Feature

2016 driver ratings: 12-1

Part two of F1i's driver ratings from the 2016 F1 season, ranking the drivers from 12th to 1st. Click here for 24th to 13th.

12. Pascal Wehrlein - 6.95

The manner in which his year ended - being overlooked for the Force India seat in favour of fellow Mercedes junior Esteban Ocon - overshadows what was a very impressive rookie year for Wehrlein. His ability to immediately get the most out of his car caught the eye with a strong qualifying performance in Bahrain, and the drive to secure a point in Austria was excellent as he chased Bottas to the line. Four Q2 appearances in the final nine rounds is impressive, but the disappointment came in the form of late missed opportunities, as he twice retired on the first lap from such a position. Showed plenty of potential, but was it enough to convince Mercedes he can step up already?

Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.

Recent Posts

McLaren cashes in on the future, as 2026 F1 car sells for millions!

McLaren have always liked to do things quickly. But selling tomorrow’s car today sounds a…

7 hours ago

Ricciardo hints at racing return: ‘The itch is there’

Daniel Ricciardo may have closed the door on Formula 1, but it’s starting to sound…

8 hours ago

Steiner warns of ‘outliers’ and epic failures in F1 new era

Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner is bracing for fireworks when Formula 1 kicks off…

9 hours ago

Team boss Verstappen? He’d always run a clear No.1

Max Verstappen has never been shy with his opinions, and his latest take on team…

11 hours ago

Adrian Newey, the man who can see air

There are many in Formula 1 - beginning with Aston Martin team owner Lawrence Stroll…

12 hours ago

Gasly backs Alpine’s long game: ‘Much brighter days are coming’

After a 2025 season defined by growing pains and technical pivots, Pierre Gasly is finally…

13 hours ago