Mercedes is the dominant team in ! At least as a Formula 1 follower you could say that for years, but that slogan no longer seems to hold true. That becomes clear when you look at how bizarrely few laps Mercedes have led in the past eight Grands Prix.
It's almost too unbelievable to be. If you look back at the past eight Formula 1 Grands Prix, you have to see that Mercedes has only suffered 19 laps in the lead of a race. In the list of drivers, Lewis Hamilton is only on P7 with 11 laps in the lead, Valtteri Bottas on P8 with 8 laps in the lead.
Above the pair is of course Max Verstappen, not least because of the dominant performances on the Red Bull Ring, but above the pair are also numerous drivers who would normally be called midfielders. Esteban Ocon racked up leading laps in Hungary, Ricciardo in Italy, Leclerc at Silverstone and Norris, of course, in Sochi. Check .
What also stands out in the list is the absence of Sergio Perez. Even in the absence of Mercedes in the upper regions, he is unable to report to the front with what many consider to be the best car in the field.