WATCH: Why Jolyon Palmer thinks Sainz may lead the F1 field when it comes to strong race craft

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While mastering skills like braking, cornering and driving in wet conditions are all vital for any F1 driver, these abilities must combine with good race craft to achieve a successful result. Race craft involves elements like starting the race well, managing pit stops and having strong wheel-to-wheel prowess.

Handling these aspects of the race efficiently can help a driver to gain – or, if it backfires, lose – crucial time. So how does this all come together? Well, each driver has their own preferences, strengths and weaknesses when it comes to race craft, as Jolyon Palmer explains in the final episode of Racing ID, the F1 TV series taking a deep dive into the skills of a Formula 1 driver.

WATCH: The challenge of wet weather driving and how Verstappen and Norris take an ‘unconventional’ approach

Palmer jumps into the simulator to show what can go wrong with poor race craft, before looking at the drivers who particularly excel in certain areas – what, for example, makes Sergio Perez so good at managing tyre degradation, and who might need to improve at this?

Racing ID: Palmer dissects the driving styles of the 2024 F1 grid

When it comes to all-round race craft, Palmer explains why he views Carlos Sainz as potentially the “strongest racer in the field” in this area. He also looks at the different approaches of several drivers on the grid, with a particular contrast between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.

WATCH: The inside of story of how a ‘regenerated’ Raikkonen made his surprise return to F1

Others in the field appear to have changed their race craft over the years, as Palmer assesses how Daniel Ricciardo’s overtaking style now looks very different to his Red Bull days, before demonstrating why Max Verstappen’s race starts vary depending on his grid position.

And stay tuned to the end for Palmer’s take on Yuki Tsunoda and Logan Sargeant amongst others, and catch Pierre Gasly’s memorable quote about his own driving style.

Watch the latest episode of Racing ID on F1 TV by clicking here. You can also find every episode of the series so far by clicking here.

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