Before we start with number ten, we must also talk about the drivers who just missed out. There will be a lot of criticism on number ten, but who did it better? Sebastian Vettel is a four-time world champion so you would expect better performances, wouldn't you?

Lance Stroll was also a candidate for the top ten with his pole this year, but he lacked in other areas outside of that highlight. Kimi Raikkonen and Esteban Ocon might also be entitled to place ten, but we choose others.

10. Valtteri Bottas

Valtteri Bottas drives the best car, but also against the best driver. It is not easy for Finn to compete next to Hamilton. Besides one lost duel with Nico Rosberg, Hamilton almost always beats his teammate.

Why is Bottas still in the top ten? As the second Mercedes driver, he is perfect for what they want. Maybe Mercedes should now choose George Russell. It is not exciting for F1, but Mercedes win the title with the constructors and the drivers. Then you cannot say that Mercedes has made a bad choice if Bottas comes second in the standings. He has made a significant contribution to those titles and therefore deserves his place in the top ten.

9. George Russell

The man who could replace Bottas from 2022 is of course Russell. During his time in the Mercedes car during the Sakhir Grand Prix, he showed that he may already be ready for the step to Mercedes. Where Red Bull Racing tried to switch to their young talent too early, Mercedes are a bit more careful. Russell has to show it again in 2021, to really get that chance in 2022.

Russell did not drive faultless in 2020 either. The crash behind the Safety Car was the biggest mistake by Russell who was stronger than his teammate in a whole year. The fact that he also immediately beat Bottas in Sakhir shows that it is not without reason that he became so dominant champion in Formula 2.

8. Lando Norris

Lando Norris took an important step in his career in 2020. In 2019 he was fast in qualifying, but still quite unstable. In 2020 that was already a lot better and he also drove a lot stronger on Sunday. However, it is still not good enough. In qualifying, he was marginally faster than Carlos Sainz, but on Sunday that was not the case.

Sainz is now known as one of the most consistent drivers in Formula 1, making Norris a formidable competitor. With Daniel Ricciardo, however, another big name is coming to the team and Norris can hardly lose to his teammate for the third year in a row. Winning the duels on Saturday is fun, but the points are divided on Sunday.

7. Pierre Gasly

Pierre Gasly reinvented himself in 2020. The seat next to Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing may not be for him, but give him the lead within AlphaTauri and great things can happen. After a podium in 2019, Gasly drove once again to a victory in Monza this season.

Gasly shows that the speed is still there, but as a young driver, it was perhaps just a bit too much to take on the role of the second driver. Gasly still has a lot to prove and, like Sainz and Ricciardo, may be able to switch to another team to take the lead there. As a Frenchman, Renault might be the ideal place.

6. Carlos Sainz

Things were not going well at the start of the season, but once his season got underway, the Spaniard was also unstoppable. He continues to build on his already impressive CV and is now moving to Ferrari as a good rival for Charles Leclerc.

Of course, everyone looks at Leclerc within Ferrari, but what if Carlos has just that luck on his side. What if it all falls his way? Can Sainz be the man for the future at Ferrari? With a podium in Monza, he showed again how strong he is on Sunday. Leclerc will have to work in 2020 to maintain that status as a leader.

5. Charles Leclerc

Based on his speed, Leclerc might be in the top three, but the Monegasque was a lot more changeable this season. The speed is still there for Leclerc, as he also showed in the first race in Austria. However, like any talent, he came across a year with a little more this season

He is on the border and has crossed it more often this season. However, there is nothing wrong with his self-reflection, so expect an even stronger Leclerc in 2021.

4. Sergio Perez

Sergio Perez came fourth in the drivers' standings, despite the Mexican missing two races. He earned his spot at Red Bull Racing in 2021, where Aston Martin pushed him aside for Sebastian Vettel. In retrospect, a decision that worked out very well for Perez.

Perez drove stronger than ever in 2020 and was especially impressive on Sundays. After it was announced that he was no longer allowed to drive for Aston Martin, things got better and better and with his victory in Sakhir, Perez has nothing more to prove. However, 2021 will show how well he can do with a really top team.

3. Daniel Ricciardo

In our opinion, the best of the rest in 2020 was Daniel Ricciardo. Despite his announced departure, Ricciardo took Renault to greater heights on his own, taking over highly regarded talent Esteban Ocon. Ricciardo does something that not many drivers succeed when they leave for a rival: leave the team through the front door.

Ricciardo showed why he is missed at Red Bull Racing. He is fast on Saturdays and Sundays and is always there when something can happen. While McLaren and Racing Point generally had a better car, Ricciardo was on the podium twice and finished fifth in the drivers' championship. Hopefully, more will follow at McLaren.

2. Max Verstappen

The number two at the moment is Verstappen, but it must be said that the number one and two are very close to each other. In previous years, Verstappen could often be caught making one or two mistakes, but this year he was virtually flawless. Only the weekend in Turkey is one he will soon want to forget.

At the moment, Verstappen cannot show more than what he is doing. Mercedes is too strong. Verstappen is there when Mercedes are a bit weaker, but is often capped by his car. Red Bull has to take another step and only then can we really see whether Verstappen belongs in the first place.

1. Lewis Hamilton

The man who has been in first place for years is Lewis Hamilton. Yes, he drives the best car, but no one has ever been as dominant as the Brit and outside of an unhappy season in 2016, Hamilton managed to outsmart his teammate every time. Valtteri Bottas still seemed like a great talent at Williams, but he cannot measure up to Hamilton.

How Hamilton compares to the greatest of all time and to Verstappen, we do not know at the moment and we may never know. However, to perform at your peak for so long, you have to be very special. Almost all drivers can win in a Mercedes, but few will do it like Lewis.

This article was written and originally published by Tim on the Dutch edition of GPblog.com.