Top 5 Most Aggressive F1 Drivers in 2024

There are many F1 driving styles in 2024, and I have analysed all of them. In my research, I found the 5 most aggressive F1 drivers. While most F1 drivers have the same smooth style, these drivers are more active with their inputs. They tend to micro-correct the steering more than others and modulate the pedals aggressively. Although these drivers prefer to stay on the limit through aggressive inputs, their cornering styles are quite different. Let’s explore the first driver’s driving style. 

5. Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso is a highly experienced F1 driver with over 390 Grand Prix entries. This allowed him to craft his driving style to suit the cars that he drove. He used to, and still prefers a more understeery setup with a strong rear end. This allows him to be more aggressive on the steering and brakes to maximise the grip limit. 

Here is a breakdown of his cornering style. 

On entry, he turns in early and brakes later than others thanks to his stable rear. He carries lots of speed into the corners with the safety net of a strong rear end. Mid-corner, he microcorrects the steering and trailbrakes to keep the car on the grip limit. On exit, he can accelerate faster with the stability of a strong rear end. Overall, he carries lots of speed throughout the corner, with the safety net of a stable rear.

Alonso also has a good feeling for the limit of the front tyres, and micro-corrects the steering more than others. This would lead us to think that he is being slightly aggressive to get the most out of the front tyres. Overall, when Alonso’s feel for the grip limit and a stable rear end is put together, he is undoubtedly a fast F1 driver.

4. Charles Leclerc

Charles Leclerc is known for being a fast qualifier, with a good one-lap pace. He prefers a more oversteery setup with a strong front end. This allows him to rotate the car easily without much trailbraking into the corner. He is also aggressive, in that he tends to micro-correct the steering throughout the corner more than others. 

Here is a breakdown of his cornering style.

On entry, he brakes early and turns in early to carry lots of speed into the corner. His delicate, yet precise inputs allow him to tame the oversteer caused by a strong front end. Mid-corner, he microcorrects the steering, dancing the car around to stay on the grip limit. Basically, he pivots the car on the front axle, sliding the rears slightly more than the fronts. On exit, he also microcorrects as he gets onto the throttle quickly. Not to mention that his line is more aggressive than his teammate, Sainz. Sainz takes a wider line, whereas Leclerc has a slightly sharper line. Overall, Leclerc makes more micro-corrections than others in order to stay on the grip limit.

This style allows him to extract the most out of the car over a single lap. The reason being, is that he is closer to the limit, sometimes going a bit over. This aggression is harsh on the tyres over a race, so he adapts his race style to be smoother. Overall, Leclerc is a relatively aggressive driver who specialises in one-lap qualifying performances.

3. Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton is a 7-time world champion who has adapted his driving style to suit the unique behaviours of the cars over time. In the early 2000s he was aggressive at the wheel, trying to squeeze the most out of an understeery car. This has carried on to his preferences in car setup in 2024. He prefers a more neutral car setup with a slight inclination towards a strong rear end. This allows him to be more aggressive and carry speed into corners with the stability of a strong rear.

Here is a breakdown of his cornering style.

On entry, he brakes hard and late, trailbraking deep into the corner. This allows him to turn in early, rotating the car before anyone else. During the mid-corner, he also modulates the brake pedal to induce more rotation out of the car. His precise brake application allows him to stay on the limit of grip under braking. Further, he carries lots of mid-corner speed to get the most out of the stable rear end. On exit, the rear downforce created by the speed he carries mid-corner creates more grip for earlier acceleration.

Other than the practical aspects of his driving style, he also has an insane feel for the limit under braking. Grip levels fall off as the downforce falls off, meaning that drivers have to release the brake slowly to stay on the grip limit. Lewis is one of the best in terms of feeling this reduction in grip. When driving, he can feel the movement of the rear tyres through his seat, giving him more information points to drive on the limit. In addition, his innate feel of the steering wheel can tell him when the front tyres are about to reach the limit. This allows him to recognise the limits of the tyres before locking up and ease the pedal accordingly. 

Overall, Hamilton’s feel for the limit under braking allows him to drive on the limit better than others.

2. Daniel Ricciardo

Daniel Ricciardo is well-known for his late braking overtakes and brave moves. His driving style shows a few similarities to his bravery and aggression. However, he had to adapt his style to the modern F1 cars after his aggressive Red Bull era. Ricciardo prefers a more oversteery car balance with a strong front end. The oversteer helps him rotate the car mid-corner, without having to trailbrake much and overslow the car.

Here is a breakdown of his cornering style.

On corner entry, he brakes early and turns in gradually to keep the car balanced. This allows him to carry lots of speed through the mid-corner, as the car has a stable platform. The oversteery setup allows him to turn the car easily without trailbraking much. Mid-corner, he trails the brakes less than others, as the oversteery car rotates easily. He micro-corrects the steering often, to stay on the grip limit. On exit, due to the stable platform mid-corner, he gets onto the throttle earlier. However, this makes him run out wide if the car is too understeery mid-corner. Hence why his aggressive style needs an oversteery setup. Basically, Ricciardo takes a wide line through corners with the confidence of a strong front end to rotate the car. 

Overall, Ricciardo’s style is aggressive as he actively balances the oversteery car by inducing understeer.

1. Kevin Magnussen

Kevin Magnussen is known as a late-braker, who is slightly more on the side of aggression than smoothness. The Haas has been known to prefer a more V-shaped line, and Magnussen has struggled to adapt to it. He prefers to take a U-shaped line, indicative of his inclination towards a strong rear end. The strong rear end makes the car more stable, allowing for aggressive inputs. Therefore, he can carry lots of mid-corner speed while having the safety net of a stable rear.

Here is a breakdown of his cornering style.

On corner entry, he brakes late and deep into the corner, similarly to Hamilton. He likes to carry lots of speed into the corners, hence his need for a stable rear. Mid-corner, he micro-corrects the steering in order to use the fronts’ grip limit. Further, he trailbrakes more mid-corner to induce rotation out of the understeery setup. This allows him to carry lots of speed mid-corner while staying on the grip limit. On exit, he can get on the throttle earlier due to the stable rear end. Further, the rear downforce created by his mid-corner speed gives him more stability under acceleration. 

Basically, Magnussen likes to aggressively induce the rotation himself, with the stability of an understeery setup.

So there you have it, the most aggressive F1 drivers in an era where aggression is not always the fastest.