Mid season team and driver ratings: Mercedes

As the summer break arrives, it seems to be a good time to grade the drivers and teams for their seasons so far. Today we'll start with Mercedes, and their drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas.

Lewis Hamilton: 8 wins, 250 points, 1st in standings, Grade: A

A pretty simple one this, Lewis Hamilton has been simply brilliant once again this year and he looks well set to take yet another world title as he continues to dominate the sport. Six wins in the first eight races really set the tone, and although he had a coulpe of off days in Austria and Germany, the Brit reminded us what he is capable of last time out in Hungary as he chased down Max Verstappen to take a superb win. The 34-year old shows no sign of stopping any time soon

Valtteri Bottas: 2 wins, 188 points, 2nd in standings, Grade: B

Perhaps it's a case of what could've been for Valtteri Bottas. Two wins in the first four races had him topping the standings, but since then he hasn't quite been the same. Difficult races in Canada and Hungary, joint with an unforced error costing him 18 points in Germany have put him on the back foot, and now his future at Mercedes is in doubt. Still, it's tough to compete with Hamilton and not many have managed it, so he still gets a B from us.

Mercedes: 10 wins, 438 points, 1st in standings, Grade: A

A near flawless season for Mercedes, who have won all but two races. Their strategy has come out on top in so many situations, msot notably Hamilton's different and unfancied strategies in Monaco and Hungary, two races he won. The only blemish on their season was in Germany, where they only managed to pick up two points, but with a 150 point lead over Ferrari, it would be the biggest implosion in sporting history if they were to fail to win a sixth consecutive constructors' title, which would be a record.