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It's an old notion that in F1 results are directly dependent on the car underneath the driver. It's safe to say that in the current ecosystem if one has to fight for wins or podiums with regularity, you have to be a part of one of the top four teams.
If you do not drive for a Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, or Mercedes, you're probably not going to secure a podium, a pole position, or a win. More often than not, strong drivers end up securing these top seats in F1, and these teams would house some of the best talents in the sport. Having said that, it's not something that always happens.
There are drivers who just don't get the opportunity to show what they can do in a car that could consistently fight at the sharp end of the grid. There are a few drivers on the current grid who also deserve this opportunity. Who are they? Let's take a look.
#1 Nico Hulkenberg (Haas F1)
If someone had told you in 2010 that Nico Hulkenberg would not get an opportunity to drive for one of the top teams in Formula 1, then it would have been shocking. The driver had a pole position to his name in his very first season. Not only that, in his second season, he almost won a race in a Force India (2012 F1 Brazilian GP).
Nico was severely compromised by either not being associated with a driver academy or just the sport's major problem at the time of not having a minimum driver weight in place.
Hulkenberg has in the past been linked with Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari, but unfortunately, neither of those contracts came together. The driver will be an Audi driver soon, but his career is close to coming to an end. One just has to hope that he gets the opportunity to drive a podium-contending car at some point.
#2 Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
It's almost cruel to understand the fact that Carlos Sainz would be driving for Williams next season after being a strong performer for Ferrari all these years. If it were any other driver but Lewis Hamilton, one could have said that the Italian team had made the wrong call.
Having said that, it does appear that a Charles Leclerc-Lewis Hamilton lineup is what Ferrari wanted. In his stint with the Italian team, Carlos Sainz has proved that he deserves to be in one of the top teams even though he might not get the opportunity to do so soon.
#3 Esteban Ocon (Alpine F1)
Esteban Ocon will be a Haas driver in 2025, and it's safe to say that he's not fighting for a podium, a win, or a championship anytime soon in that car. Ocon's conduct as a teammate has been blown out of proportion sometimes, but there's one thing that's undeniable, he's a brilliant driver and will get you results in the right car.
He already has a win and a couple of podiums to his name in F1. He has taken on teammates like Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso and look out of place alongside them.
With that being said, the driver has never had the opportunity to drive for one of the top teams, and it would be interesting to see if he could get it some time and show how good he can be.
