As someone who was introduced to the world of Formula 1 at a rather young age, I have had the privilege of getting to see some of the greatest drivers of this generation. My dad has a very involved past with the world of motorsport, especially in the U.K. He comes from a racing family, therefore wanted nothing more than for me to fall in love with the same world he did. I wanted to make a list of my top ten drivers, however, I didn't want to go on too long of a spiel. Therefore, I figured five might just be the magic number.
5. Jenson Button
There's always that one athlete that your father absolutely adores, and it totally rubs off on you. For me, Jenson Button is that athlete. My dad just adored him. I loved watching him win because of how happy it made my dad, and eventually, how happy it made me! The very first F1 season that I can completely remember following the championship battle was in 2008. So, when the 2009 season began I was 100% rooting for Jenson. And he won! I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for this man and I wish him the best of luck in Nitro Rallycross this season!
4. Nico Rosberg
When Lewis Hamilton joined Nico Rosberg at Mercedes, my dad and I were so excited to see Lewis be challenged at his new team. Yes, there were plenty of incidents between he two of them. But as we've seen in later years, that simply is what happens when you have two amazing drivers both willing to put absolutely everything on the line for the championship. I have the fondest memories of Nico's race victories and to this day I will tear up when I watch him make it to the checkered flag and become a world champion. I wish he was still racing in F1, but I also deeply admire the fact that he won the title and then was able to step back and concentrate on his family. I will always be Team Nico because his humility and his pure talent is something that I truly believe deserves to be recognized.
3. Charles Leclerc
Charles is the only driver in my top 5 who has yet to win a world title. That is to say that I truly believe he is capable of it and I hope that this season he will be able to truly come into his own and just crush the competition. I remember him joining F1 and thinking that it was so great that we had this young, fiercely talented kid driving for Sauber. And when he got the second Ferrari seat next to Sebastian Vettel, I had this gut feeling that he was truly meant for something incredible. I have always been a Ferrari fan, and I hope to see him take the title this season!
2. Mika Hakkinen
Mika Hakkinen is the only driver on this list who I never had the pleasure of watching race. By the time I started watching F1, he had already been retired for 5 or 6 years. I only ever got to see him race by watching reruns with my dad. My dad was a massive Schumacher fan, but there was something about Mika that I just simply admired. He was a true gentleman, which unfortunately cannot always be said about the top drivers in motorsport, since some of them will do whatever it takes to win. He seemed so kind and I fell in love with him and watching his old races.
1. Sebastian Vettel
I'm sure seeing Sebastian Vettel at the top of any favorite driver list nowadays is not much a surprise. But for me, growing up in a mostly English household it was a surprise to my family that I ended up. loving Seb so much. The very first race I remember watching all the way through was the 2008 Italian Grand Prix where Seb took his first ever F1 race win. During his four years of complete domination, he was not popular among F1 fans, my dad included. Many people were either Hamilton fans, or they simply did not like Seb. I understand that many people did not like his attitude, but we also all gave to remember that Seb was a kid. He joined F1 when he was 20 years old, and that's a lot of pressure for a young adult. We saw later on how Max Verstappen acted when he joined the sport and he was even younger than Vettel was. And as Seb grew older and matured, he became one of the most beloved drivers. And as someone who has loved watching him race all these years, I do not want to come to terms with the fact that this season may very well be his last season in F1. Over the last few years, Seb as taken a stand for human rights and for the environment. He has become a role model and someone who I really look up to. I hope that he will have some good luck this season (hopefully a final podium or maybe even a win?) because I want nothing more than for him to end his F1 career on a high note.
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