F1 2000 driver ratings

Autosport's driver ratings the day after each grand prix are always popular with readers - and create plenty of debate.

As part of this week's retrospective on the 2000 Formula 1 season, which includes a special edition of the print magazine and online features, we are revisiting that season to rate each driver's performance over the year out of 10.

The methodology is a little different to our contemporary driver ratings. It draws on multiple resources, including Autosport and Motorsport News's contemporary reports along with looking back at the statistics of the season.

The ratings out of 10 are an average of those given for each grand prix in Autosport's 2000 season race reports. The drivers are listed in order of average rating from best to worst, although Luciano Burti only made one start so is listed at the bottom, with the order when the ratings are the same based on multiple decimal places and, where necessary, countback.

The result is not intended to be an overall rating of the merit of the drivers based on what happened subsequently in their careers or their perceived ability, but purely of their race weekend performance during 2000.

Wins: 9
Poles: 9
Championship: 1st

Rating: 8.8

The unquestionable star driver of the season, his relentlessness gave him the edge over Hakkinen and allowed him to fight back even when the McLaren driver seemed to have the upper hand and led the championship for three rounds from Hungary to Italy.

Other than in Austria and Germany, where Schumacher got himself into race-ending situations at the first corner, he could be depended on to deliver.

But it was the run of four consecutive victories after Belgium that ensured the drivers' title and made certain of the constructors' championship for Ferrari, as he really dug deep and excelled.

Given the almost unbearable weight of expectation at Ferrari, this was an outstanding season.

2. MIKA HAKKINEN
McLaren-Mercedes MP4-15

Wins: 4
Poles: 5
Championship: 2nd

Rating: 8.8

At his very best, Hakkinen was the equal of Michael Schumacher. Maybe even better, as his stunning pass at Spa to win the Belgian GP showed. But what he lacked was the German's ability to deliver lap after lap, race after race.

There was a point early in the season when he seemed to fade and David Coulthard got the upper hand. A summer holiday allowed Hakkinen to come back strong as the season wound down and he reasserted himself over his team-mate and took the lead of the championship, but it wasn't enough to deny Schumacher.

Even so, he still might have won the championship but for early-season unreliability.

Best finish: 4th
Best qualifying: 4th
Championship: 7th

Rating: 8.1

The Canadian wrung the most out of an improved BAR package and comfortably outperformed his team-mate Zonta. While that was to be expected in a team literally built around him, there were some great performances along the way.

After scoring BAR's first points in the Australia season opener, Villeneuve, aided by a series of great starts, was regularly in the mix in the points positions and was one of the hardest battlers in the field.

Arguably, his race to sixth at Imola was his finest of the season, although his run to fourth in Austria ran it close.

4. DAVID COULTHARD
McLaren-Mercedes MP4-15

Wins: 3
Poles: 2
Championship: 3rd

Rating: 7.9

Had the F1 season comprised the seven races spanning Imola to Magny-Cours, of which Coulthard won three, the Scot would have been world champion with 44 points.

That run was particularly impressive given that, days before a fighting second in Spain, Coulthard survived a plane crash that cost the lives of the two pilots.

Given how strong he was, particularly in his stunning win in France and a great second place in Brazil with only half a box of gears prior to exclusion for his front wing being too low, it was puzzling that he couldn't sustain his form.

Once Hakkinen was back on song, Coulthard slid back to second billing at McLaren.

Best finish: 3rd
Best qualifying: 4th
Championship: 5th

Rating: 7.7

The German was very often best-of-the-rest behind the Ferraris and the McLarens and finished fifth in the championship. Considering the Williams-BMW wasn't close to the class of the big two, the return couldn't have been better.

A strong racer, particularly on the first lap, Schumacher was usually pretty dependable in grands prix despite the odd error. But he sometimes made life more difficult for himself by not stringing it together in qualifying.

Jenson Button's improving form did seem to rattle him at times, and there were occasions when Schumacher lost his way on set-up, but overall he did a very good job.

6. JARNO TRULLI
Jordan-Mugen Honda EJ10

Best finish: 4th
Best qualifying: 2nd
Championship: 10th

Rating: 7.5

Trulli moved to Jordan from Prost with high expectations and, despite the limitations of the package, there were plenty of flashes of his unquestionable quality - particularly in qualifying.

But he did have a hard time up against Heinz-Harald Frentzen, edging the German on Saturdays but only finishing ahead once on the rare occasions when both Jordans made the chequered flag.

Bad luck with reliability certainly cost Trulli points. At Spa, he could well have been on the podium but for being hit by Button, although there were also occasions when he was the cause of his own downfall.

While Trulli's consistency could have been improved, to end the year with just six points was a travesty.

Best finish: 4th
Best qualifying: 3rd
Championship: 8th

Rating: 7.4

As you would expect from a driver catapulted unexpected into F1 from Formula 3 after only two years of car racing, there were errors and there was inconsistency.

But when everything came together Button could be sublime, even leading Williams technical director Patrick Head to draw comparisons with Alain Prost.

A point in his second race and a fifth place on home soil at Silverstone was a good foundation, but it was in the second half of the year that he really served notice of his talent.

A fine fourth place at a rain-hit Hockenheim was his best result, while sublime qualifying performances at Spa and Suzuka were the peaks of his campaign.

8. RUBENS BARRICHELLO
Ferrari F1-2000

Wins: 1
Poles: 1
Championship: 4th

Rating: 7.4

The Brazilian's big break was tempered by him being the undisputed number two to Schumacher, but he did his job and managed to nick a maiden victory in extraordinary circumstances at the German Grand Prix.

There arguably should have been at least one more victory, for in Britain Barrichello took pole and was leading when gearbox problems hit. He might also have won in Canada but for having to hold station behind his ailing team leader.

There were a few times when he got lost on set-up, perhaps trying too hard to find an edge, but in the circumstances he did everything that could be expected of Ferrari's support act.

Best finish: 3rd
Best qualifying: 2nd
Championship: 9th

Rating: 7.4

After a run at the title in 1999, much was expected from Frentzen. But the 2000 Jordan simply wasn't up to the challenge.

On qualifying performance, he was just shaded by one-lap specialist Trulli, but he was the stronger driver in race conditions.

Two podium finishes was scant reward for his pace - and he certainly should have had at least one more podium given he lost second in Germany late on to an alternator failure.

But there were also a few mistakes, notably shunting in Monaco while on course for second. While Jordan's reliability was poor, Frentzen also cost himself a few points.

10. JEAN ALESI
Prost-Peugeot AP03

Best finish: 9th
Best qualifying: 7th
Championship: 22nd

Rating: 7.2

There were flashes of the old Alesi brilliance during the season, with his seventh on the grid for Monaco a strong contender for qualifying lap of the year.

By comparison, the best a Prost was anywhere else was 13th - and it was usually lower.

But there were no points - a transmission failure while holding seventh in Monaco saw to that. The rest of Alesi's season was a mixed bag, always spectacular and hard-trying but not always the most consistent.

Not that you can blame him, given the frustration of being in such a poor car. But there were some stupid moments, such as the lunge on Heidfeld in Austria that ended both their races.

Best finish: 4th
Best qualifying: 8th
Championship: 12th

Rating: 7.2

The Dutchman's qualifying performances were a little disappointing, but often his race drives were stronger even though question marks over his fitness meant that there were occasions when he seemed to fade.

A charging drive to fourth at Monza was the high point, along with a fifth place in Montreal.

But reliability, and a few errors, meant that scoring more regularly than that proved impossible despite a package the team reckoned to be capable of being fifth in the constructors' championship.

In the final reckoning, Verstappen was probably a little more consistent than Pedro de la Rosa, but the Spaniard's peaks were that little bit higher.

12. PEDRO DE LA ROSA
Arrows-Supertec A21
Best finish: 6th
Best qualifying: 5th
Championship: 16th

Rating: 7.1

The Spaniard was convincingly the stronger Arrows driver in qualifying, outpacing Verstappen 12 times to five, although on the vanishingly rare occasions on which two of the unreliable Arrows-Supertecs made the finish it was always Verstappen who was ahead.

There were some fine race drives that came to nothing for de la Rosa, though. In Austria, a failed gearbox oil pipe cost him a likely podium, while at Hockenheim he spun off while set for third.

The relatively low downforce Arrows wasn't the easiest car to drive, but when de la Rosa was on form he was generally able to get the best out of it and his peaks were higher than Verstappen's.

Best finish: 4th
Best qualifying: 6th
Championship: 13th

Rating: 7.1

Having come so close to winning the world championship a year earlier with Ferrari, the much-vaunted move to Jaguar proved a frustrating one for Irvine.

The car was not easy to drive, but Irvine generally did a good job in qualifying in particular and was consistently in the top 10 on the grid early on.

His fourth place in Monaco was one of the few high points of the season for Jaguar, while he also came on strong after modifications made the R1 a much more stable piece of kit late on - resulting in a good point in Malaysia.

14. MIKA SALO
Sauber-Ferrari C19

Best finish: 5th
Best qualifying: 9th
Championship: 11th

Rating: 7.0

While his qualifying performances were best characterised as solid rather than spectacular, in race conditions Salo showed himself to be very capable and able to seize good results when they were on offer.

Generally, he kept things clean on track and the reward was a smattering of fifth and sixth places, which was as good as it was ever likely to get for Sauber.

On Sundays, he was arguably above the best of the clutch of decent drivers in under-par machinery, but had Saturdays been a little better there might have been one or two more top-six finishes.

15. GIANCARLO FISICHELLA
Benetton-Supertec B200

Best finish: 2nd
Best qualifying: 3rd
Championship: 6th

Rating: 6.9

Look at the topline numbers - sixth in the championship and three podiums in the first eight races, as well as demolishing team-mate Alex Wurz, and it was an excellent season for Fisichella.

But the reality is that he went missing far too often, while Benetton was dubious about his work rate relative to Wurz - particularly as the team's season tailed off in the second half of the year.

During the season, it seemed a case of pot luck as to which version of Fisichella would turn up - the motivated one or the unmotivated one - and the upshot was a patchy season.

16. JOHNNY HERBERT
Jaguar-Cosworth R1

Best finish: 7th
Best qualifying: 8th
Championship: 17th

Rating: 6.9

It was unfortunate that Herbert's final F1 season was a pointless one, and that he ended up being carried away from the car after a right-rear suspension failure caused a shunt in his last race in Malaysia.

There was genuine pace there, but Herbert struggled to nail it when it mattered in qualifying - much to the bafflement of both him and the team - and he only made the top 10 twice. He didn't get as much out of a tricky car as Irvine.

He should have scored points comfortably at Indianapolis having started on slicks in damp conditions, but for a mistake when entering his pitbox that forced a hurried switch of front wing.

Best finish: 6th
Best qualifying: 6th
Championship: 14th

Rating: 6.9

Nobody was outqualified by their team-mate more times than Zonta, whose return of three points and three top-10 grid positions was not good enough for a driver of his ability even as a clear number two at BAR who suffered too many reliability problems.

There were clear signposts to his class, and at his very best he was able to match Villeneuve or even fractionally shade him - as he did in qualifying at Interlagos and Imola. But there were far too many mistakes and off days.

The ability was there, but the harder he tried the worse things got. Combined with a troubling team atmosphere, it's no surprise he struggled.

18. MARC GENE
Minardi-Cosworth

Best finish: 8th
Best qualifying: 18th
Championship: 19th

Rating: 6.8

When the Minardi was quick enough to have a chance of outpacing other stragglers early in the season, it was always Gene who did it. But as the year progressed, an underdeveloped car with an engine based on a 1998 spec became increasingly uncompetitive.

The Spaniard comprehensively outperformed team-mate Gaston Mazzacane and, although points proved beyond him, there were three top 10 finishes headlined by eighth in Austria.

A good, solid season in back-of-the-grid machinery that fell away from the tail of the midfield after the start of the year.

Best finish: 8th
Best qualifying: 13th
Championship: 20th

Rating: 6.7

The German came into F1 as a highly-rated reigning Formula 3000 champion, but saw his stock devalued by a trying first season. Not that he had much hope with the Prost team. In fact, his performances were very credible in the circumstances.

He managed to outqualify Alesi seven times, and although there was nothing as remarkable in his season as his team-mate's Monaco qualifying lap there were some good, solid race performances that went unrewarded.

Heidfeld kept his head during a tough campaign and that was what helped him to find refuge at Sauber for 2001.

20. ALEX WURZ
Benetton-Supertec B200

Best finish: 5th
Best qualifying: 5th
Championship: 15th

Rating: 6.6

Wurz's poor form made him the butt of jokes during 2000 and it was clear that he was not seen as part of the future of returning boss Flavio Briatore's team from quite early on.

What makes it difficult to condemn the Austrian's performance out of hand is that, once he got his hands on team-mate Fisichella's 'qualifying car' for the last race of the season after a mini revival in the preceding races, he managed to qualify fifth.

It's clear that Wurz was held back by the machinery and that a direct comparison to Fisichella is misleading, but the extent to which that should mitigate his poor results is difficult to quantify.

Best finish: 7th
Best qualifying: 9th
Championship: 18th

Rating: 5.9

Diniz's qualifying performances to Salo were, on average, very respectable although he wasn't capable of hitting the same heights as his team-mate in the races.

The United States GP showed what he was capable of on a good day, qualifying a strong ninth and finishing eighth, but that was beyond his usual performance level.

Considering Salo managed four points finishes in equal machinery, it's fair to say that Diniz didn't get the best out of the Sauber, and there were times in races when he didn't seem to have a full grasp of what was going on around him.

22. GASTON MAZZACANE
Minardi-Cosworth

Best finish: 8th
Best qualifying: 20th
Championship: 21st

Rating: 5.5

The Argentinian's graduation from F3000 to F1 owed far more to Minardi sponsor Telefonica than to his own, very patchy, CV and it showed on track.

He was rarely able to get too close to team-mate Gene in qualifying, but to his credit did at least keep it on the island and only the two McLaren drivers managed to complete more laps.

The United States GP, where he outqualified Gene and ran as high as third in a mixed up race, battling with Hakkinen, was a highlight but such moments were few and far between as he usually struggled in dry conditions.

Best finish: 11th (one start)
Best qualifying: 21st
Championship: 23rd

Rating: 7.0

The Jaguar test driver made his grand prix debut in Austria after Irvine dropped out with abdominal pains, which proved to be appendicitis.

After missing the first Friday practice session, a blown clutch limited his running in the afternoon so he did well to qualify within six-tenths of team-mate Herbert.

Starting from the pits in the spare car, he finished 11th and around a minute behind Herbert. Considering he hadn't done a race distance that year and was uncomfortable in the car, that was as good a return as could be expected.