Our Top 50 drivers of the year… (10th to 6st)

Our journalists have elected their 50 best drivers of the 2022 season, all categories combined. At the end of a long process of selection, consultation and votes, here is our verdict.

Published on 30/12/2022 à 12:00

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Our Top 50 drivers of the year… (10th to 6st)

AUTOhebdo invites you to discover the fifth part of its Top 50 with the drivers ranging from 10th to 6th place. ©DR

10 - Fernando Alonso (Spain)
9th in the 2022 world championship Formula 1 with Alpine

One wonders if the Taurus of Asturias has really passed the age of forty. Despite his 41 years, the double world champion continues to surprise with his level of competitiveness. His 2022 campaign speaks for itself. Although he finished in 9th place in the Drivers' standings, behind his teammate (a rarity), his mechanics prevented him from aiming higher. Too often betrayed by his mount, with five abandonments and one non-start for various technical problems, Fernando Alonso let slip a good fifty points. No matter, he has something to be proud of in his year: 14 races out of 22 in the points, a series of 10 consecutive Grands Prix in the Top 10 and some highlights like in Australia where he seemed to be fighting for the pole before experiencing a hydraulic failure, one more... And how can we forget his XXL performance in Austin (USA) where he moved up to 7th place after taking off on theAston Martin of his future teammate Lance stroll ? So of course, the Iberian remains a shadowy personality, a black sun who can prove harmful to his own camp. Perfect illustration in Brazil where, after clashing with his teammate Esteban Ocon, then having crucified him in the media, he signed a new number to finish 5th. The years pass, but do not seem to have any influence on the eternal Alonso.

9 – Will Power (Australia)
Champion ofIndyCar with Penske (1 victory)

We knew the berserk Will Power, here is the wise-as-a-picture Will Power. Author of only one success in 2022, the 41-year-old driver has counterbalanced his caution in racing with intelligence above his colleagues on the track. Its consistency constitutes its centerpiece in the construction of a second coronation in the North American series (after 2014). Even when the situation seemed desperate, like at the Indianapolis 500 (May 29) where he was dropped during the first 50 laps, he managed to hang on to score the points for 15th position, which came in handy in the end. the country. When he had the opportunity to convert the try, like in Detroit (June 5), he did not flinch. Rejected in 17th and last place after a spin at Mid-Ohio (July 3), he remained focused to climb to 3rd position thanks to an offensive strategy with three stops. The representative of “Captain” Roger Penske also took advantage of this year to overtake an IndyCar legend, Mario Andretti, in the number of pole positions (62). A complete runner, Will Power no longer fears many people.

8 – Marcus Ericsson (Sweden)
Winner of the 500 Indianapolis 2022 with Chip Ganassi Racing, 6th in IndyCar (1 victory)

No matter what happens next, the sky may fall, one thing will never change: winning the Indy 500 sets you apart in motorsport history. The case of Marcus Ericsson is eloquent. Taxed as a paying driver during his time in F1 between 2014 and 2018, the Swede changed dimension by moving to the United States within the prestigious Chip Ganassi Racing team. But from there to add his name to the list of one of the three monuments of the calendar, with the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Monaco Grand Prix? There is a world that few observers dared to imagine. Still in the leading group, Ericsson took advantage of Scott Dixon's excessive speed in the pits at the end of the effort to move ahead and hold on, despite a red flag and an extremely intense restart of only two laps. Small downside, his conservative attitude over the following 11 races did him a disservice when aiming for the IndyCar title.

7 – Sébastien Loeb (France)
Winner of Rally Monte-Carlo 2022 with M-Sport, Extreme E champion with X44 Vida Carbon Racing

Immortelles. Incredibles. Every year, there is a shortage of qualifiers to describe Sébastien Loeb's performances. In 2022, the Alsatian started strong: for the first round of the hybrid era in WRC, who better than the nine-time world rally champion to win? On the Monte-Carlo Rally (January 20-23), the legend of the discipline scored a sensational 80th victory. At the end of an epic fight between the two greatest champions in the category. Loeb vs Ogier : a flashback of around ten years, to the time when the two compatriots fought a fierce battle at Citroën. This time, the duel went to the advantage of the M-Sport driver, who became the oldest winner in the WRC. At 48 years old, Loeb is more active than ever: 2nd in the Dakar, winner of the Race of Champions and the Extreme E championship, the native of Haguenau (Alsace) even offered himself a freelance job in DTM, in Portimão (Portugal), to re-experience the joys of the circuit. And even if he failed to obtain another podium this year in rallying – notably the victim of two retirements in Greece and Portugal while he was leader – Loeb taught the WRC field a real lesson. Immortal, we tell you!

6 – Scott McLaughlin (New Zealand)
4th in IndyCar 2022 with Penske (3 victories)

The Kiwi's ability to adapt is astonishing. Even just two years ago, Scott McLaughlin was the expert on Australian Supercars and old-school GTs, heavy, powerful and lacking in aero. He is now one of the most skillful athletes in IndyCar. This season, in addition to having to hold the line to expert teammates of the car, the 29-year-old driver assumed the responsibility of leading the debates in the general classification, thanks to his victory at the opening of the season in St Petersburg (Florida, February 27). On the one hand, the way in which Scott McLaughlin achieved his three successes demonstrates an increasingly refined raw talent. 49 laps out of 100 led in St Pete, 45 out of 80 in Mid-Ohio, and finally 104 out of 110 in Portland (September 4): the man from the Antipodes wins in style, without any form of contestation. Penske's talent on ovals no longer needs to be demonstrated. At Texas, one of the fastest tracks on the calendar, he led 186 of 248 laps. His quest for the title, however, took a hit from the Indianapolis 500 at the end of May. Author of a convincing comeback at the start of the effort, a careless mistake sent him into the wall. This race awarded double the points compared to the usual scale, “Scotty” lost big. But he will be one of the favorites in the future.