On Monday, we will publish our grades for all 20 drivers at the 2024 United States Grand Prix, but we need your help!
It’s one thing who won the United States Grand Prix. But it may be another to determine which drivers performed best. Because in Formula One, it’s not just the driver’s performance that counts. The performance of the car at their disposal and, of course, the team, is also crucial.
It is extremely difficult to consider the driver’s performance in isolation from the other factors. Nevertheless, we dare to try. Our grading system consists of three pillars. First, the fans. Our users now have the opportunity to rate the performances of all 20 drivers. Analogous to the school grading system from 1 (very good) to 6 (not sufficient).
Second: the expert. Marc Surer grades the performances of Max Verstappen & Co. as he has done in previous years. And third: the editorial team. We hold our own little vote in our core Formula 1 team.
The three pillars then each make up a third of the overall grade for the weekend. In the end, the ultimate ranking comes out – which is great for discussion!
Our format is inspired by the grades given after every match by football magazines, for example. But just grading as an editorial team was too subjective for us. So, to come to the most balanced judgment possible, we ask our experts and our users for help.
Guide: How should you give your grades?
For orientation: For a 1, a driver should have done something really special. For example, in relation to his teammate. A 2 is a very, very good performance by a world-class driver who is only missing a special element. A 3 and 4 are good and poor averages, respectively – so they’re actually still quite good!
A 5 is reserved for the rather poorer performances, such as when a driver is clearly dominated by his teammate all weekend or delivers an average performance and then causes an avoidable accident. A 6 should only be given in the “brainfade” category – when a driver has done something particularly stupid.
Try to be objective! Of course, this is not always easy. But whether you are a fan of Max Verstappen or Fernando Alonso should not play a role in your grading. Nobody can ever completely free themselves from personal preferences and prejudices. But at least trying to do so contributes to a fairer grading system.
Don’t be blinded by external influences! The grade should only reflect what the driver himself could control. For example: Are degrading tires a driver or an external factor? If the tires degrade because the driver missed the brake point shortly before, this should have a negative effect on the grade. If the tires degrade because of a material defect, there should be no deductions.
The race carries the highest weighting! That’s the only place you get points. Your performance on Sunday should account for about 70 percent of your grade. Saturday’s qualifying 25. And the three free practice sessions a maximum of five. A spin on Friday in which a front wing flies off may cost you a few minutes of practice time. One on Sunday could cost you victory.
What about a sprint weekend? Then the weighting shifts a little. In the sprint, the winner receives eight points. In the main race, 25. So you could say: sprint qualifying and sprint races should make up one-third of the grade, qualifying and the Grand Prix the other two-thirds. And the only free practice only counts towards the grade if something extraordinary has happened there. For example, a crash that jeopardizes participation in the following sessions.
Remember who is sitting in which car! It is easier to drive a Red Bull without making a mistake than a Haas. This puts it into perspective when Verstappen takes pole with an outstanding lead and Nico Hülkenberg spins. This might not have happened to him in the Red Bull. But…
… always ask yourselves: If there were two drivers in the same car, which one would have done better? So even if a less talented driver puts in a strong performance, he might only get a 3 or 4 at best. Because even on a good weekend, he would still perform worse in the same car than a Verstappen would on a bad one.
Don’t take it too seriously! Of course, our grading system is an attempt to objectively classify driver performance. Ultimately, this is never 100 percent possible. Everyone assesses things a little differently, and that’s okay. That’s why there are three pillars as a mutual corrective. You can criticize others for their opinions. But this should always be done with the necessary respect! For example, in discussions in our community on social media.
