The most difficult driver to position in this year’s rankings has to be the one who won the Italian Grand Prix less than four months after being lapped by his team mate in Monaco.
Daniel RicciardoBeat team mate in qualifying7/22Beat team mate in race6/20Races finished21/22Laps spent ahead of team mate364/1199Qualifying margin0.36Points115
Daniel Ricciardo’s first season as a McLaren driver was one of sharp contrasts such as this. There can be no doubt that the driver who headed this ranking five years ago remains immensely talented and capable. But he struggled to do justice to his abilities from the outset and, unlike others who switched teams during the off-season such as Carlos Sainz Jnr and Sergio Perez, never quite got on top of it.
Detail errors by Lando Norris in a succession of Q3 sessions over the opening races meant Ricciardo lined up ahead of his team mate at several of the opening rounds. But when Norris cruised up behind Ricciardo early on in proceedings at Imola, was…