Leclerc & Perez join exclusive club | The 10 F1 drivers to beat Hamilton
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With the 2022 F1 season drawing to an end, the drivers’ standings are slowly starting to be finalised.Max Verstappen has the drivers’ championship wrapped up, while the battle to be runner-up is between Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez. With Leclerc and Perez 50 points ahead of Hamilton with one race to go in Abu Dhabi (26 points on the table) they have officially beaten the seven-time champion for the first time in their careers.Leclerc and Perez become the ninth and 10th drivers to out-score Hamilton across a season.George Russell could become the 11th driver to do so – he’s 25 points ahead of Hamilton going into this weekend’s F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.If Hamilton fails to win the race then Russell would also become just the third teammate to beat him in the standings.Who else has done it?1. Kimi Raikkonen (2007 & 2012)Kimi Raikkonen outscored Hamilton by one-point during the Finn’s dramatic title-winning campaign for Ferrari in 2007, beating both McLarens in the process.Related “No overhyped things…” – Why Verstappen changed his mind on Drive to Survive Hamilton: 2021 F1 title loss in Abu Dhabi was “manipulated” unlike 2008 triumphHad it not been for McLaren’s poor strategy (or Hamilton’s mistake) in ‘07 and their poor reliability in 2012, Hamilton was the better driver in both seasons.2. Jenson Button (2009 & 2011)Jenson Button outscored Hamilton in two of his best seasons in F1 – his title-winning campaign in ‘09 and his strong 2011 campaign alongside the current Mercedes driver.3. Sebastian Vettel (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 & 2013)Sebastian Vettel was unstoppable in the early 2010s as he stormed to four consecutive drivers’ titles. 4. Rubens Barrichello (2009)Given Brawn GP’s significant performance advantage over McLaren for much of 2009, beating Rubens Barrichello was always a big ask for Hamilton.5. Mark Webber (2009, 2010, 2011, 2013)Teammate of Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber out-scored Hamilton in four seasons.6. Fernando Alonso (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013)His arch rival from 2007, Fernando Alonso was able to outscore Hamilton in four consecutive seasons, often in weaker machinery. 7. Nico Rosberg (2016)Nico Rosberg beat Hamilton to the 2016 drivers’ title.8. Max Verstappen (2021, 2022)Max Verstappen finished ahead of Hamilton in 2021 after making the most of Michael Masi’s error in Abu Dhabi.There’s nothing Hamilton could have done in 2022, with Verstappen performing at the peak of his powers. 9. Charles Leclerc (2022)10. Sergio Perez (2022)Benefitting from superior machinery, Leclerc and Perez outscored the seven-time champion in 2022.
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