WHY LEWIS IS OUR

“It has been the hardest year”

LEWIS HAMILTON AND MAX VERSTAPPEN IN Formula 1, World Rally champion Sebastien Ogier, and Mclaren’s increasingly versatile Fernando Alonso. All performed to an astonishingly high level this year, but who do you think was the best driver of 2017?

As has become tradition, we engaged in some healthy office debate to come up with our top 50 drivers of the year. As ever, comparing drivers across different categories proved tricky, with varying levels of competition and machinery quality at our candidates’ disposal.

Given the way he rose to the challenge of Ferrari – and that of the fast-but-tricky Mercedes W08 – to take his fourth F1 world title, Hamilton takes our number-one spot, the third time he has topped our annual list. As Ben Anderson’s piece shows (page 42), Hamilton believes that 2017 was one of his toughest seasons, and he also opens up about the three drivers on the current grid he really rates.

We’ve packed this bumper issue with a mix of reflection on 2017 and some more unusual topics, including the best F1 cars never to win and Gary Watkins’s investigation into the unfortunate fate of some notable racing cars. We also interview rally legend Sebastien Loeb, who topped our top 50 list back in 2005.

We hope the issue will provide you with a dose of motorsport through the festive period before everyone comes out of hibernation for 2018. Merry Christmas!