Formula One drivers Elo rating

I was looking for some real data to try my small tool to manage an Elo ladder. I'm really not into Formula One, but it happened I had just looked at a video on Youtube about it. The official rating of drivers seems (again I'm completely ignorant about this sport) to be a point system per season, so it seemed to me interesting to have a look at what the results would be with a different rating system. In particular, if I could find data about old races it would possible to compare current drivers with retired ones.

Thanksfully such data exist in a very easy to use form thanks to the guys from the Ergast Developer API. Thumbs up to them ! I've made a small script to retrieve their data and format them as needed by my tool, and in few minutes I had a ranking for all Formula One drivers since 1950. I need to precise how I've used the result of races. Elo ranking works for one-against-one result, while drivers compete several at once per race. I decided, arbitrarily, to convert the results as follow:

These are probably not too silly choices, given that's similar to those choosen by fivethirtyeight.com in their own version of an Elo ranking for Formula One drivers. Some differences are the variable K coefficient, and the set of considered races.

Finally, here comes my totally unofficial Elo ranking of Formula One drivers given the data from 1950-05-13 to 2021-12-24.

Edited on 2023/01/18: I've updated the rankings below with data from 1950-05-13 to 2022-11-26.

RankDriverElo
1rosberg955.038747
2max_verstappen896.407040
3leclerc773.652740
4perez746.982862
5sainz734.601667
6webber692.621424
7russell673.590491
8montoya585.904363
9mansell581.491945
10hakkinen577.974013
11hamilton536.617355
12ascari507.732728
13senna500.728446
14peterson498.886677
15clark476.432621
16lauda473.293738
17norris468.072456
18prost460.357225
19fangio451.900056
20ocon427.106962
21moss414.839891
22rindt407.633922
23stewart379.457164
24farina376.895628
25cevert373.246496
26alonso372.650754
27trips370.888199
28depailler369.755438
29heidfeld356.594357
30hawthorn349.753433
31revson321.692373
32reutemann308.534842
33berger304.403978
34rathmann304.371257
35nannini300.863345
36piquet299.039029
37ward293.050497
38gilles_villeneuve286.093603
39keke_rosberg285.116391
40pironi283.004002
41stroll270.094890
42hanks269.908409
43vettel268.324239
44damon_hill262.666828
45kvyat262.435467
46regazzoni259.147638
47laffite255.426774
48hunt255.386871
49ricciardo254.696944
50goldsmith249.721853
51collins242.346556
52gonzalez240.301500
53maldonado232.728049
54massa232.246400
55taruffi230.265161
56brundle229.279310
57angelis228.706146
58thomson226.225290
59nilsson225.678020
60bruno_senna223.772002
61rebaque223.318872
62gurney220.528310
63donohue220.273870
64branson216.964772
65vergne214.840481
66hulme213.897840
67resta209.220280
68mclaren202.556987
69rodriguez201.401747
70watson200.241238
71bonetto194.390233
72johansson192.808470
73buemi192.607532
74irvine191.587918
75vukovich188.901314
76pace187.558196
77andretti185.229554
78patrese179.991303
79pryce179.329549
80fabi175.784212
81jabouille174.689384
82mario_andretti171.026228
83ruby168.964772
84cross168.402811
85holland168.000000
86hulkenberg167.961477
87musso165.162969
88johnson163.573594
89jones162.756881
90behra161.102778
91michael_schumacher160.049888
92siffert158.944229
93alguersuari157.987125
94coulthard153.626188
95rose152.000000
96mcgrath150.332560
97villeneuve147.200030
98veith145.962542
99blundell145.265958
100wallard143.890271
101flaherty142.204532
102bottas138.232885
103marimon137.877035
104button137.454563
105tingelstad136.964772
106green136.000000
107spence135.098031
108giovinazzi132.975408
109reg_parnell132.152214
110paul_russo129.952193
111menditeguy129.271028
112ginther128.179029
113bandini120.055999
114kling119.229855
115zhou118.024364
116daly115.757223
117villoresi115.750349
118thompson113.481892
119nazaruk112.981482
120darter112.038505
121parkes111.087171
122sweikert108.164301
123castellotti107.606860
124maggs106.824204
125alesi106.160588
126albon106.058571
127herbert105.981316
128amick104.964772
129wurz103.998779
130phil_hill103.537734
131gasly98.983498
132lewis-evans98.895146
133raikkonen98.447273
134allison96.708215
135ralf_schumacher96.318002
136christie95.694958
137pizzonia94.892504
138mairesse93.751446
139cheever92.997489
140jack_brabham92.246791
141linden91.875751
142mieres90.901699
143brooks88.352583
144tambay87.439171
145gendebien87.435307
146homeier84.875992
147george_connor83.987528
148schell83.854729
149beltoise82.782043
150wisell80.758116
151courage78.314368
152donnelly77.953605
153george_amick75.427657
154scarfiotti71.831082
155capelli68.530273
156salvadori68.398033
157oliver67.125814
158tsunoda66.358227
159fairman64.196502
160fischer63.160288
161fagioli62.559886
162miles60.257662
163de_vries59.405192
164diniz59.099293
165ericsson58.901005
166piquet_jr54.937252
167poore53.063825
168hailwood52.366402
169bourdais50.523229
170downing49.481892
171larini48.936108
172davies46.838268
173graffenried44.797343
174pirro44.761001
175lehto43.951490
176gutierrez40.151843
177magnussen37.521586
178teague37.125230
179frentzen36.738718
180zonta36.107020
181barrichello35.371317
182mitter34.972385
183frere33.218090
184ickx31.950644
185trintignant31.015245
186hartley30.273507
187lang27.200671
188binder27.078843
189faulkner26.989296
190jolyon_palmer26.213286
191crockett25.153811
192landi25.113375
193grim24.964772
194fohr24.000000
195bayol22.213196
196matta21.391377
197wendlinger20.828487
198griffith20.015771
199lederle20.003469
200palm19.931089
201giacomelli19.620814
202tornaco18.109044
203broeker16.997782
204hall16.073627
205sanesi15.595239
206ongais15.487478
207hansgen15.305058
208galvez15.122416
209bryan14.894581
210bell14.812652
211stuck14.053101
212agabashian13.863167
213speed13.799251
214simon13.544303
215koinigg13.527088
216dumfries10.495489
217niday9.153811
218templeman8.964772
219suzuki7.743288
220arundell7.058965
221stevenson6.708403
222daigh6.381015
223nakajima6.379414
224peter_walker5.370351
225fisichella5.294274
226posey5.031946
227giunti4.418633
228larreta4.320765
229riess4.202254
230gene3.932610
231williams3.345401
232maglioli3.344978
233ireland1.660046
234graham_whitehead1.481892
235tunmer1.369758
236nasr1.281028
237lewis0.744183
238hahne0.335933
239ganley0.290244
240salo-0.178587
241modena-0.337850
242baghetti-1.676485
243sommer-1.810189
244cesaris-2.493434
245reece-3.645973
246barbazza-4.150786
247ball-5.490187
248surer-5.730437
249takahashi-5.839494
250hurtubise-7.035228
251flockhart-7.204677
252hellings-8.000000
253alliot-8.059955
254gavin-8.549198
255brise-9.311741
256wacker-9.631153
257stacey-9.654202
258whitehead-10.036317
259shawe_taylor-10.629649
260ulmen-11.797746
261kevin_magnussen-12.227701
262ricardo_rodriguez-13.373729
263bellof-14.622824
264boutsen-14.752979
265pagani-15.047098
266adamich-15.097672
267boullion-15.246756
268harrison-16.000000
269emerson_fittipaldi-16.081849
270penske-16.697141
271gethin-16.952796
272gardner-17.379120
273sparken-17.811551
274chaboud-18.236869
275rigsby-18.777710
276raby-20.335374
277larson-20.572343
278terra-20.799329
279nuckey-20.805158
280ruttman-20.836781
281stohr-21.069262
282takahara-21.243913
283jarier-21.276687
284schroeder-21.895040
285morbidelli-22.172032
286belso-22.500702
287cantoni-22.886625
288rees-23.451052
289rahal-23.877045
290hesnault-25.871916
291mantovani-26.035694
292quester-26.661622
293wharton-26.824546
294mick_schumacher-26.870606
295turner-26.874770
296laurent-27.096070
297halford-27.171567
298amon-27.667859
299bonomi-27.679235
300hawkins-27.776644
301niedermayr-27.797746
302beauman-27.982230
303johnstone-27.996531
304oscar_gonzalez-28.039620
305burti-28.143630
306redman-28.543173
307schlesser-29.728374
308perdisa-30.250534
309klerk-30.335531
310ryan-30.416115
311serrurier-30.999928
312may-31.318831
313ahrens-31.664067
314irwin-31.782314
315davis-32.090179
316fitch-32.096663
317john_barber-32.877584
318piper-32.990913
319scheckter-33.537030
320foitek-33.876085
321nalon-34.385317
322blanchard-34.770377
323james-34.777710
324henton-36.058880
325swaters-36.601390
326scherrer-36.799329
327helfrich-36.805158
328merzario-37.115699
329tomaso-37.419990
330forberg-37.490187
331hoyt-37.607553
332hoshino-37.839494
333lagorce-37.923735
334papis-38.370545
335piotti-39.025459
336brendon_hartley-39.191544
337poele-39.359569
338ramos-40.153305
339drogo-40.277126
340hoffmann-40.406696
341zorzi-41.269805
342aitken-41.407058
343drake-41.618985
344bristow-41.654202
345zanardi-42.069932
346pieterse-43.996531
347magee-44.068911
348panis-45.360658
349trevor_taylor-45.604323
350flinterman-45.756206
351barth-45.775006
352godia-46.968410
353blokdyk-46.999928
354kovalainen-47.052740
355hobbs-47.803614
356hampshire-48.000000
357lovely-48.086567
358leclere-48.092210
359rol-48.521241
360ide-48.602803
361fisher-48.707415
362crawford-48.878934
363parnell-49.314914
364fittipaldi-49.317233
365streiff-49.320122
366schindler-50.777710
367fontana-50.835040
368elford-51.236535
369cabianca-51.368547
370geki-51.984312
371shelby-52.177178
372crossley-52.341474
373cheesbourg-52.572343
374bondurant-52.710134
375lennep-53.139814
376hasemi-53.243913
377bussinello-53.596723
378collomb-54.309929
379settember-54.381832
380cabral-54.804280
381sachs-55.035228
382lees-55.394393
383gaillard-55.965280
384lawrence-56.028556
385portago-57.562424
386volonterio-57.838290
387baldi-58.701214
388prophet-58.963698
389barber-58.968054
390orey-59.142294
391kessel-59.295904
392klien-59.769666
393klenk-59.797746
394marr-59.982230
395daponte-60.766316
396martini-61.121397
397bueno-61.215917
398connor-62.351302
399ratzenberger-62.600260
400chiron-62.789572
401vandoorne-63.108485
402filippis-63.297292
403moser-63.325450
404fry-64.000000
405Cannoc-64.187788
406ian_scheckter-64.868122
407nicholson-65.289922
408doornbos-65.478616
409comas-65.932767
410walter-66.390176
411acheson-66.852029
412sullivan-67.045389
413keizan-67.383050
414petrov-67.724153
415etancelin-67.883120
416palmer-67.883379
417evans-68.468174
418attwood-68.474884
419krause-68.805158
420lunger-69.317938
421pollet-69.626203
422bettenhausen-69.807077
423corrado_fabi-70.100078
424marko-70.514512
425danner-70.606491
426gamble-72.277126
427brown-72.680211
428lavaggi-72.752939
429tingle-73.457644
430ashdown-73.654202
431la_caze-74.164756
432daywalt-74.706165
433caffi-74.850635
434estefano-75.679235
435hans_stuck-75.769529
436thorne-75.982230
437taylor-76.202677
438duncan_hamilton-76.370721
439greene-77.037254
440freeland-77.237046
441warwick-77.305033
442comotti-77.520948
443bira-77.673774
444legat-77.890956
445niemann-78.999928
446love-79.102786
447deletraz-79.118346
448mccoy-79.234585
449bailey-80.471158
450neve-80.489733
451toshio_suzuki-80.641479
452morgan-81.289922
453pirocchi-81.314914
454parsons-81.485247
455scarlatti-81.496543
456enge-81.631664
457mazet-81.805902
458chamberlain-82.525116
459gerini-82.692477
460mcnish-83.339338
461vaccarella-83.897078
462purley-84.520770
463grosjean-84.533427
464gartner-84.991635
465anderson-85.291482
466levegh-86.151181
467naylor-86.246618
468tuero-87.009644
469schneider-87.564349
470sutil-87.835949
471cecotto-89.369806
472hirt-90.036553
473guelfi-90.164756
474naspetti-90.425873
475manzon-90.593742
476larrauri-92.133779
477garrett-93.014658
478herrmann-93.403611
479obrien-93.890956
480bianco-94.518108
481mcalpine-95.919241
482barilla-96.008592
483hill-96.009187
484beretta-96.070369
485sharp-97.475097
486arnold-98.246405
487ashmore-98.258043
488henry_taylor-98.457633
489solana-100.294950
490tolan-100.572343
491surtees-101.386419
492weiler-103.035228
493pilette-103.285725
494beaufort-103.378395
495walt_brown-104.000000
496gregory-104.082120
497pietro_fittipaldi-104.388018
498rothengatter-105.655454
499montermini-106.183347
500brambilla-106.814828
501alboreto-106.878007
502manfred_winkelhock-106.979938
503ribeiro-107.259765
504campos-107.870031
505ashley-108.305630
506adams-108.657100
507gugelmin-109.237314
508gaze-109.890956
509keller-111.786340
510beuttler-113.112223
511bernoldi-113.441890
512schenken-113.754566
513guy_mairesse-115.384356
514macklin-115.388257
515serra-115.599409
516firman-115.999894
517opel-117.614250
518weyant-118.657719
519bianchi-119.003281
520bucknum-119.578447
521webb-120.000000
522boyd-120.242865
523schuppan-121.102687
524keegan-121.199762
525munaron-121.468728
526kobayashi-121.843258
527gerard-122.556512
528zunino-122.998625
529foyt-123.966449
530gould-126.587455
531ayulo-126.698791
532burgess-127.258167
533campbell-jones-127.415035
534andre_pilette-128.527303
535mantz-130.385317
536branca-130.566100
537salazar-130.885204
538sala-132.529070
539villota-132.630084
540rossi-133.987156
541satoru_nakajima-135.034252
542russo-135.035228
543mass-135.921090
544klodwig-137.230718
545inoue-137.864712
546robarts-139.105041
547eaton-140.724899
548bernard-141.467509
549ertl-141.758697
550perkins-142.027365
551grouillard-142.125953
552banks-142.184584
553crook-142.518108
554follmer-142.536086
555davidson-143.069623
556borgudd-144.629169
557ligier-146.536160
558bob_scott-147.173394
559tarquini-147.394810
560montagny-147.621520
561bonnier-150.429152
562wilson-150.953862
563marsh-151.448039
564ader-152.000000
565nakano-154.027439
566pantano-154.070195
567rosset-154.249897
568berg-154.285646
569rosier-159.483518
570pesenti_rossi-160.822671
571charlton-164.811304
572latifi-164.922215
573wehrlein-165.871838
574guerrero-166.880850
575force-167.035228
576belmondo-167.505795
577yoong-167.783246
578holmes-168.000000
579garde-168.803667
580brandon-169.272487
581ghinzani-169.724411
582pic-169.842716
583monteiro-169.972450
584bueb-172.497278
585fonder-172.534765
586galli-174.371660
587schiattarella-175.143943
588migault-176.408494
589takagi-176.738193
590dinsmore-177.437922
591boesel-178.269841
592stommelen-178.675139
593cabantous-181.006968
594moreno-188.193459
595friesacher-189.522327
596claes-190.372695
597katayama-191.906575
598gounon-192.167202
599dick_rathmann-192.175925
600wilson_fittipaldi-193.702988
601gachot-194.375590
602alan_brown-198.557906
603sutton-199.035228
604kiesa-200.021082
605lamy-200.472695
606dalmas-201.293082
607walker-201.359846
608glock-202.296769
609seidel-203.246315
610sato-204.684654
611ambrosio-205.166608
612mazzacane-205.949669
613badoer-208.877593
614mcdowell-210.114139
615merhi-210.173401
616pescarolo-212.142070
617grassi-214.011555
618brabham-215.100851
619mcwithey-217.106367
620kubica-219.938392
621arnoux-226.320019
622jules_bianchi-226.893227
623marques-228.200443
624haryanto-234.287370
625edwards-236.385254
626sirotkin-237.446342
627lammers-239.191333
628lombardi-239.661757
629dempsey_wilson-247.035228
630herman-247.268731
631albers-247.301970
632chandhok-251.470438
633stevens-257.371583
634trulli-257.427591
635verstappen-257.531492
636baumgartner-268.250733
637fabre-278.467667
638bruni-289.409774
639chilton-295.912622
640mazepin-313.834606
641rosa-334.538773
642yamamoto-389.224921
643liuzzi-396.697894
644karthikeyan-432.461871

2021-12-26
in All, Pub talk,
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