10. Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin (Haas)
The American dream seems lost in F1. This promising squad deteriorated into a b-team; making up ground with spare parts and inexperienced drivers. Schumacher could be a star for the future, but his speed when entering a new series is like mine. Slow. Once he gets good enough he'll be off to Ferrari. It's always been a challenge seeing Haas ever planning for the future... Not to mention the absolute drivel that is their second driver.
9. Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo)
I'm sorry to put Kimi this far down the list. But at 43 years of age, it's a miracle to see him rated above younger F1 drivers. Gio has showed his mettle in qualifying last season. But Kimi still dominates on Sunday. An 'FIA Action of the Year' award won't clutter his shelf next to 21 wins and 103 podiums. The relentlessly consistent pace Kimi has grinds his inexperienced rivals out of contention. By the time he's past you, he leaves little to no chance of catching back up.
8. George Russell and Nicolas Latifi (Williams)
Full credit if you're willing to guess which driver carries this lineup. Russell stopped the show wholesale at Sakhir 2020. Some will even tell you he's already Britain's next world champion. Won't happen in a Williams though. Latifi is a wonderkid for cash injection. Williams is a playground for Mercedes engines.
7. Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso (Alpine)
Ocon and Alonso mix together tow of the riskiest factors F1 has to offer. That is, age and inconsistency. Ocon seemingly improved towards the end of last season, but it left a stale taste in our mouth as we already knew Riccardo was off to McLaren. The subsequent firing of Abiteboul was both a bold and necessary decision to usher in a new era of the team. Alpine will ultimately strive for Alonso to remember the glory days again.
6. Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri)
Tsunoda's the most unknown quantity on the grid next season. Helmut Marko's praise doesn't come at a low cost, and when he's earned that, he's earned the license to call himself an exciting prospect. Pairing him with Gasly offers an incredible conundrum for Red Bull. They've got one driver who's driven the wheels off the car, but they equally are uninterested in promoting him. The Red Bull dogma of pride and prejudice would swing resources into Tsunoda's camp. He'll want to enter the sport ready to win.
5. Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
Vettel and Stroll drive like polar opposites. Vettel entered the sport clawing and tearing his way to the top. Stroll hasn't. Both have nonetheless made a good account of their talents in F1. The biggest worry for Aston Martin has to be consistency. Vettel's known for an abundance of mental lapses, and Stroll failed to score points in half of all races last year. Without Perez's points, there's a troubling inequity in resulting performances. 2021 will still be an awesome opportunity for this new team to score podiums.
4. Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris (McLaren)
The commonwealth has arrived. This lineup makes too much sense to be real. As if an F12020™ lineup lept right out of the game. McLaren fans will be pinching themselves. McLaren's most talented lineup since the Button and Alonso days will be every bit as fun to watch off track as on it. Regardless of the car, McLaren's poised to have two drivers able to handle any expectations.
3. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
This lineup is perfectly balanced. Sainz and Leclerc are perfectly aligned as drivers on the grid. Though Conflict will be a concern. They are both typically level headed, but extreme competitors. Both will require constant coaching to navigate their relationship. That being said, as Vettel is now out of the way, Leclerc might well see it fit to mellow out the relationship with his new teammate.
2. Lewis Hamilton and Valterri Bottas (Mercedes)
It's manic suggest a seven time world champion is underrated by the wider F1 community. Yet Hamilton's talent hides in plain sight. Even at ailing McLaren, Hamilton extracted the whole performance out of the car. Hamilton's notoriety with each new teammate's skin he claimed. Comparatively, Bottas has declined. The gap between the two Mercedes drivers has never been larger.
1. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
We all eagerly await this lineup. The experienced hands of Sergio Perez look best when paired with Max's incredulous speed. It'll excite anyone with an active pulse. The hangup for Red Bull is whether they can shake off second driver syndrome so easily. A common curse that has befallen them. The manpower behind the Red Bull machine will need a soft interior to donate their time to making things right. Sergio and the team will be better for it.
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