The ability to consistently challenge for a Formula 1 world title in a car that is not the class of the field is a rare skill, limited to a select group of drivers.
According to Formula 1 correspondent Andrew Benson, the drivers most capable of such feats include Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso, and Max Verstappen. However, Benson argues that Lewis Hamilton and Alain Prost also deserve strong consideration for their performances in less dominant machinery.
Prost's 1986 season, where he secured his second world title in a McLaren deemed inferior to the Williams of Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet, is highlighted as an exceptional performance. Similarly, the case is made that Hamilton may not have had the best car in his 2008 championship year with McLaren, or in 2007 alongside Alonso, given the subsequent understanding of Ferrari's performance relative to McLaren during those seasons. Benson notes that Hamilton's championship wins in 2017 and 2018 saw Ferrari as the superior car for significant portions of those seasons before Mercedes found their stride.
Fernando Alonso's 2012 season is cited as a prime example, where he drove what was statistically the fourth-quickest car and took the title fight to the final race. This achievement was further emphasized by two unavoidable incidents – collisions at the Belgian and Japanese Grands Prix initiated by Romain Grosjean and Kimi Raikkonen, respectively – that Benson suggests cost Alonso the championship.
Alonso also arguably won in 2005 in a car that, while not as fast as Kimi Raikkonen's McLaren on balance, was more reliable. Benson also considers Max Verstappen's close challenge to Lando Norris and McLaren in the previous season to be reminiscent of Alonso's 2012 performance.
Senna's 1991 title win in a McLaren inferior to the Williams FW14 is mentioned, although significant reliability issues for Williams aided his cause. Benson suggests Senna likely achieved a similar feat in 1990 against Prost's Ferrari, given their relative pace as McLaren teammates in previous years.
Schumacher's championship in 1995 might have been won in a car that was arguably inferior to the Williams, but Benson points to Schumacher's consistent superiority over his rivals, Damon Hill and David Coulthard, as a key factor. Williams likely held an advantage in the latter half of the 1994 season after overcoming early aerodynamic issues. However, Benson posits that Schumacher would have been unlikely to beat Senna in 1994 had the Brazilian not tragically died at Imola.
Beyond these cases, Benson states that there are few instances where a champion secured a title without the best car, with exceptions often being seasons heavily influenced by unusual circumstances. Examples include the 1982 season, which saw Keke Rosberg win for Williams with only one race victory amidst significant attrition for Ferrari and Renault, and 1979, where a complex championship scoring system and the late debut of the Williams FW07 influenced the outcome for Alan Jones.
Leonardo Fornaroli's Path to F1
Regarding emerging talent, Leonardo Fornaroli, the reigning F2 champion and previous F3 title winner, is identified as a driver with potential similar to Alex Albon, Charles Leclerc, and Oscar Piastri. Fornaroli has been part of the McLaren driver development program since late last year and has participated in practice sessions for the team and testing in older F1 machinery for both McLaren and Haas.
With a limited number of F1 seats available for the upcoming season and the driver market contingent on Max Verstappen's future at Red Bull, Fornaroli's most probable entry point appears to be Haas. However, Haas also has Ryo Hirakawa, who is under contract with Toyota, and former Alpine driver Jack Doohan in their development pipeline, adding complexity to Fornaroli's potential placement.