmingly-superior-to-driver-ability/
That isn't wrong. We can do a count back and check.
2021, the season was only close because Hamilton out performed. The Red Bull was head and shoulder above the Mercedes. Max should have won it by a mile.
2020, Mercedes has no peers, easy win for Hamilton. his only competition was Bottas which was no competition.
2019, Mercedes was strong. Red Bull doesn't quite have the car there yet for Verstappen, Ferrari got knocked down by Red Bull from 2nd best car.
2017, 2018, Ferrari was a great match to the Mercedes with the rule change compared with previous year. At times the Ferraris are the fastest cars. It was bad luck, Vettel's unforced blunders and Hamilton's skills that won him the 2 titles, which could have easily gone to Vettel.
2016 was another Mercedes year. Rosberg lucked out to top Hamilton for the WDC when Hamilton's engine expired fro no reason while leading the Malaysian GP. Calling the Red Bull car best of the rest is more appropriate than calling them 2nd best car.
2015 Mercedes stayed dominant when the hybrid era began. Ferrari sort of the best of the rest car. Hamilton out classed Rosberg for the title.
2014, the new hybrid era. Mercedes aced the regulations. They have zero peers. Rosberg is a great wingman for Hamilton.
2013, last of the V8 years. The Red Bull simply out classed everyone. Vettel wins his 4th.
2012, Red Bull still the benchmark. Ferrari sort of is a close 2nd fastest car. Vettel got his 3rd.
2011, Red Bull simply walked over anyone. Vettel's 2nd.
2010, hmm. That's close one. 4 drivers from 3 teams could have won the WDC. But Red Bull was the car to beat. Ferrari and Mclaren are sort of tied as 2nd best cars. Vettel wins his 1st.
2009, the Brawn with the double diffuser. Enough said. Would Button win a championship in any other car? Questionable.
2008, Ferrari has the best car, but Hamilton won the title, just piped Massa on the last race.
2007. Another odd year. it's arguable who has the fastest car, Ferrari or McLaren. Regardless, close enough and the WDC came from one of them. Could have been the other 2 had the dominos fell differently.
2006, even with mid season banning of the mass damper and thus neutering the superior Renault, Alonso built himself a big enough lead that he still wins his 2nd.
2005. Renault, with it's mass dampers, is superior to anything else. Alonso win his 1st with the superior car.
We can skip the 2000-2005. The Schumacher years. His Ferrari is simply no matched.
So out of the last 21 years, only one WDC title isn't coming from the fastest car, 2008. Hamilton's first.
2017 and 2018 can be under considerations too, as the Ferrari was faster but not quite legal.
Same trend is going to hold true for 2022. Red Bull has the fastest car, and Verstappen is on his way to his 2nd.
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