With ten races down and nine to go in this year's Formula One title race, it's the perfect time to look back upon the first half of the 2013 season and how each of the 22 drivers have fared. Who have been the top performers and who has work to do retain their seat for next year?
Sebastian Vettel (D, Infiniti Red Bull Racing), 1st - 172pts A+
When choosing a stand-out driver of the first half of 2013, it's difficult to look beyond Vettel. Besides a rare gearbox problem at Silverstone which denied the reigning champion a likely victory, he has finished in the top four at every race, establishing a level of consistency unmatched by anybody else in the field. Furthermore, only once has he qualified outside the top three, something which has been key to his four victories at Malaysia, Bahrain, Canada and on home turf in Germany. The only real criticism one can make is the way he conducted himself en route to the first of those wins, but his fans will retort that the single-mindedness he demonstrated at Sepang is exactly why he is firmly on course to match Alain Prost's tally of four titles by November.
When choosing a stand-out driver of the first half of 2013, it's difficult to look beyond Vettel. Besides a rare gearbox problem at Silverstone which denied the reigning champion a likely victory, he has finished in the top four at every race, establishing a level of consistency unmatched by anybody else in the field. Furthermore, only once has he qualified outside the top three, something which has been key to his four victories at Malaysia, Bahrain, Canada and on home turf in Germany. The only real criticism one can make is the way he conducted himself en route to the first of those wins, but his fans will retort that the single-mindedness he demonstrated at Sepang is exactly why he is firmly on course to match Alain Prost's tally of four titles by November.
Kimi Raikkonen (FIN, Lotus F1 Team), 2nd - 134pts A
With Lotus once more punching well above its financial weight, Raikkonen has been able to put himself in genuine title contention this season after a highly promising comeback year in 2012. Things couldn't have started better at Melbourne as the "Iceman" took a well-deserved win, and despite not having revisited the top step of the podium since, Raikkonen has scored in every race (the only man to do so this year), having finished second on no fewer than five occasions. Qualifying however has been a weak point; the Finn's average grid position so far has been sixth, leaving himself slightly too much work to do on race day - hence only the one win so far. It's a statistic upon which Raikkonen will have to improve in order to keep Vettel in his sights.
With Lotus once more punching well above its financial weight, Raikkonen has been able to put himself in genuine title contention this season after a highly promising comeback year in 2012. Things couldn't have started better at Melbourne as the "Iceman" took a well-deserved win, and despite not having revisited the top step of the podium since, Raikkonen has scored in every race (the only man to do so this year), having finished second on no fewer than five occasions. Qualifying however has been a weak point; the Finn's average grid position so far has been sixth, leaving himself slightly too much work to do on race day - hence only the one win so far. It's a statistic upon which Raikkonen will have to improve in order to keep Vettel in his sights.
Fernando Alonso (E, Scuderia Ferrari), 3rd - 133pts A
After a strong start to the season marked by two imperious victories at China and Spain, Alonso is now faced with the daunting task of closing a 39-point deficit to Vettel in the latter half of the year. With the exception of Monaco, it's hard to find much fault with the Spaniard's driving so far, and if not for the operational errors on the part of his Ferrari team at Malaysia and Bahrain, he would be right up with Vettel in the standings. The trouble is, whereas Alonso's machinery was capable of wins early in the campaign, Ferrari has slipped to fourth in the pecking order behind Red Bull, Mercedes and Lotus in recent races. There's no doubt the man behind the wheel is capable of delivering - the onus is on the Scuderia to ensure he isn't left behind.
After a strong start to the season marked by two imperious victories at China and Spain, Alonso is now faced with the daunting task of closing a 39-point deficit to Vettel in the latter half of the year. With the exception of Monaco, it's hard to find much fault with the Spaniard's driving so far, and if not for the operational errors on the part of his Ferrari team at Malaysia and Bahrain, he would be right up with Vettel in the standings. The trouble is, whereas Alonso's machinery was capable of wins early in the campaign, Ferrari has slipped to fourth in the pecking order behind Red Bull, Mercedes and Lotus in recent races. There's no doubt the man behind the wheel is capable of delivering - the onus is on the Scuderia to ensure he isn't left behind.
Lewis Hamilton (GB, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team), 4th - 124pts A-
Few were expecting Hamilton's first year of his Mercedes adventure to be especially successful, but it's fair to say that the Briton picked a good juncture at which to make the switch from McLaren. Whilst it took him a few races to get used to his new surroundings, with new teammate Rosberg providing a sterner challenge than anyone had foreseen, Hamilton has now emerged as perhaps Vettel's biggest threat for the balance of the season. The disappointment of losing a potential home victory at Silverstone was soon made up for by a brilliantly aggressive drive at Hungary which saw the Brit take a superb first win for this new team. That victory could well turn out to be the start of a title charge that transforms this season into a memorable one indeed.
Few were expecting Hamilton's first year of his Mercedes adventure to be especially successful, but it's fair to say that the Briton picked a good juncture at which to make the switch from McLaren. Whilst it took him a few races to get used to his new surroundings, with new teammate Rosberg providing a sterner challenge than anyone had foreseen, Hamilton has now emerged as perhaps Vettel's biggest threat for the balance of the season. The disappointment of losing a potential home victory at Silverstone was soon made up for by a brilliantly aggressive drive at Hungary which saw the Brit take a superb first win for this new team. That victory could well turn out to be the start of a title charge that transforms this season into a memorable one indeed.
Mark Webber (AU, Infiniti Red Bull Racing), 5th - 105pts B-
Those fateful events at Malaysia - where Vettel ignored team orders to pinch what was, by rights, Webber's win - set the tone for what has so far been a slightly underwhelming season for the likeable Australian. There have been two subsequent trips to the podium for Webber, at Monaco and Silverstone, but with the exception of the latter, where Vettel lost a likely victory to gearbox failure, the 37-year old has failed to outscore his teammate at any race. What's more, he is the only driver on the grid besides Esteban Gutierrez to have been out-qualified by his teammate 10-0. His form looks to have taken a turn for the better since news of his impending departure from F1 broke; no doubt many will be willing Webber on to add to his win tally before the year is out.
Those fateful events at Malaysia - where Vettel ignored team orders to pinch what was, by rights, Webber's win - set the tone for what has so far been a slightly underwhelming season for the likeable Australian. There have been two subsequent trips to the podium for Webber, at Monaco and Silverstone, but with the exception of the latter, where Vettel lost a likely victory to gearbox failure, the 37-year old has failed to outscore his teammate at any race. What's more, he is the only driver on the grid besides Esteban Gutierrez to have been out-qualified by his teammate 10-0. His form looks to have taken a turn for the better since news of his impending departure from F1 broke; no doubt many will be willing Webber on to add to his win tally before the year is out.
Nico Rosberg (D, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team), 6th - 84pts B+
For the first time in his career, Rosberg has been partnered with a gold standard teammate in Hamilton, and so far he has responded to the challenge positively. Any doubts over Rosberg's raw pace were extinguished when he took three pole positions in a row, the last of which propelled him to a memorable victory at Monaco, and he did well to resist the pressure of Webber during the closing stages at Silverstone even if his second win owed much to the problems of Hamilton and Vettel. In spite of some mechanical problems of his own however, Rosberg has more often than not been out-qualified and outraced by Hamilton so far - the German will have to lift his game if he is to keep up with his on-form teammate during the second half of the season.
For the first time in his career, Rosberg has been partnered with a gold standard teammate in Hamilton, and so far he has responded to the challenge positively. Any doubts over Rosberg's raw pace were extinguished when he took three pole positions in a row, the last of which propelled him to a memorable victory at Monaco, and he did well to resist the pressure of Webber during the closing stages at Silverstone even if his second win owed much to the problems of Hamilton and Vettel. In spite of some mechanical problems of his own however, Rosberg has more often than not been out-qualified and outraced by Hamilton so far - the German will have to lift his game if he is to keep up with his on-form teammate during the second half of the season.
Felipe Massa (BR, Scuderia Ferrari), 7th - 61pts C
Having been fortunate enough to retain his drive at Ferrari for an eighth consecutive season, the pressure was immediately on Massa to prove that the Italian team hadn't made the wrong decision. Three top-six finishes in the first three races was an auspicious enough start, and third place at Spain seemingly marked a long-awaited return to form for the Brazilian. Since that point however, Massa has made an unacceptable amount of basic errors for a driver of his experience, missing qualifying at Monaco after a practice shunt, crashing during Q2 at Canada and spinning out early on during the race at the Nurburgring. He can ill-afford any more mistakes of that ilk with a series of young, talented hopefuls in lower teams eyeing up that prized Ferrari seat for 2014.
Having been fortunate enough to retain his drive at Ferrari for an eighth consecutive season, the pressure was immediately on Massa to prove that the Italian team hadn't made the wrong decision. Three top-six finishes in the first three races was an auspicious enough start, and third place at Spain seemingly marked a long-awaited return to form for the Brazilian. Since that point however, Massa has made an unacceptable amount of basic errors for a driver of his experience, missing qualifying at Monaco after a practice shunt, crashing during Q2 at Canada and spinning out early on during the race at the Nurburgring. He can ill-afford any more mistakes of that ilk with a series of young, talented hopefuls in lower teams eyeing up that prized Ferrari seat for 2014.
Romain Grosjean (F, Lotus F1 Team), 8th - 49pts B-
Like last year, Grosjean continues to show a frustrating inability to translate his evident potential into hard results. The Franco-Swiss has not been able to provide quite the challenge to his teammate Raikkonen as he was able to last year, having only finished ahead of the Finn once and having out-qualified him twice in ten races. Additionally, his error-strewn weekend at Monaco combined with a dash of misfortune has left Grosjean with just 37% of his teammate's points, a lower proportion than Massa (who has 46% of Alonso's points). On the other hand, he could have won at Germany if not for the Safety Car and showed great pace at Bahrain and Hungary, meaning it's still too soon to write Grosjean off. But time is running out for him to deliver.
Like last year, Grosjean continues to show a frustrating inability to translate his evident potential into hard results. The Franco-Swiss has not been able to provide quite the challenge to his teammate Raikkonen as he was able to last year, having only finished ahead of the Finn once and having out-qualified him twice in ten races. Additionally, his error-strewn weekend at Monaco combined with a dash of misfortune has left Grosjean with just 37% of his teammate's points, a lower proportion than Massa (who has 46% of Alonso's points). On the other hand, he could have won at Germany if not for the Safety Car and showed great pace at Bahrain and Hungary, meaning it's still too soon to write Grosjean off. But time is running out for him to deliver.
Jenson Button (GB, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes), 9th - 39pts B+
Though things looked excellent on paper for Button this season, who would no longer have to share equal number one status with Hamilton and have the car optimised to his driving style, it didn't take long to establish that McLaren's revolutionary design philosophy would fail to pay dividends. Given the circumstances, Button has performed admirably, getting the most out of the car at the majority of the races this season, fifth place at China being the highlight so far. The gap in pace between he and new teammate Perez has nonetheless been fairly slender, which arguably reflects poorly on a driver considered by many to be in F1's elite crop. What's more, the challenge from his teammate is likely to only increase as time goes by.
Though things looked excellent on paper for Button this season, who would no longer have to share equal number one status with Hamilton and have the car optimised to his driving style, it didn't take long to establish that McLaren's revolutionary design philosophy would fail to pay dividends. Given the circumstances, Button has performed admirably, getting the most out of the car at the majority of the races this season, fifth place at China being the highlight so far. The gap in pace between he and new teammate Perez has nonetheless been fairly slender, which arguably reflects poorly on a driver considered by many to be in F1's elite crop. What's more, the challenge from his teammate is likely to only increase as time goes by.
Paul Di Resta (GB, Sahara Force India F1 Team), 10th - 36pts B+
Going up against former teammate at Sutil was always going to be a thankless task for Di Resta - if he came out on top, it would have been expected; if he didn't, any chance of getting a top drive would be blown out of the water. So far, Di Resta has just about been the more impressive of the Force India drivers, but the 13-point gap between them can largely be explained by the bad luck that has plagued Sutil. That said, the Scot's drive to fourth place at Bahrain was excellent, whilst the fact the qualifying record between the pair stands at 6-4 in Di Resta's favour despite some strategic mishaps is also a positive. With the car seemingly not working well with the revised tyres however, standing out from the crowd will prove more of a challenge in the second half of the year.
Going up against former teammate at Sutil was always going to be a thankless task for Di Resta - if he came out on top, it would have been expected; if he didn't, any chance of getting a top drive would be blown out of the water. So far, Di Resta has just about been the more impressive of the Force India drivers, but the 13-point gap between them can largely be explained by the bad luck that has plagued Sutil. That said, the Scot's drive to fourth place at Bahrain was excellent, whilst the fact the qualifying record between the pair stands at 6-4 in Di Resta's favour despite some strategic mishaps is also a positive. With the car seemingly not working well with the revised tyres however, standing out from the crowd will prove more of a challenge in the second half of the year.
Adrian Sutil (D, Sahara Force India F1 Team), 11th - 23pts B
After a year on the sidelines, Sutil wasted absolutely no time in re-establishing his F1 credentials, boldly announcing his comeback by briefly leading at Melbourne and bringing home his Force India in an assured seventh place. Since then, he has been largely a match for his highly rated teammate Di Resta in terms of race pace, if not during qualifying, and his less consistent points scoring has been for reasons largely out of the German's control. The highlight of Sutil's season so far has undoubtedly been his storming drive to fifth at Monaco, a reminder to the paddock that the mild-mannered 30-year old would more than likely be capable of winning a Grand Prix given the right car. He'll have to do more than just match Di Resta to ever get the chance, however.
After a year on the sidelines, Sutil wasted absolutely no time in re-establishing his F1 credentials, boldly announcing his comeback by briefly leading at Melbourne and bringing home his Force India in an assured seventh place. Since then, he has been largely a match for his highly rated teammate Di Resta in terms of race pace, if not during qualifying, and his less consistent points scoring has been for reasons largely out of the German's control. The highlight of Sutil's season so far has undoubtedly been his storming drive to fifth at Monaco, a reminder to the paddock that the mild-mannered 30-year old would more than likely be capable of winning a Grand Prix given the right car. He'll have to do more than just match Di Resta to ever get the chance, however.
Sergio Perez (MEX, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes), 12th - 18pts, B
Though Perez's appointment to McLaren in place of Hamilton was greeted by scepticism in many quarters, the Mexican has done a very solid job thus far, with the Woking outfit's poor form having taken the pressure off him to an extent. He hasn't been able to squeeze quite as many points out of what has been a recalcitrant car as his veteran teammate Button, but he has given the Brit far closer run for his money than many thought possible, most notably at Bahrain where Perez finished a creditable sixth. The campaign hasn't been without its errors, his largely self-inflicted retirement Monaco sticking out as the low point, but the evidence so far suggests that Perez is maturing and will be capable of enjoying a successful career at McLaren in years to come.
Though Perez's appointment to McLaren in place of Hamilton was greeted by scepticism in many quarters, the Mexican has done a very solid job thus far, with the Woking outfit's poor form having taken the pressure off him to an extent. He hasn't been able to squeeze quite as many points out of what has been a recalcitrant car as his veteran teammate Button, but he has given the Brit far closer run for his money than many thought possible, most notably at Bahrain where Perez finished a creditable sixth. The campaign hasn't been without its errors, his largely self-inflicted retirement Monaco sticking out as the low point, but the evidence so far suggests that Perez is maturing and will be capable of enjoying a successful career at McLaren in years to come.
Jean-Eric Vergne (F, Scuderia Toro Rosso), 13th - 13pts B-
2013 has seen Vergne make some solid progress in his journey towards becoming a top Grand Prix driver, even if he is yet to quite convince the bosses at Red Bull that he is a viable candidate to drive for the reigning champion team. Though the Frenchman's qualifying has largely remained lacklustre in comparison to Toro Rosso stablemate Ricciardo, he caught the eye with back-to-back points finishes at Monaco and Canada whilst his teammate struggled in the midfield. That Vergne was unable to build on this momentum at subsequent races perhaps shows why he may not be ready for the big leagues just yet, but the fact his Toro Rosso seat is seemingly safe for next year gives the 23-year-old a stable platform on which to continue building his career.
2013 has seen Vergne make some solid progress in his journey towards becoming a top Grand Prix driver, even if he is yet to quite convince the bosses at Red Bull that he is a viable candidate to drive for the reigning champion team. Though the Frenchman's qualifying has largely remained lacklustre in comparison to Toro Rosso stablemate Ricciardo, he caught the eye with back-to-back points finishes at Monaco and Canada whilst his teammate struggled in the midfield. That Vergne was unable to build on this momentum at subsequent races perhaps shows why he may not be ready for the big leagues just yet, but the fact his Toro Rosso seat is seemingly safe for next year gives the 23-year-old a stable platform on which to continue building his career.
Daniel Ricciardo (AU, Scuderia Toro Rosso), 14th - 11pts B+
Despite the limitations of the Toro Rosso machinery at his disposal, Ricciardo's performances have thrust himself right into the frame for a promotion to Red Bull next year in place of his countryman Webber. His strongest suit has undoubtedly been his one-lap pace, which has seen him qualify inside the top ten on five of a possible ten occasions this season and out-qualify his teammate Vergne 7-3. Sundays haven't always been as straightforward, but the easy-going Aussie demonstrated real star quality with his drives to seventh at China and eighth at Silverstone. The fact that Ricciardo has upped his game, with four straight Q3 appearances, just as the pressure to perform has intensified shows that he is made of the right stuff to partner Vettel at Red Bull next season.
Despite the limitations of the Toro Rosso machinery at his disposal, Ricciardo's performances have thrust himself right into the frame for a promotion to Red Bull next year in place of his countryman Webber. His strongest suit has undoubtedly been his one-lap pace, which has seen him qualify inside the top ten on five of a possible ten occasions this season and out-qualify his teammate Vergne 7-3. Sundays haven't always been as straightforward, but the easy-going Aussie demonstrated real star quality with his drives to seventh at China and eighth at Silverstone. The fact that Ricciardo has upped his game, with four straight Q3 appearances, just as the pressure to perform has intensified shows that he is made of the right stuff to partner Vettel at Red Bull next season.
The Rest
It's been a bruising year for Sauber so far, with the talented Nico Hulkenberg (B) struggling to make much of an impact on the scoreboard; the German must be desperately hoping that an opening at either of Ferrari or Lotus appears for next season. Esteban Gutierrez (C-) meanwhile has hardly disgraced himself in his rookie year, but the young Mexican will have to up his game to avoid becoming a one-season wonder, particularly as Russian investment at the Sauber team threatens to render his Telmex backing moot. A flawless performance at Hungary prevents Pastor Maldonado (C-) from getting the lowest ranking of all the drivers, with his season up to that point having been largely overshadowed by that of his Williams teammate Valtteri Bottas (B+), who has been one of the season's more impressive debutants (qualifying third at Canada standing out as a particular highlight). The same goes for Marussia driver Jules Bianchi (B+), who has proven himself worthy of some more potent machinery for 2014 and has single-handedly kept his team ahead of rivals Caterham in the constructors standings. Max Chilton (C) has made very few errors despite his steep learning curve, but like Gutierrez really needs to begin showing what he is capable of if he is to prolong his F1 career beyond the end of the year. Charles Pic (B) has done a solid job of being team leader at Caterham given his limited experience, even if a promotion to the midfield doesn't seem likely any time soon, whilst Hungary has been the most impressive race to date for Giedo van der Garde (C+), who has shown flashes of pace during a somewhat erratic first season.
It's been a bruising year for Sauber so far, with the talented Nico Hulkenberg (B) struggling to make much of an impact on the scoreboard; the German must be desperately hoping that an opening at either of Ferrari or Lotus appears for next season. Esteban Gutierrez (C-) meanwhile has hardly disgraced himself in his rookie year, but the young Mexican will have to up his game to avoid becoming a one-season wonder, particularly as Russian investment at the Sauber team threatens to render his Telmex backing moot. A flawless performance at Hungary prevents Pastor Maldonado (C-) from getting the lowest ranking of all the drivers, with his season up to that point having been largely overshadowed by that of his Williams teammate Valtteri Bottas (B+), who has been one of the season's more impressive debutants (qualifying third at Canada standing out as a particular highlight). The same goes for Marussia driver Jules Bianchi (B+), who has proven himself worthy of some more potent machinery for 2014 and has single-handedly kept his team ahead of rivals Caterham in the constructors standings. Max Chilton (C) has made very few errors despite his steep learning curve, but like Gutierrez really needs to begin showing what he is capable of if he is to prolong his F1 career beyond the end of the year. Charles Pic (B) has done a solid job of being team leader at Caterham given his limited experience, even if a promotion to the midfield doesn't seem likely any time soon, whilst Hungary has been the most impressive race to date for Giedo van der Garde (C+), who has shown flashes of pace during a somewhat erratic first season.
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