The top 10 F1 drivers of the 2020 season: 1 - LEWIS HAMILTON

Lewis Hamilton reached new heights in 2020, a year in which he cemented himself as statistically the most successful driver in F1 history alongside campaigning for equality and an anti-racism push.

On paper, 11 wins and 10 pole positions from the 16 races he contested would suggest that Hamilton had by far the best car on the grid as he blew away the competition to secure the title with three races to spare to match Michael Schumacher’s long-standing record of seven world championships, but he still demolished teammate Valtteri Bottas. 

It was a season in which he also set a new record for most wins of all time, eclipsing Schumacher’s tally in Portugal.

Bottas often ran Hamilton close in qualifying but Hamilton was simply in a different league on race day, turning his Saturday deficit into victory at the Nurburgring and Imola with his superior race-craft and abilities in wheel-to-wheel combat coming to the fore.

Notable highlights came in qualifying for both the Styrian and Belgian GP rounds, as well his methodical approach which resulted in a title-sealing wet weather masterclass in Turkey on a day in history when his Mercedes was not the fastest car on track.

Rare errors at Monza and Sochi acted as minor blotches on what was an otherwise flawless campaign as Hamilton asserted his supremacy at the top. Worryingly for his rivals, neither his speed nor motivation is showing any signs of dropping.

Full Top 20 rundown: 

20 - Nicholas Latifi
19 - Romain Grosjean
18 - Sebastian Vettel
17 - Kevin Magnussen
16 - Antonio Giovinazzi
15 - Daniil Kvyat
14 - Kimi Raikkonen
13 - Esteban Ocon
12 - Lance Stroll
11 - Alex Albon
10 - Valtteri Bottas
9 - Lando Norris
8 - George Russell
7 - Carlos Sainz
6 - Pierre Gasly
5 - Charles Leclerc
4 - Daniel Ricciardo
3 - Sergio Perez
2 - Max Verstappen
1 - Lewis Hamilton

Crash.net would like to wish all of its readers a Merry Christmas and festive period.