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Ranking the 20 F1 drivers based on skill + Canadian GP preview
🕑 Added 2025-06-11 07:00:08 +0000 UTCWhat would happen if all 20 F1 drivers competed on equal terms in the same machinery? That's a question we tackle in the latest edition of The Race F1 Podcast.
Canadian motorsport journalist Tim Hauraney joins Ben Anderson and Edd Straw to discuss a ranking list answering that question he recently put together for TSN, based on a vote of F1 journalists.
That leads to a question of what constitutes equal cars and also the role of simulator driving in the development of F1 drivers, as well as whether Lewis Hamilton’s ranking has to take a hit because of his difficult recent times.
We also tackle the popularity of F1 (and driver Lance Stroll) in Canada, and discuss the evolution of the grand prix in Montreal, which takes place this weekend.
And with McLaren having won seven out of nine grands prix, we explain why the Canadian Grand Prix might not be so straightforward for F1’s dominant force despite heading into the weekend as favourite.
Comments
Pamela Rudolph
Time spent in the SIM no doubt contributes to Max Verstappen’s performance on track. I think his SIM time may be exactly what sets his performances apart from the rest of the drivers on the grid. Yes, Max is truly gifted, but it is likely the SIM has helped him reach his potential given the limited time in the car. Max said he spent over 1000 laps on the SIM before his recent record breaking Nurburgring performance. I would love to see stats on the amount of time each driver spends on the SIM outside of runs for the engineers. I hope you’ll do a story on that in the future.
Arnold Jamtart
As a Canadian, my friends and I tend to regard Stroll as a bit of a joke, Canadian or no. Okay, he's good enough to be on the grid, unlike Latifi, and he's had his moments, but the nepotism's always going to be a talking point, and he's got the charisma of a wet sock. I realise that Tim needs to maintain something of a rapport, there, but only the most serious of homers are going to back Lance.
