To celebrate the upcoming FIFA World Cup, I have decided to do one but with racing drivers. Each team will have 2 drivers and there will be over 20 countries represented (some countries have more than one team). In each group/knockout round, I will rank the drivers 1 to 8. Whichever team has the lowest score will progress through to the next round. However, in the knockout rounds, you get 4 points for first and 1 for fourth. In the group stages, if 2 teams tie, which ever country has the best driver will progress. If 2 teams tie in the knockout rounds, I will choose which team I think is better overall. The format works identically to how a normal World Cup works.
Group A: Australia, Brazil, Italy, Germany B
The best driver in Group A is Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo. Ricciardo is an 8-time grand prix winner and even though he is struggling right now, he is still the man to beat. Just below him though is his Australian teammate, Oscar Piastri. Piastri is a former Formula 3 and Formula 2 Champion and he will make his debut in Formula 1 next season. In third, I have Brazil’s Felipe Drugovich. Felipe recently won the Formula 2 Championship and is going to be Aston Martin’s reserve driver from 2023. Brazil guarantees a spot in the Last 16 as Lucas Di Grassi comes in in 4th. Di Grassi is a former Formula E Champion and he finished in a very good 5th place this year. Speaking of 5th, Nico Hulkenberg comes in. The Hulk is a solid driver who has done a decent job when he’s come in as a substitute, but he just isn’t quite as good as the guys in front of him. He’s ahead of his Germany teammate Pascal Wehrlien though. Wehrlien is a very solid driver, but he hasn’t quite reached the potential that he arguably should have. Italy’s Antonio Giovinazzi and Lucas Ghiotto round out Group A. Both men are decent drivers but neither of them really comes close to the top guys in this group.
Group A Standings:
Australia: 3
Brazil: 7
Germany: 11
Italy: 15
Group B: Mexico, France, Denmark, India
The Best driver in Group B is Mexico’s Sergio Perez. There are some really good drivers in this group, but I have to go with Checo on the basis that he has more race wins. Just behind him I have Pierre Gasly. Gasly is a brilliant racing driver, but he can’t be ahead of Perez given his struggles in the Red Bull compared to Checo’s. France earn themselves a 2-3 with Esteban Ocon. It feels a bit harsh to put a driver as good as Ocon in third but that’s just how it’s fallen. Kevin Magnussen lines up in fourth for Denmark. K-Mag has been on the Formula 1 podium before and has done a pretty good job in his return year to Formula 1. In 5th, it’s India’s Jehan Daruvala. For whatever reason, it always feels like Daruvala is around the top 5 in the Formula 2 championship, yet he will never quite make it into the pinnacle of motorsport. Denmark’s Frederik Vesti comes in next. All I can say is look out for this guy, he has a lot of potential. Kushi Maini comes in next for India ahead of Mexico’s Rafael Villagomez. I’ll be very honest; I don’t know anything about these two.
Group B Standings:
France: 5
Mexico: 9
Denmark: 10
India: 12
Group C: Germany, Canada, England B, USA
The best driver in Group C on current form is England’s Lando Norris. Norris is an incredible talent; he currently sits best of the rest in the Formula 1 championship and he is also the only driver outside the top 3 teams to score a podium this year. Second place goes to Sebastian Vettel. Even if Vettel isn’t driving as well as he used too, he is still a 4-time World Champion and he is still pretty good. Lance Stroll comes in 3rd. Stroll hasn’t been as good this year as previous seasons, but he has definitely improved in recent races. In 4th, it’s England’s Jamie Chadwick. It’s so hard to know how good Chadwick really is so you have to look at her stats. Her stats tell you she is a 3-time W Series Champion and the only W Series Champion. Mick Schumacher is 5th. He’s a former Formula 2 Champion but he has really struggled in this year's F1 season. Logan Sargeant comes in 6th, the American Driver is currently sitting 3rd in the Formula 2 championship whilst Nicholas Latifi comes in 7th after one of the worst seasons by any F1 driver for a long time. Colton Herta is last. He’s also like Chadwick in that you just can’t tell how good he truly is but 10th in the IndyCar series isn’t the most amazing stat.
Group C Standings:
England B: 5
Germany: 7
Canada: 10
USA: 14
Group D: Spain, Spain B, Switzerland, Netherlands B
Fernando Alonso is the best driver in Group D. He’s 41 years old yet he continues to drive like he did when he was fighting for world championships over 10 years. Carlos Sainz completes the Spanish 1-2. Sainz is a brilliant driver, but he has struggled more this year. Edo Mortara comes in third for Switzerland. Mortara is a great driver and he has finished in the top 3 of the Formula E championship for the past 2 seasons. Robin Frijns comes in fourth for the Netherlands B team. Frijns is a quick driver and he managed 7th in this season’s Formula E Championship. His Dutch teammate Beitske Visser comes in next. The Dutchwoman won the last race of this season’s W Series to earn herself second in the championship. Belen and Marti Garcia take 6th and 7th for Spain B after both ladies had impressive seasons in W Series and Fabienne Wohlwend rounds out Group D.
Group D Standings:
Spain: 3
Netherlands B: 9
Switzerland: 11
Spain B: 13
Group E: Finland, New Zealand, Australia B, USA B
In Group E, Valtteri Bottas is the standout driver. Bottas is a 10-time Formula 1 race winner and when he’s on it, not many people can challenge him in qualifying. Jack Doohan comes next for Australia B. Doohan came second in the Formula 3 championship in 2021 and he is currently 4th in the F2 Championship. In third place, I have Mitch Evans. Mitch has finished in the top 7 of the Formula E Championship for the past 5 years and has gone into the last race of the season with a chance to win the title in both 2021 and 2022. New Zealand lock out the second row as Red Bull Junior Liam Lawson comes in at 4th. He’s ahead of Jak Crawford, the 17-year-old American is one for the future. Emma Kimilainen was slightly disappointing in this season of W Series but, she is still a good talent. Calan Williams is currently 23rd in the F2 championship and he has only finished in the points once. Juan Manuel Correa ends Group E in last place but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a good driver.
Group E Standings:
Finland: 7
New Zealand: 7
Australia B: 9
USA B: 13
Group F: Monaco, Japan, Norway, Switzerland B
Charles Leclerc is without a doubt the best driver in this group. Leclerc currently sits third in the Formula 1 World Championship and has shown this year that he is one of the quickest drivers in the world. Yuki Tsunoda comes in second, the Japanese driver has struggled in his two years in Formula 1, but he is still a good driver. Maybe slightly controversially, I have Dennis Hauger in third. Hauger hasn’t been amazing in F2 this year, but he did win the F3 championship last year and I fully expect him to be in the fight for the title next season. Japan’s Ayumu Iwasa comes in next. He’s been one of the breakthrough talents this year and he currently sits 9th in the Formula 2 Championship. Ralph Boschung comes in in 5th. The Swiss driver has missed a big chunk of the Formula 2 season, but he still comes in ahead of his Swiss teammate Sebastian Buemi. Buemi is a former Formula 1 driver and FE Champion, but he has really struggled in recent seasons. Charles younger brother Arthur comes in at 7th. The Monegasque finished in a career best 6th place in Formula 3 this year and he finishes ahead of Norway’s Ayla Argen. Argen spent this year as a reserve driver in W Series but did take part in the final race of the season (finished 16th).
Group F Standings:
Japan: 6
Monaco: 8
Norway: 11
Switzerland B: 11
Group G: England, Netherlands, France B, New Zealand B
This is an amazing group! For me, Max Verstappen is the best driver in the world right now. The Back-to-back Double World Champion has been near unstoppable and he deserves to be number 1. Just behind him is a 7-time World Champion known as Lewis Hamilton. Lewis is a brilliant driver, it’s been tough at times this year but drives like Hungary, France and Britain reminds everyone just how incredibly talented he is. George Russell makes it an England/Mercedes 2-3. George has always been a quick driver but his performances this year have elevated him to an even higher level. Nyck De Vries secures top spot for the Netherlands. The Dutchman is a former F2 Champion, a former Formula E World Champion and his brilliant drive at Monza a month ago has secured him a seat with Alpha Tauri for 2023. Jean Eric Vergne comes in at 5th. JEV is an amazing driver, he was really good in Formula 1 and has performed even better in his time in Formula E. Theo Pourchaire comes in 6th for France, he has a very bright future. Marcus Armstrong and Nick Cassidy will go down as the best drivers to finish 7th and 8th. Armstrong currently sits 12th in the Formula 2 Championship whilst Cassidy finished 11th in this year’s Formula E Championship, including a win in New York.
Group G Standings:
Netherlands: 5
England: 5
France: 11
New Zealand B: 15
Group H: Colombia, Israel, Brazil B, Belgium
This isn’t the greatest group you're ever going to see. Stoffel Vandoorne is comfortably the standout in this group. The former McLaren F1 driver was absolutely brilliant this year and managed to take home the Formula E World Championship. The Fittipaldi brothers then come in in second and third. Pietro is a solid driver and is currently Haas’ reserve/developmental driver and his brother Enzo currently sits 6th in the Formula 2 Championship. Israel’s Roy Nissany comes in 4th. He’s a part of the Williams Driver academy but I haven’t ever really seen any amazing moments from him. Belgium’s Amaury Cordeel is ranked 5th but I honestly don’t know too much about him and my former F1 2020 teammate Tatianna Calderon comes in at 6th place. Formula 3 Drivers Sebastian Montoya and Ido Cohen round out the group stages.
Group H Standings:
Brazil B: 5
Belgium: 7
Israel: 12
Colombia: 13
Last 16
Australia VS Mexico
The opening matchup of the last 16 sees Group A winners Australia take on Group B runners-up Mexico. For me, Sergio Perez is the best driver in this race. Then, I would go with Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo and then his teammate Oscar Piastri. This means that Mexico’s Rafael Villagomez comes in last. In the group stages, Mexico would go through due to having the number 1 driver. However, in the knockout rounds, I select which team I think is better overall. For me, that is clearly Australia. The gap in ability between Perez and Ricciardo is nowhere near as big as it is between Piastri and Villagomez. Australia are going to the last 8!
Final Score: (P) Australia 5-5 Mexico
England B VS Netherlands B
England once again face the Netherlands but this time, it’s a battle between the B teams. Lando Norris is once again the clear standout driver and in my opinion, Jamie Chadwick completes the 1-2 for the England B team meaning they are progressing through to the Quarter Finals. Even though Robin Frijns and Beitske Visser aren’t as good as those two, they are still pretty good. Frijns is quick whilst Visser was actually the closest to Chadwick in the 2022 W Series Championship. Australia awaits England B in the quarter final.
Final Score: England B 7-3 Netherlands B
Spain VS Germany
Group D Winners Spain face off against Group C runners up Germany. In this battle, there are 6 World Championships and 86 Formula 1 Race wins between them. For me, Spain takes home another 1-2 as Fernando Alonso comes just ahead of Carlos Sainz. Sebastian Vettel is third due to his recent form over the past few years whilst the 2020 Formula 2 Champion Mick Schumacher is comfortably fourth. For me, Spain are going to be a very tough team to beat.
Final Score: Spain 7-3 Germany
France VS Brazil
There are four really quick drivers in this matchup as Group B winners France take on Group A runners up Brazil. For me, France takes the 1-2 with Pierre Gasly ahead of Esteban Ocon. Brazil may be out, but they too have a good team. Felipe Drugovich has been superb in this season of Formula 2 and Lucas Di Grassi is always quick in Formula E. What I will say is, France VS Spain in the Quarter Finals is a hell of a matchup.
Final Score: France 7-3 Brazil
Finland VS Monaco
Group E winners Finland take on Group F runners-up Monaco. Charles Leclerc is the obvious number 1 driver in this matchup whilst 10-time grand prix winner Valtteri Bottas comes in second. The battle for third place in this race is close but for me, Arthur Leclerc just edges out Emma Kimilainen. Both are solid talents but if I go on this season, Leclerc’s sixth in Formula 3 is more impressive than Kimilainen’s 8th in the W Series. The Leclerc brothers and Monaco advance to the Quarters.
Final Score: Finland 4-6 Monaco
Netherlands VS Belgium
Group G winners the Netherlands take on Group F runners-up Belgium. Max Verstappen is by far the best driver in this match. In second place, I’ve got to go with Nyck De Vries. In the two seasons that the two were teammates together at Mercedes in Formula E, both men became World Champions. The only reason I am going with De Vries is he has earnt himself a drive in Formula 1 for next season whilst when Vandoorne was in F1, he really, really struggled. I’d be intrigued to see where I rank them in 2 years time. Belgium’s Amaury Cordeel is then comfortably last. Netherlands will meet with Monaco in the Quarter finals.
Final Score: Netherlands: 7-3 Belgium
Japan VS New Zealand
Group F Winners Japan take on Group E runners-up New Zealand. Yuki Tsunoda has to be ranked 1st in this match because of him being in Formula 1. New Zealand’s Mitch Evans comes in in second place ahead of his teammate Liam Lawson. This now means that Ayumu Iwasa comes in last meaning we go to penalties. This is easily the closest matchup so far. The gap between Tsunoda and Evans is close but the gap between Lawson and Iwasa is closer. For me, Japan progress to the Quarter finals, just!
Final Score: (P) Japan 5-5 New Zealand
Brazil B VS England
The final Last 16 matchup sees the Brazilian B team take on England. Brazil won their group but that doesn’t mean they come anywhere close to England. Hamilton and Russell are easily one of, if not the best team in this tournament whilst the Fittipaldi brothers have a combined total of 1 Formula 1 race. That’s not to say it couldn’t extend in the future but for now, the gap between the Mercedes drivers and the Fittipaldi brothers is ginormous.
Final Score: Brazil B 3-7 England
Quarter Finals
Monaco VS Netherlands
Monaco takes on Netherlands in the first quarter final. Two of the best drivers in the world are in this matchup but Max Verstappen takes P1 ahead of Charles Leclerc. Max is the more consistent and overall better drive but arguably, Charles Leclerc is the quickest driver in the world on one lap pace. Netherlands secures a spot in the Semi Final due to Nyck De Vries coming in third ahead of Monaco’s Arthur Leclerc. I’m actually quite intrigued to see just how far Arthur goes in his career.
Final Score: Monaco 4-6 Netherlands
Australia VS England B
Australia takes on England B in a really interesting encounter. Lando Norris has to be the Number 1 driver in this race. It’s pretty clear given the fact that he has destroyed his McLaren teammate Daniel Ricciardo this season. Ricciardo and Piastri come in next ahead of Jamie Chadwick meaning we have a tie. This is a tough one because all four are good, but we don’t fully know how good Chadwick is. Like Piastri, she has dominated the series’ she has been in but it’s harder to know how good she is. Because of that, Australia have to edge it. Really tough one though.
Final Score: (P) Australia 5-5 England
Japan VS England
Unfortunately for Japan, their run in this World Cup is coming to an end. England are head and shoulders above Japan in this one. Lewis is definitely one of the two best drivers in the world and George Russell is mighty quick. Also, Yuki is one of the weaker drivers in F1 and Iwasa is still in F2. Unlike the B team, the main England squad is going to the last 4.
Final Score: Japan 3-7 England
Spain VS France
In the game of the tournament, Spain takes on France. In my opinion, the four drivers in this race are inside the top 10 best drivers in the world category which makes it incredibly difficult for me. However, I’ve got to go with a Spanish 1-2. Alonso and Sainz are mega drivers who I would love to have in my team. The problem is that I could say the same for both Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon. What a match and it feels harsh that France don’t make it into the final 4 but that’s just how it goes.
Final Score: Spain 7-3 France
Semi Final
Netherlands VS Australia
In the first semi-final, Netherlands takes on Australia. Max Verstappen continues his 100% record of being the number 1 driver because of course he does. Daniel Ricciardo then comes in second place. Despite his struggles, he is an 8-time grand prix winner at the end of the day. The battle for third place is really tough. Both Nyck De Vries and Oscar Piastri are former Formula Renault Cup winners and F2 Champions. Nyck won it in his second full season compared to Piastri’s first. Piastri is also a Formula 3 Champion, but De Vries is a World Champion in Formula E, so they are both pretty good. Also, both men will be official Formula 1 drivers next season. In conclusion, I can’t decide between the two and I’m not going to because it doesn’t actually matter. Max is a whole lot better than Daniel (wouldn’t have said that back in 2018).
Final Score: Netherlands 6-5 Australia
England VS Spain
England VS Spain is even harder to give a verdict to than France V Spain. Lewis Hamilton has to come in first and then probably, it’s Fernando Alonso. I would then go Sainz ahead of Russell meaning we are going to a penalty shootout. In the end, I’m going to have to go with England. For me, the ability gap is closer between Sainz and Russell than it is Hamilton and Alonso. Either way, 4 brilliant racing drivers with 9 World Championships between them.
Final Score: (P) England 5-5 Spain
Final
Netherlands VS England
We are finally here; the Netherlands take on England in the World Cup of Motorsport Final. These two teams already faced off in Group G earlier on in the season and Netherlands won the group because I ranked Max Verstappen as the best driver. However, in the knockout stages, that doesn’t mean Netherlands have won. Lewis comes in second ahead of George Russell and Nyck De Vries. 3 of these guys literally have a contract with Mercedes. In my personal opinion, if I was choosing which 2 drivers I want in my Formula 1 team I would pick the Netherlands boys because they are both pretty young. However, I am choosing which team has the best drivers and right now, it’s England. Lewis is the only driver that gets anywhere near to Max in terms of ability and George is definitely a better driver than De Vries. Congrats to England on winning the World Cup!
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