1. Lewis Hamilton - 8.20
Hamilton may have missed out on the drivers’ championship, but he at least wins this accolade. Reliability issues weren’t his fault but often provided him with the chance to excel as he had to fight through the field to earn his results. When things were running smoothly he was untouchable, highlighted by six wins out of seven from Monaco to the summer break. The run was only punctuated by a poor result in Baku, where he crashed in qualifying when clearly quicker than Rosberg, and then struggled with engine settings in the race. Failed to perform to his best in Singapore and starts were a weakness on too many occasions, but his form when trying to keep the title race alive was stunning. The only driver on Verstappen’s level in Brazil, the manner in which Hamilton then toyed with the whole field in Abu Dhabi - on his way to a fourth straight win - was a display of a driver in a league of his own.
