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How is the F1 Driver of the Day selected? Winners so far
- Driver of the Day is a fan-voted award given to the driver that most impressed on race day
- It could be anyone from the grid, not necessarily the winner
- Leclerc has won the most times- 4 times, in spite of winning 2 races
One of the ways in which modern F1 fans are able to actively get involved with the sport further is the F1 Driver of the Day Award, which has become an interesting subplot to every F1 weekend ever since it was introduced in 2016- where fans can vote for the driver that most impressed them on that given race day.
It is an official F1 award for which the driver is given a trophy, but there is no financial incentive to it. Also, it isn’t necessarily about who won the race, but rather about which driver, driving within their specific circumstances and limitations during their race could perform the best, and impress the watching audience the most with their race-craft.
Also read: F1: Winners, losers (and Max Verstappen) from the 2022 British Grand Prix
For instance, Max Verstappen may have the most wins this season, taking the chequered flag 6 times, but that translated to only 2 Driver of the Day awards- in Imola and Miami, and Charles Leclerc in comparison has claimed the honour 4 times despite winning just the two races. Even Lewis Hamilton, who has endured a torrid 2022 campaign breaking bread with Formula 1’s midfield, has somehow won the award as many times as the Dutchman- twice.
The most recent winner of the Driver of the Day award is Checo Perez for his brilliant recovery drive at Silverstone this weekend. Checo’s race seemed to have been ruined early, after a skirmish with Leclerc following the second standing start left him with considerable front-wing damage. He was forced to pit to replace his front wing and duly rejoined at the back of the pack.
Also read: F1: Pierre Gasly to stick with Alpha Tauri for 2023 season- our verdict
What followed was an exceptional recovery drive from the Mexican as he made his way up the field with some fine overtakes, and after a prolonged stint, he was in a brilliant position to make an opportunistic pit stop and rejoin without dropping positions when the safety car was called in.
After the safety car restart, Checo absolutely blitzed past home favourite Lewis Hamilton, who was also on fresh soft tyres. There was some tremendous racing between the two and Leclerc as the three jostled for positions like a bunch of go-kart racers thrilling the watching audience no end, and Perez came out on top of this trio to come home in 2nd. This ensured he got the most love from the fans as 20.7% of the voters chose him as their Driver of the Day ahead of home boy Lewis Hamilton.
Also read: F1: Horner throws down gauntlet, makes bombshell claims on FIA, Mercedes
Let’s see the list of winners of this fan-voted award this year-
Bahrain GP- Charles Leclerc
Saudi Arabian GP- Charles Leclerc
Australian GP- Charles Leclerc
Emilio Romagna GP- Max Verstappen
Miami GP- Max Verstappen
Spanish GP- Lewis Hamilton
Monaco GP- Sergio Perez
Azerbaijan GP- Lewis Hamilton
Canadian GP- Charles Leclerc
British GP- Sergio Perez
This award is a chance for the worldwide watching public to get involved and show their appreciation for any of the 20 drivers, and you can cast your vote during the race too!
Voting starts towards the latter stages of every grand prix and closes once the race is wrapped up, and this is how you can get involved too- all you need to do is to go to the voting page on the official F1 website and put your vote when the voting window opens. You can access this page here. Happy voting!
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