The F1 drivers' half-term report

Martin Brundle: Exceptional. You sometimes wonder about Lewis' life-work balance but, as the results show, it works for him.
Mark Hughes: A master driver at the absolute peak of his game, total belief in his own extraordinary ability.
Damon Hill: It seems the cream always rises to the top. Whatever has been thrown his way this year, he has responded - and he adds personal-life dramas into the mix as well which is good for the show!

Martin Brundle: Same as always – a world-class driver but still a tenth or two shy of Lewis even when he is on his best form.
Mark Hughes: Nico has his days, sometimes whole weekends where he can beat Lewis. But not usually.
Damon Hill: Thoroughly professional, earns every penny he is paid with 100 per cent commitment.

Martin Brundle: Where was he in 2014? Normal service has been resumed and he’s done an outstanding job for Ferrari since joining the team.
Mark Hughes: As a Ferrari driver his mojo has returned and he's his old smart, fast self.
Damon Hill: I would describe Sebastian as the Great White Shark of the grid: you sense that he is lurking under the surface at the moment and when Ferrari deliver a top-class car he will be gobbling up the points.

Martin Brundle: Kimi has shown flashes of the old Kimi but his qualifying performances have given him challenging races and he’s not doing a good enough job for that seat at the moment.
Mark Hughes: Still a good driver but a gradually declining force, the momentum's only going one way.
Damon Hill: Kimi is troublesome – we love him, the fans love him, but he’s not always his own best friend.

Martin Brundle: Felipe keeps finding the speed motivation and he looks like he is in the form of his life – good for him!
Mark Hughes: Sparky and fast, just like last year. Back to his pre-accident level.
Damon Hill: He's extraordinary: l am utterly amazed by Felipe's tenacity and enthusiasm, he just absolutely loves what he is doing.

Martin Brundle: Always there. He’s unspectacular – he says when he gets the chance he will become spectacular – and he’s become Mr Reliable but very fast with it.
Mark Hughes: Unflappable, quick and smart but is failing to dominate team-mate Massa.
Damon Hill: A very cool and almost unflappable character, he's also fast and pretty much the complete driver.

Martin Brundle: Until Hungary, Daniel has looked out of sorts – I’m not sure he has made the best of a bad job, and Kvyat has almost done 'a Danny Ric' on him – but he’s still a quality guy and a quality driver even if he hasn't handled the adversity in the most productive way.
Mark Hughes: A great driver but the moves aren't coming as easily this year.
Damon Hill: A driver of tremendous fighting spirit with talent to match but the fizz goes when you give a guy like that an uncompetitive car.

Martin Brundle: Improving. He looked nervous and was over-driving at the start of the season but he has calmed it down and got on with it since then. He was clear in his head why he had a shaky start, said he knew it would come round and he has proven to be right.
Mark Hughes: Raw speed, great tough attitude, a star in the making.
Damon Hill: I like Daniil; he's an introvert but he's also a natural talent.

Martin Brundle: Outstanding in his debut season, he's shown speed and maturity, and handled all the hype around his team-mate very well.
Mark Hughes: A composed rookie with a fuller grounding than his team-mate – and it sometimes shows.
Damon Hill: Carlos has been very, very impressive – after all the media attention on Max he has displayed no less talent and is a very mature driver at a very young age.

Martin Brundle: Max is a star of the future, his age and lack of experience has shown through from time to time, particularly at somewhere like Silverstone, and he needs to keep his chin up – which I’m sure he will.
Mark Hughes: The real deal, dripping with talent, but the data banks are still relatively empty.
Damon Hill: Extraordinary – so mature for someone so young, his problem will be dealing with the weight of expectation but he is keen to learn and has a very sound base with natural flair and talent.

Martin Brundle: Difficult to know. Solid, but like Nico Hulkenberg he is in danger of being about to miss his moment.
Mark Hughes: Grossly underrated. One of the very fastest but in a mediocre car.
Damon Hill: Romain has never done anything consistently amazing to mark him out, he's clearly talented, and he's an affable guy off the track and positive, but you do wonder where his career is heading.

Martin Brundle: Pastor remains accident-prone but his performances have been interspersed with flashes of speed and potential.
Mark Hughes: No silly incidents this year until Hungary, good race speed, and demonstrated incredible car control in Austria.
Damon Hill: Despite his penchant for finding accidents, I'm always impressed by Pastor. He believes in himself, he's very determined and fast – you are just slightly scared for him sometimes!

Martin Brundle: As solid as ever, but he needs to put Sergio Perez away more often if he is to achieve a top drive.
Mark Hughes: Aggressively fast, great racecraft but still a little hard on the rubber.
Damon Hill: Nico's potential could be massive, he clearly has got something, but the fear is that it could never happen for him – is there someone fighting to find Nico the best possible seat? Sometimes with Nico it feels as if he is almost indifferent to what happens, which is curious. 

Martin Brundle: It’s been the usual Sergio – too easy to under-rate him, he delivers and if there is a result to be stolen then he will steal it.
Mark Hughes: His usual combination of combative spirit and good tyre skills make him a good team asset.
Damon Hill: He has bounced back and solidified as a driver. He has strengths as a driver but I can't see how he is going to get back into a top seat in F1. 

Martin Brundle: He still never gives up and he’s proved less disruptive than feared or expected.
Mark Hughes: As relentless as ever, storming first laps are the only racing he gets to do with this car.
Damon Hill: Still the most robust, clever and astute driver on the grid. But a champion like Fernando needs a front-running car.

Martin Brundle: He’s held his own against Fernando and somehow kept a smile on his face – outwardly anyway!
Mark Hughes: As with Alonso, his broad and deep skill set is being essentially wasted in 2015.
Damon Hill: Still super quick and still super-smooth: almost too smooth because it means he doesn't look quick! He's shown himself to be a match for every super-quick driver he has been up against, including Fernando.

Martin Brundle: Had a shocker in Canada but otherwise Felipe has showed as well as Sainz and Verstappen.
Mark Hughes: Calm, unflustered speed and intelligent approach. A future race winner in the right machinery.
Damon Hill: To be honest, I've not yet formed an opinion about Felipe – although my wife thinks he is handsome which can be useful in this game!

Martin Brundle: He’s very neutral – he has done nothing outstanding and nothing negative.
Mark Hughes: More aggressive style than his team mate unsuited to these tyres.
Damon Hill: He's done ok but 'ok' is not what you are looking for in F1. The jury is out – but it's been out for a long time.

Martin Brundle: A very solid start to his first full season and he's clearly not overawed by being in F1.
Mark Hughes: Difficult to judge his level in this car, but pushing on and largely error-free.
Damon Hill: I've been impressed with Will, he has shown he is up for it and it would be interesting to see him in a more competitive car.

Martin Brundle: He’s improved and calmed down as the season has gone on after looking a bit leery and out of his depth at the start.
Mark Hughes: Better against his team mate than the stats make it look as his extra weight cannot be equalised.
Damon Hill: Pass!