Proving the field is closer together!

The racing this season has already been better than 2017. After just three races, we’ve had 1.5 fantastic and thrilling races. We’re also still without a Mercedes win!

But how much has actually changed? Here at GPBlog, we take a look at the points differences.

Sebastian Vettel (-14 points)

2017: 68 points

2018: 54 points

We admit this would have been a lot different had Verstappen not made contact with Vettel at the Chinese hairpin. But it still makes the teams and drivers closer together, because these things didn’t happen last year. The race leader was often way too far in front.

Lewis Hamilton (-16 points)

2017: 61 points

2018: 45 points

Mercedes have lost their dominance and this statistic proves that Hamilton has too.

Fernando Alonso (+22 points)

2017: 0

2018: 22

McLaren has been drastically better with a Renault engine and they’re on their way to climbing the table once more.

Nico Hulkenberg (+20 points)

2017: 2 points

2018: 22 points

Another Renault engine performing much closer to the top cars.

Daniel Ricciardo (+ 15 points)

2017: 22 points

2018: 37 points

Mainly as a result of his win in China, but again it proves that a car outside of Mercedes and Ferrari as the ability to win a Grand Prix. And it was a proper win too. He climbed through the field with 5 sublime overtakes.

Pierre Gasly (+12 points)

2017: 0 points

2018: 12 points

Okay, it was probably a fluke scoring 12 points. But let's be honest, these types of flukes just didn't happen in previous years. Honda hasn’t been able to score that many points for a long while and you don’t finish 4th with a completely broken engine.

The excitement in F1 is making a comeback. We don’t want to jinx it but we believe, whilst it's still not reached full potential, closer driving is here.