These are the best teams for the 2021 Formula One season

The 2021 Formula 1 season is over, so it's time to take stock. Which teams performed best this season and who failed? After each race, GPblog gives figures to all the teams and after 22 races an average has emerged. These are the rankings for the 2021 season.

10. Haas: 4.2

Even before the 2021 season had started, Haas already announced that they would be focussing on 2022. Where some teams were still trying to get the best result possible this season, Haas was not. The car was not competitive at all and didn't even finish within the same lap as the leaders.

Nikita Mazepin and Mick Schumacher would not score a single point and it remains to be seen how much pain Haas will take from two rookies. Indeed, in a year where everything is focused on 2022, you may wonder if two rookies will be able to steer you in the right direction. Although Schumacher did well in his first year, the choice for Mazepin proved completely unjustified.

9. Alfa Romeo: 5.6

Alfa Romeo performed in 2021 when they had to. The team scored quite a few points and finished ninth in the Constructors' standings. The duel with Williams was lost though. However, that was mainly due to their car, which Alfa Romeo did not develop much during the year.

8. Aston Martin: 5.7

Under the leadership of Lawrence Stroll, they were set to attack the established order, but while in the factory investments were made to become as big as Ferrari and Mercedes, the results on the track were disappointing. After copying Mercedes in 2020, Aston Martin was unable to develop a competitive car of its own in 2021.

Aston Martin's additional problem was that they kept whining about the regulations for a year. Instead of getting everything out of their package (as Mercedes did), they remained stuck in their disadvantaged role for a long time and even threatened legal action. That never came, because there was of course no chance of that succeeding.

7. Williams: 6

Williams had a strong first half of the season, finishing with points for Nicholas Latifi and George Russell in Hungary. After the winter break, the Briton drove another strong qualifying session in Belgium, scoring half points for his second-place finish and getting on the podium on Sunday.

In the final stages of the season, however, Williams fell further and further away from the pace seen earlier in the season. The team hopefully focused on 2022 from the moment P8 was all but assured.

6. AlphaTauri: 6

For AlphaTauri it was a particularly strong year, equalling their best-ever Constructors' podium (sixth). As a B-team it managed to stay ahead of two major brands, Aston Martin and Alfa Romeo, and for a long time it was even in fifth place ahead of Alpine.

However, one could also say that the Italian team did not get everything out of the package. Strategic blunders during the season meant that the drivers (especially Pierre Gasly) had to work harder than necessary for the points.

5. Alpine: 6.8

The French team is still in disarray and the problems with the name change have not yet been resolved. Led by Marcin Budkowski and Davide Brivio, Alpine has had a solid season, with a lucky win for Esteban Ocon and a podium for Fernando Alonso.

However, the sights are fully set on 2022, and only then can the team really be judged. In 2021 the package was not good enough to compete at the front and as a factory team, it should be. The budget cap should help Renault/Alpine to find the connection with the top, now it is up to the team to actually deliver a good car.

4. McLaren: 6.8

Although McLaren finished one place lower in the Constructors' Championship, they are clearly on the rise. In 2021, the team scored more points again, finished 1-2 in Monza, and Lando Norris was unfortunate not to win in Russia. McLaren really knew how to compete on several circuits, without needing luck or dropouts.

2022 is also the moment of truth for McLaren. Under the leadership of Andreas Seidl and James Key, the team has clearly taken a few steps forward, but with the new regulations, there's a great opportunity to make a leap.

3. Ferrari: 7

After a dramatic season in 2020, Ferrari have managed to turn their backs in 2021. Of course, Ferrari is not yet where it should be with the available budget, but under the current rules, this was already a particularly big step forward.

With five podium finishes in this season, Ferrari returned to the podium, but unlike McLaren, it needed some bad luck from the competition. In 2022, Ferrari hopes to be back competing for wins. If not, there will be a magnifying glass pinned on Mattia Binotto.

2. Mercedes: 8.2

Mercedes won the constructors' world title and had the fastest car in 2021. In that respect, it is strange that Max Verstappen became Drivers World Champion, not Lewis Hamilton. Of course, Hamilton made mistakes, but Mercedes also went wrong too often.

The team threw away a simple 1-2 in qualifying in Russia by entering the pits too late, the team managed to have the longest pit stop ever with Bottas in Monaco, Hamilton was not brought in on time in Turkey, the team did not realise in Brazil that Hamilton's wing was not in accordance with the regulations and they were repeatedly beaten by Red Bull on strategy. These are some examples of the mistakes Mercedes made when they were put under real pressure for the first time.

1. Red Bull Racing: 8.3

Red Bull Racing made the most of a package that was the best car in the first half of the season. Max Verstappen took ten wins, and while some were due to the car's speed, others were due to great strategic work by the team.

Contrary to expectations, Verstappen won in America, France and Abu Dhabi. In all three races, Red Bull was able to outperform the competition with a smart and daring strategic move. Mercedes were often behind, allowing Verstappen to walk away with the victory. With Sergio Perez in Abu Dhabi, the second driver was also used to the utmost to achieve the final goal: becoming world champion.

The complete driver rankings can be found here!