Category: F1 2025

Canadian Grand Prix – Driver Rating

Canadian Grand Prix, Sonntag, LAT Images

George Russell fantastically won the Canadian Grand Prix, never being troubled by the chasing pack as he took his and Mercedes’ first win of 2025. He was closely chased by Max Verstappen, but the Dutchman was more focused on watching his mirrors than attacking Russell. Behind the McLarens were recovering after an off-qualifying session which left them 3rd and 7th, but would come together in the closing laps to see their Championship lead reduced for the first time this year. Overall, it was an exciting race, with the strategies creating a nice offset that concertinaed the pack towards the end. I’m running out of time to write this (FP1 of the Austrian Grand Prix is less than 12 hours away) so let’s get into it.

George Russell – 8.8

George took a great pole on Saturday and led the whole way on Sunday, it was a great drive, just as talk is building about his future at Mercedes with the Verstappen link not going away. George has arguably been the driver of the season and this victory was thoroughly deserved.

Max Verstappen – 8.5

A typical Verstappen drive, didn’t have the fastest car but maximised the result. He held off Antonelli around the pit stops to solidify 2nd and ran quite a quiet race to the chequered flag. This level of consistency is what makes Max, Max.

Kimi Antonelli – 8.7

Antonelli became the 3rd youngest podium finisher in F1 history with a fantastic drive. He overtook the championship leader at Turn 1, threatened Verstappen around the pit stops and was holding on well in front of massive pressure from the McLarens in the closing stages. He earned this podium!

Oscar Piastri – 7.6

A slightly off weekend for the whole McLaren team in Montreal. Oscar qualified well to take 3rd but couldn’t hold on at the first corner and couldn’t pressure Antonelli in front to create an overtaking opportunity. His teammate who started 7th was able to catch him by the end of the race and should have passed, but we will get to Lando.

Charles Leclerc – 7.5

Another tricky weekend for Ferrari as the car just isn’t gelling at the moment. The upgrades don’t seem to be having the desired effect either. Charles found himself in no-mans land in fifth, but not as much as his teammate.

Lewis Hamilton – 7.5

Too many times this season have we found Lewis in the middle of nowhere mid-race. This time it was due to damage he picked up on Lap 13 after hitting a groundhog. He was driving well before that, keeping up with the leaders. This damage was costing him 1/4 second a lap which left him on his own for much of the race.

Fernando Alonso – 8.1

Points are like London buses for Fernando this season, wait ages for one and suddenly they come thick and fast. It was a great drive from Fernando to take best of the rest.

Nico Hulkenberg – 8.4

A great drive from Hulkenberg, took advantage of some first lap swabbles to get into position to score points and did well to keep them. Dragging this Sauber into the points is a great achievement and Nico has the experience and skill to do that.

Esteban Ocon – 7.9

A great drive from Ocon and a great strategy from Haas helped get the Frenchman into the points in Montreal. Starting behind his teammate, Ocon was able to move up the field and take his first points since Monaco.

Carlos Sainz – 7.9

Sainz recovered after a horror Spanish Grand Prix to take a point in Montreal. A nice dive down the inside of Bortoleto was a highlight after staring 16th.

Ollie Bearman – 7.3

Ollie just missed out on points in Montreal and would be disappointed to be beaten by his teammate but a solid performance from the team.

Yuki Tsunoda – 6.9

Yuki received a 10-place penalty in practice for overtaking under red flags, so he started from the back. He battled back but wasn’t able to get into the points. His performances are starting to go backwards again.

Franco Colapinto – 7.1

Franco beat his teammate in Canada, which is always a plus for him to maintain a positive reputation within the team. He didn’t trouble the points but the car isn’t really in that fight at the moment.

Gabriel Bortoleto – 7.2

Bortoleto is doing a decent job but being outperformed by his teammate more regularly, or at least Nico is getting the stand out performance from this car. Gabriel is in the fight though and building confidence.

Pierre Gasly – 6.9

An off weekend for Pierre. He was always towards the back and got in a few scuffles, notably with Lance Stroll. Beaten by his teammate that doesn’t happen very often.

Isack Hadjar – 6.1

Isack’s worst race in a long time. The Racing Bull didn’t look quick at all in Montreal and Isack got penalised as well for impeding in qualifying. He made it into Q3 but went backwards from there.

Lance Stroll – 6.5

I think Lance’s 10 second penalty was harsh, he did drift wide and Gasly dipped onto the grass but is that really worth 10 seconds? I think Pierre bought that a bit. Last on the road for his home race isn’t the result he wanted and probably didn’t reflect his actual pace, especially after coming back from wrist surgery.

Lando Norris – 5.5

Lando, Lando, Lando. A dodgy Q3 put him into the pack and he did really well to fight back in the race until a lack of judgement when overtaking his teammate cost him dearly. He looked for a gap that wasn’t going to open in time, when he probably would have got past around the outside of Turn 1. It was clumsy collision with the wall that cost him 10 points. Points that he needs.

Liam Lawson – 4.5

Lawson started in the pit lane after his team made lots of changes to his car post Quali. His race didn’t get much better as he retired early after not making any impression on the field.

Alex Albon – 5.9

Another tricky one for Alex, having qualified in the top ten, he was running well after getting pushed off the track on the first lap, which may have led to the issues that caused his retirement. The weekend started so promisingly but didn’t translate for Albon.

Spanish Grand Prix Driver Ratings

BARCELONA, SPAIN - JUNE 01: Race winner Oscar Piastri of Australia driving the (81) McLaren MCL39 Mercedes takes the chequered flag to cheers from his team on the pit wall during the F1 Grand Prix of Spain at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on June 01, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Sam Bagnall/Sutton Images)

The Spanish Grand Prix delivered a thrilling race filled with drama, strategy, and much controversy. Oscar Piastri led a McLaren one-two in the glorious sunshine, while Max Verstappen’s late-race antics stole most of the headlines. The fight at the front was relatively calm, with the two McLaren’s being slightly too quick for Max, while the Mercedes and Ferrari’s battled it out between themselves for the rest of the big points. Behind, there was some great action, in particular into Turn 1 and even some lovely moves around the outside at Turn 3. The safety car caused by Antonelli’s retirement caused even more drama: some good, some bad. Big shout out to Nico Hulkenberg for a fantastic 5th place after Verstappen’s penalty. A lot has already been said about his move, and all I can really add is – Are we really that surprised?

Oscar Piastri

Piastri continued his fantastic form this season, leading from pole and building a solid lead in the first stint. Despite a late safety car, he managed the restart perfectly and secured a comfortable victory. His calm and consistent driving under pressure is becoming a hallmark of his season.
Rating: 8.8

Lando Norris

Norris didn’t get the best start but eventually overtook Verstappen to secure second place. While he couldn’t close the gap to Piastri, his performance was solid and crucial for McLaren’s constructor championship lead.
Rating: 8.3

Charles Leclerc

Leclerc made the most of a late safety car to snatch third place. He was stuck behind his teammate early on, but once free, he capitalised on Verstappen and Red Bull’s mistakes to secure a podium finish.
Rating: 8.5

George Russell

Russell had a quiet race until the safety car restart, when he was the other half of Verstappen’s dodge-um attempt. While his initial move at Turn 1 was valid, Verstappen’s retaliation overshadowed Russell’s solid fourth-place finish.
Rating: 8.0

Nico Hulkenberg

Hulkenberg was the driver of the day, climbing from 15th to fifth with a series of impressive overtakes. His two-stop strategy and tire management were flawless, marking one of his best performances in years.
Rating: 9.3

Lewis Hamilton

Hamilton struggled for pace throughout the race, dropping back after a strong start. He was overtaken by Hulkenberg late in the race, highlighting another challenging weekend for the seven-time champion.
Rating: 7.1

Isack Hadjar

Hadjar continued his impressive rookie season with another points finish. His consistency is keeping Racing Bulls in the midfield fight, and he’s quickly becoming rookie of the year.
Rating: 8.5

Pierre Gasly

Gasly had a positive weekend, qualifying in Q3 and finishing eighth. When the Alpine works, Gasly is a force in the midfield, and this race was a much-needed boost for the team.
Rating: 8.5

Fernando Alonso

Alonso finally scored points in 2025 after a series of retirements. His creative overtakes and determination were on full display, earning him a well-deserved ninth place at his home race.
Rating: 8.0

Max Verstappen

Verstappen’s race ended in controversy after a promising start. The three-stop strategy backfired with the late safety car, and his frustration boiled over with a deliberate collision with Russell. A ten-second penalty was lenient for such dangerous driving, I think other drivers get disqualified for that.
Rating: 1.0

Liam Lawson

Lawson had another solid weekend, narrowly missing out on points. He’s showing progress, which is crucial as he battles to establish himself in Racing Bulls and to extend his F1 career, which was faltering.
Rating: 7.8

Gabriel Bortoletto

Bortoletto was unlucky with the late safety car but showed promise throughout the race. He outqualified his teammate and was in the mix for points, marking a step forward.
Rating: 7.6

Yuki Tsunoda

Tsunoda had a weekend to forget, qualifying last and finishing 13th. His struggles highlighted Red Bull’s ongoing issues with their second seat.
Rating: 4.5

Carlos Sainz

Sainz endured a tough weekend, struggling for pace and finishing 15th. Williams’ track-specific issues were evident, and Sainz will be hoping for a better showing next time.
Rating: 5.1

Franco Colapinto

Colapinto had a quiet race, was knocked out in Q1 and finished 15th. It was a weekend to forget for the Argentinian driver.
Rating: 5.1

Esteban Ocon

Ocon was invisible for most of the race, finishing 16th. It was a disappointing weekend for the Frenchman.
Rating: 5.1

Ollie Bearman

Bearman outqualified his teammate but struggled in the race, finishing 17th. It was a tough weekend for Haas overall.
Rating: 5.4

Kimi Antonelli

Antonelli retired with an engine issue but showed promise earlier in the race. His qualifying performance was a highlight, but his season has stalled slightly with a few mistakes and reliability issues.
Rating: 7.4

Alex Albon

Albon had a weekend to forget, retiring after multiple collisions and penalties. His qualifying performance was the only positive.
Rating: 5.5

Lance Stroll

Stroll did not start the race due to wrist pain so I’m not going to score him. It feels harsh if you retire due to injury.
Rating: N/A

The Spanish Grand Prix showcased McLaren’s dominance and the unpredictability of Formula 1. With Piastri extending his championship lead and Verstappen’s antics under scrutiny, the season continues to deliver excitement. Next up, the Canadian Grand Prix promises more thrills and drama.

Monaco Grand Prix Driver Ratings

MONTE-CARLO, MONACO - MAY 25: Race winner Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren and Third placed Oscar Piastri of Australia and McLaren celebrate on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco on May 25, 2025 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX ***

The Monaco harbour was basked in its usual summer glow as Lando Norris won his maiden Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday, but the action didn’t reflect the glorious setting. Formula 1 tried a different tactic to spice up the racing at Monaco, however, their mandatory two-stop rule only seemed to highlight that Formula 1 has outgrown Monaco and there isn’t anything they can do to fix their biggest issue. You just can’t overtake.

I liked the idea of F1 trying something different at Monaco as the traditional one-stop, track-position-is-king, procession has gotten very old. It came to a head in 2024 as a first lap red flag gave everyone the chance to conduct their mandatory tyre swap, all going onto the hards and going to the end. Ive watched pretty much every race since 1970 and this was the worst boring, by far.

Unfortunately, despite the chaos that the mandatory two-stop brought, it wasn’t the right chaos and didn’t fix the age-old problem for Monaco. The top 10 largely finished where they started, with the only actual overtake happening on track, on the last lap, as Stroll went around the outside of Hulkenberg.

Best to just get on with the ratings as we don’t need to review pit stops and Trulli trains (sorry Jarno)

Lando Norris

Lando Norris was the star of the weekend, securing a brilliant pole position and executing a calm, controlled race to take the win. His only misstep was a double lock-up into Turn 1, but he got away with it. Norris held off Charles Leclerc under pressure, showcasing his maturity and skill on the most demanding circuit of the season.
Rating: 8.8

Charles Leclerc

Charles Leclerc was in the hunt for victory all afternoon, staying within four to five seconds of Norris but unable to find a way past on Monaco’s tight streets. A strong qualifying performance put him on the front row, and Ferrari looked quicker than expected. A solid drive, but just shy of the top step.
Rating: 8.7

Oscar Piastri

Oscar Piastri claimed his second podium of the season with a solid third-place finish. He was a couple of tenths off Norris all weekend and looked a bit scruffy at times, which is uncharacteristic for the Australian. Still, he continues his impressive run of scoring points in every race this season.
Rating: 7.9

Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen and Red Bull were a couple of tenths off the pace all weekend, which was expected given the circuit’s characteristics. Verstappen hung around in fourth, hoping for a red flag or safety car that never came. A relatively quiet weekend by his high standards.
Rating: 7.5

Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton was one of the few drivers to make progress on Sunday. Starting seventh after a qualifying penalty, he used the overcut to jump Esteban Ocon and Isaac Hadjar in the pits. However, he was stuck in no man’s land for much of the race, too quick for the cars behind but too far back to challenge the leaders.
Rating: 7.7

Isaac Hadjar

Isaac Hadjar had another strong weekend, qualifying sixth and starting fifth after Hamilton’s penalty. His team used strategy effectively, with Liam Lawson holding up the field to help Hadjar build a gap. A well-executed race earned him a solid sixth place.
Rating: 8.1

Esteban Ocon

Esteban Ocon delivered an understated but impressive performance. He qualified seventh and finished seventh, rarely seen during the race but consistently quick. A great weekend for Ocon that went somewhat unnoticed.
Rating: 7.9

Liam Lawson

Liam Lawson played the team game early on, sacrificing his strategy to help Hadjar. He qualified ninth and finished eighth, earning solid points. A welcome result for Lawson, who showed both speed and teamwork.
Rating: 7.7

Alex Albon

Alex Albon qualified ninth and finished ninth, playing the team game with Williams. He was cheekily overtaken by George Russell when he deliberately skipped the Novelle chicane, and would receive a penalty. Albon’s two points were well-earned in a tricky race.
Rating: 7.0

Carlos Sainz

Carlos Sainz had a similar race to Albon, qualifying eleventh and finishing tenth. He initially let Albon ahead to play the team game, then swapped back to secure a point. A solid drive, but missing Q3 limited his potential.
Rating: 7.3

George Russell

George Russell had a disappointing weekend, retiring in qualifying due to an electrical issue and starting fourteenth. He made up positions to finish eleventh but was stuck in the Monaco train for most of the race. Mercedes missed a trick by not splitting strategies and he was rightly penalised for intentionally skipping the chicane to pass Albon in hope of improving his position.
Rating: 6.2

Ollie Bearman

Ollie Bearman qualified last and finished twelfth, stuck in the Monaco train for the entire race. A tough weekend with little opportunity to make progress, but took advantage of the Lap 1 virtual safety car to gain a pit stop over most of the midfield.
Rating: 6.0

Franco Colapinto

Franco Colapinto pitted early to gain track position but was also stuck in the Monaco train. He finished thirteenth in a race where overtaking was nearly impossible.
Rating: 6.0

Gabriel Bortoleto

Gabriel Bortoleto recovered well after a first-lap crash, pitting under the virtual safety car to gain time. He finished fourteenth, ahead of his teammate, in a race where his crash ironically helped his strategy.
Rating: 6.5

Lance Stroll

Lance Stroll made one of the few overtakes of the race, passing Hulkenberg around the outside at the Nouvelle Chicane on the final lap. A small but impressive moment in an otherwise uneventful race.
Rating: 6.8

Nico Hulkenberg

Nico Hulkenberg was unlucky with strategy, pitting early and dropping back to fifteenth. A decent qualifying session was the highlight of his weekend.
Rating: 7.2

Yuki Tsunoda

Yuki Tsunoda was involved in an early crash with Pierre Gasly, which left him with significant car damage. He finished seventeenth, stuck in traffic and unable to make progress.
Rating: 5.5

Kimi Antonelli

Kimi Antonelli crashed in qualifying and started near the back. He was stuck in the Monaco train all race, finishing eighteenth in a disappointing weekend for Mercedes.
Rating: 5.2

Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso’s unlucky streak continued, retiring from sixth place due to an engine failure. He was on course for his first points of the season before the issue struck.
Rating: 7.7

Pierre Gasly

Pierre Gasly’s weekend was ruined by a brake issue that caused him to crash into Tsunoda on the first lap. He retired early, making it impossible to grade his performance fairly.
Rating: 5.2

Overview

The Monaco Grand Prix once again highlighted the challenges of overtaking on the tight, twisting streets of the principality. While the mandatory two-stop strategy added some intrigue, it also emphasized the need for rule tweaks to make the race more exciting. Despite its flaws, Monaco remains the jewel in Formula 1’s crown, and its place on the calendar is secure. Next up, the triple header concludes in Barcelona, where McLaren and Verstappen are expected to battle it out on a circuit with medium to high-speed corners. See you there!

Emilia Romagna Grand Prix: Driver Ratings

IMOLA, ITALY - MAY 18: Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing and the Oracle Red Bull Racing team celebrate during the F1 Grand Prix of Emilia-Romagna at Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari on May 18, 2025 in Imola, Italy. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202505180494 // Usage for editorial use only //

Max Verstappen expertly won an interesting and absorbing Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday. Having started second, Verstappen performed arguably one of his best overtakes of his career, masterfully out-braking Oscar Piastri around the outside into the Tamburello chicane, holding it together with the Australian giving him space to take the lead into the first corner.

From there, Verstappen really had control of the race, which was helped by McLaren’s interesting strategic decisions. The race had the full safety car contingent, virtual and full safety car, which helped Verstappen in the first instance to extend his lead after Oscar Piastri took an early stop which did not work out for him. The full safety car bunched the field back up on lap 46 but still no one could get close to Verstappen as he drove away by six seconds. Behind him, both McLarens were two-three, Lando Norris ahead of Oscar Piastri, which is becoming routine for the McLaren team now. Following that came a fantastic battle between the two Ferraris and Alex Albon towards the end. Lewis Hamilton took fourth, Alex Albon fifth for the second fifth in a row, really cementing his place as best of the rest in the driver’s championship, followed by Leclerc who was caught by the two behind him after staying on old hard tyres with the second safety car.

George Russell took 7th on a quiet day for the Briton, in front of Sainz, Hadjar and Tsunoda who came from a pit lane start to take the last point.

Overall this was quite an exciting edition of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix by recent standards with the split strategy providing lots of opportunities for overtakes but Verstappen really was the class of the field.

Right, on to the ratings!

Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen pulled off a fantastic overtake over Oscar Piastri into turn one and never really looked back. He pulled out a two-second lead before Piastri pitted early for the undercut, but Red Bull held on getting through the graining and Verstappen increased his lead. From there, it was all looking very easy, very rarely seeing the Red Bull driver. The late safety car brought the field back to him but didn’t bother him in the end. He just keeps reminding us why he’s a four-time world champion and in the echelon of one of the best drivers of all time. These types of performances feel routine for him and look routine, but I imagine they’re very much not.

Rating: 8.9

Lando Norris

Lando continues to be hampered by his Saturday performances, qualifying fourth in this Grand Prix and getting stuck behind George Russell in the first twelve laps. By the time he got past, he was seven seconds behind the front two and really that’s quite a big gap in this title fight. He was unlucky with the virtual safety car, pitting thirty seconds before it came out, and then got stuck behind his teammate after the second safety car. Once he was past him, he was six seconds back from Verstappen, which was too far.

Rating: 8.1

Oscar Piastri

Oscar will be kicking himself for breaking a bit too early in the first corner. From there, the team didn’t help him, pitting Piastri early for the undercut, but he got stuck behind traffic and wasn’t able to eat into Verstappen’s lead. If anything, he lost time post pit stop. He was running in a distant third once the virtual safety car and all had rolled out. McLaren decided to keep him out during the second safety car and wasn’t really able to challenge Verstappen on much older tires after the restart. Not a great Sunday for Piastri. It could have been very different if he’d kept the lead into turn one, but unfortunately, he didn’t.

Rating: 7.9

Lewis Hamilton

A much better Sunday after a disappointing Q2 exit on Saturday. Hamilton was much more at ease with the car at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Having been stuck behind Kimi Antonelli for much of the first half of the race, but once able to get past he made good progress. He put mediums on at the second safety car and was able to make up places over his teammate and Alex Albon to claim fourth. Generally, a much better race for Hamilton. He said after the race, it was the most comfortable he’d been, and he looked quick with some decisive overtakes.

Rating: 8.1

Alex Albon

Another fantastic weekend for Alex Albon and the Williams team. This is the second time in a row Alex has finished fifth and the third time all season. He was also a beneficiary of going long in the first stint. Albon took advantage of the virtual safety to pit, jumped Piastri and was running as high as third for much of the race. Piastri would then overtake him in between the two safety car periods. Albon pitted again at the second safety car and wasn’t quite able to hold on to fourth. So another fifth place for Alex Albon and a fantastic performance. Williams is really looking a very solid car.

Rating: 8.5

Charles Leclerc

A frustrating afternoon for Charles who thought he could probably get more out of the race after qualifying eleventh on Saturday. Made a good start, made a couple of places up, and was running nicely on the mediums in the first stint and triggered the first set of pit stops pitting on lap 11. Initially, this looked like a great decision as he undercut Russell and Piastri to take a net third on the road. But the safety car timings really screwed him with those around him taking a cheap stop. At the safety car, he decided to stay out as he had no fresh tyres available. This gave him track position, but left him vulnerable to Albon and Hamilton behind when he was eventually overtaken by both. So he finished sixth but a promising race for the Ferrari team overall, if not a bit frustrating for Charles.

Rating: 8.1

George Russell

A tricky weekend for Russell and the Mercedes team. Even though he started third on the grid after a great qualifying performance, the pace in the car really wasn’t there on Sunday. He suffered from high degradation in the first stint after being pushed hard by Lando Norris. He pitted early on lap 12, triggering the other two stoppers and was a victim of the safety cars. With the hot conditions causing Mercedes problems, we are going to see more of this.

Rating: 7.6

Carlos Sainz

Again, another solid weekend from Carlos. Argued that he was screwed by his team’s strategy putting on to the two stop when clearly the one stop was the right way to go on Sunday and was further exasperated by the virtual safety car coming out at the right time for the one stoppers. Another point scoring position could arguably have been sixth or seventh on another day.

Rating: 7.8

Isack Hadjar

Another point scoring position for the ever impressive rookie. Started eleventh, was running as high as fourth with Alex Albon during the early stages of the race, but wasn’t able to hang on to that position as the safety car and virtual safety car were not very well timed for him. He lost positions to Sainz and Russell during the safety car period and wasn’t able to make those positions back. More points for the young Frenchman.

Rating: 7.8

Yuki Tsunoda

A great recovery drive from Yuki from the pit lane after a humongous crash on Saturday, where he flipped his Aston Martin and was lucky to climb out of that uninjured. Went long in the first stint, made use of the virtual safety car and safety car to find his way back into the points at the flag.

Rating: 7.7

Fernando Alonso

Fernando was unlucky again, still not having scored a point in 2025. The Aston Martin looked much better after upgrades, and Alonso qualified fifth. However, an early pit stop and poorly timed safety cars left him unable to full recover, finishing eleventh.

Rating: 7.8

Nico Hulkenberg

Nico Hulkenberg had a great performance, running in the low teens for most of the race. He took advantage of the safety car periods and was running in tenth at the restart but couldn’t hold on, finishing twelfth.

Rating: 7.7

Pierre Gasly

Pierre Gasly had a tough race, pitting very early and dropping back after battling with Charles Leclerc. He was running in the mid-teens for most of the race, finishing thirteenth.

Rating: 7.6

Liam Lawson

Liam Lawson had a quiet race, qualifying fourteenth and finishing fourteenth. He was thoroughly outperformed by his younger and more inexperienced teammate.

Rating: 7.1

Lance Stroll

Lance Stroll had an unfortunate race after qualifying in the top ten. He was caught out by the safety cars and finished fifteenth.

Rating: 6.5

Franco Colapinto

Franco Colapinto had a tricky weekend on his second debut, crashing in qualifying and finishing sixteenth. He was tentative at the start and never really recovered.

Rating: 6.1

Ollie Bearman

Ollie Bearman had a quiet race, running towards the back for most of it and finishing seventeenth. He was unlucky in qualifying with his fastest time in Q1 being chalked off due to the red flag coming out just before he finished his lap.

Rating: 5.8

Gabriel Bortoleto

Bortoleto finished last on the road, outperformed by his teammate, Nico Hulkenberg. He had a few good battles towards the back, but couldn’t move forward.

Rating: 5.5

Kimi Antonelli

Kimi Antonelli had a scrappy weekend, retiring on lap 46 while running around fifth to eighth. He had some good battles but ended his race prematurely.

Rating: 7.2

Esteban Ocon

Esteban Ocon retired on lap 28 with an engine failure, impacting the race more than his driving did.

Rating: 5.5

In what could be the last time Formula One arrives in Imola for a while, this iconic circuit produced a decent race with plenty of action into Turn 1. Verstappen takes the honours of four consecutive wins at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, tying off its inclusion in the calendar for now. Next, the second leg of the triple header takes us to Monaco, where a mandated two-stop race could see some crazy strategies. Verstappen leaves Italy very much in the title fight, putting down a marker to McLaren that he isn’t going anywhere.

Miami Grand Prix Driver Ratings

MIAMI, FLORIDA - MAY 04: Race winner Oscar Piastri of Australia and McLaren and the McLaren team celebrate during the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on May 04, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images)

Oscar Piastri took the spoils on Sunday as McLaren completed the perfect weekend, winning both the sprint and the main race in Miami. Piastri capitalized on the first-lap drama, which saw Max Verstappen and Lando Norris go wheel-to-wheel into the first couple of corners. Verstappen forced Norris wide at Turn 2, gifting positions to Kimi Antonelli and Piastri. Jack Doohan and Liam Lawson collided at the first corner, causing the first virtual safety car of the race and ending Doohan’s day with a puncture.

Piastri delivered an assured drive in the clearly fastest McLaren. After getting ahead of Antonelli, he pursued Verstappen, made a decisive pass, and drove off into the distance. Norris recovered from the first-corner scuffle, which pushed him down to sixth, and managed to pass the two Mercedes and Verstappen after a great battle. However, Piastri had already built a nine-second lead by that time. Norris closed the gap to just over three seconds by the flag but couldn’t catch his teammate.

George Russell took the final podium position, benefiting from the second virtual safety car to leapfrog Verstappen in the pits. Williams had a much-improved weekend, with Alex Albon finishing fifth and Carlos Sainz ninth. Kimi Antonelli made history by becoming the youngest driver to take pole in any Qualifying format, and still has two years to break Sebastian Vettel’s record for the youngest pole-sitter for a main race.

The race in Miami was full of intrigue, with rain on Saturday spicing up the sprint. However, the threatened rain on Sunday never arrived, leaving the race humid and tense. McLaren’s dominance was clear, and they took full advantage.

1. Oscar Piastri

Piastri completed the hat-trick of wins in Miami, to overtake his teammate in the F1 wins list. He took advantage of the squabbling in front at the start, made decisive passes, and drove off in the fastest car. He extends his championship lead to 16 points and is starting to look like THE title contender.
Rating: 8.6

2. Lando Norris

The safety car helped Norris in the sprint, but there was no such luck on Sunday. After a better start than Verstappen, he was pushed wide at Turn 2 and dropped to sixth. He made some nice passes to recover to second but couldn’t catch Piastri in the end.
Rating: 8.3

3. George Russell

A great result for Russell, who took advantage of the virtual safety car to leapfrog Verstappen in the pits and secure third, despite not being fully on the pace all weekend. He held off the Dutchman to the end and even a Red Bull appeal post-race.
Rating: 7.9

4. Max Verstappen

Not Max’s finest race. Despite holding off Norris from pole at the first corner, he couldn’t keep the McLarens back once they found their groove and was unlucky to lose third during the virtual safety car. Max knows he needs to be aggressive against the McLarens as his car simply doesn’t have the pace to challenge in the long term.
Rating: 7.7

5. Alex Albon

A great result for Williams. Albon qualified seventh, had a nice battle with his teammate early on before pulling away and securing a comfortable fifth place at the flag. He was working around a water pressure issue all race, so this result is even more impressive. My driver of the day.
Rating: 8.7

6. Kimi Antonelli

A fantastic sprint qualifying saw Antonelli take pole, but he couldn’t hold the lead in the damp conditions. In the race, he started third but couldn’t keep pace with the frontrunners. He lost time in the pits, trying an undercut just at the wrong time, with the virtual safety car coming out the next lap. Helped his teammate jump Verstappen, though, so good inadvertent teamwork from the rookie.
Rating: 8.1

7. Charles Leclerc

A tricky weekend for Ferrari. Leclerc crashed in the sprint reconnaissance lap and ran in the lower points throughout the race. The most excitement seemed to come on the radio as the Ferrari drivers scabbled over who should lead their attack but neither was able to make an impression.
Rating: 7.3

8. Lewis Hamilton

A podium in the sprint was Lewis’ weekend highlight, but he cut a frustrated figure during the main race. He got stuck behind Ocon for the first half but showed great pace once on the mediums, but got stuck again, this time behind his teammate and Sainz. Once released, he wasn’t able to pull away and had to let Leclerc back through. Bit of a mess from Ferrari there.
Rating: 7.4

9. Carlos Sainz

A solid weekend with double points for Williams. He wasn’t able to keep his teammate behind and then got stuck behind the Ferraris to pick up ninth place. He is showing more consistent pace though, which is encouraging for him and the team as they secure best of the rest status.
Rating: 7.9

10. Yuki Tsunoda

A relatively under-the-radar weekend for Tsunoda, who qualified and finished tenth but is definitely heading in the right direction. They should have given him the second Red Bull seat from the start.
Rating: 7.5

11. Isack Hadjar

Another decent performance from Hadjar, who is battling Antonelli for rookie of the year honours. He was unlucky to miss out on points, finishing just 0.2 seconds behind Tsunoda.
Rating: 7.6

12. Esteban Ocon

Ocon qualified ninth but finished twelfth, unable to hold onto a points-paying position as some faster cars came past. A better weekend after being thoroughly outperformed by his teammate in Jeddah.
Rating: 7.4

13. Pierre Gasly

A solid recovery drive from eighteenth to thirteenth, but Gasly never troubled the points. This alpine is proving quite inconsistent.
Rating: 7.2

14. Nico Hulkenberg

Not much to say for Hulkenberg, who started sixteenth and finished fourteenth.
Rating: 6.9

15. Fernando Alonso

Another tough weekend for Alonso, who crashed in the sprint and finished fifteenth after a lazy spin in the early stages. Still no points in 2025 for the Spaniard.
Rating: 6.2

16. Lance Stroll

Stroll finished last on the road, continuing a season where he is becoming increasingly irrelevant.
Rating: 6.1

Retirees

17. Liam Lawson

Liam was involved in the first corner collision with Doohan, which put him to the back and the Aussie out of the race. He wasn’t able to recover before retiring on lap 37.

Rating: 5.5

18. Gabriel Bortoleto

Gabriel retired on lap 30 with engine issues after running towards the back until then. Did outqualify his teammate and got into Q2 but that’s where his weekend peaked.

Rating: 5.8

19. Ollie Bearman

A tricky weekend for Ollie, he qualified last and wasn’t able to finish the race, retiring on lap 27 with an engine failure. Never good when your biggest moment is the novelty of seeing an engine failure, which is rare nowadays.

Rating: 5.2

20. Jack Doohan

Another race for Jack that ended before it could get going. He did well to outqualify his teammate but collided with Lawson at Turn 1 as they tussled over the same piece of tarmac. Their contact caused a puncture, and he retired before he could complete one circuit.

Rating: 5.2

The Formula One circus now moves to Italy for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola. Expect McLaren to be quick on this fast, flowing, old school circuit. See you next time!

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Driver Ratings

Oscar Piastri claimed victory at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and the lead in the world championship after a dramatic Turn 1, which was really the peak of the excitement in Jeddah. Max Verstappen effectively shot himself in the foot, handed Piastri the advantage, and the Australian driver never looked back. Oscar got a great start from second on the grid, drawing alongside Verstappen, and took the high ground at the apex. Instead of conceding, the Red Bull driver ran wide and cut the corner to hold onto the lead, and more importantly, the clean air. Verstappen was handed a five-second penalty for the incident, and Piastri dutifully stayed within that window during the first stint. After leapfrogging the Red Bull during the pit stops, Piastri maintained a steady gap, managing the race well to secure his third win of the season.

Behind Piastri, Lando Norris delivered a strong recovery drive, climbing from tenth on the grid to finish fourth after a crash in Q3. Charles Leclerc secured Ferrari’s first podium of the year with a solid third-place finish, while George Russell and Kimi Antonelli rounded out the top six for Mercedes. There was some action behind, particularly on the main straight into Turn 1, but overall, it was a relatively straightforward affair with a one-stop strategy dominating the field. Now to the ratings.

Driver Ratings

Oscar Piastri – 8.3

Piastri’s commanding drive from second on the grid was a beautifully managed race, if not a tad boring. He capitalized on Verstappen’s indiscretion at Turn 1, stayed within the five-second penalty window, and executed a crucial overtake on Lewis Hamilton at Turn 22 to secure a comfortable lead while performing the undercut. With this win, Piastri has now won a tenth of all the races he’s ever competed in. Decent.

Max Verstappen – 7.9

Verstappen doesn’t really want to learn his lesson with these new overtaking rules. He basically replicated his situation with Norris in Austin last year and expected a difference result with the roles swapped around in Jeddah. The stewards didn’t agree with him this time and he earned himself a five-second penalty. Despite a fantastic qualifying performance, he couldn’t close the gap to Piastri in the second stint after losing the lead in the pits. While he showed good pace, the penalty ultimately cost him a shot at victory. However, is me having to write that show actually how good a job Verstappen is doing in that Red Bull?

Charles Leclerc – 8.4

Leclerc delivered Ferrari’s first podium of the year with a composed drive from 4th on the grid. He managed his mediums really well, pitting late on Lap 29 to create a nice tyre advantage and overtook George Russell to secure third place at the flag. This was Leclerc’s best performance of the year.

Lando Norris – 7.4

Norris recovered well from an eventful qualifying session to finish fourth. Starting tenth after crashing in Q3, he worked his way through the field methodically and was only 1.1 seconds behind a podium at the flag. These mistakes continue to cost him valuable points in the championship, mistakes which his rivals just aren’t making. Long way to go though.

George Russell – 7.5

Russell struggled with tyre overheating throughout the race, limiting his ability to challenge for the podium, despite running in 3rd for the first stint. While he finished fifth, it was a difficult performance by Mercedes’ standards in 2025 and a potential problem on the horizon as track temps will continue to rise as we get into the season.

Kimi Antonelli – 8.1

The Italian rookie impressed once again, finishing sixth after starting fifth. Despite a late brush with the wall, Antonelli showed pace and consistency, further cementing his reputation as one of the season’s standout drivers. You can argue against such a high score compared to Russell, but context is key here, he’s performancing beyond his experience.

Lewis Hamilton – 6.9

Lewis had a quiet race after a promising start, finishing seventh. He struggled with the Ferrari’s balance which has been a theme of 2025, finishing 30 seconds behind his teammate. The seven-time champion appears to be at odds with himself.

Carlos Sainz – 8.4

Sainz had a much-needed strong weekend, qualifying sixth and finishing eighth. He was the lead Williams driver throughout the weekend and played a key role in helping the team secure double points replicating his DRS tactic from Singapore 2023 to keep his teammate ahead of Hadjar.

Alex Albon – 7.9

Albon was outperformed by his teammate but still managed to score decent points for Williams as they took the best-of-the-rest honours. His ninth-place finish helped the team take fifth in the constructors’ championship.

Isaac Hadjar – 8.1

The French rookie continued to impress, finishing in the points again. He took advantage of the first lap crash to move up into the points and was threatening the Williams for more. Hadjar is staking a strong claim for Rookie of the Year, consistently delivering solid performances.

Fernando Alonso – 7.6

Alonso had a better race but still missed out on points. He narrowly avoided a collision with Gabriel Bortoleto, showed glimpses of pace, and took advantage of Lawson’s penalty but didn’t threaten the top ten.

Liam Lawson – 7.5

Lawson was unlucky to receive a ten-second penalty for running ever-so-slightly wide at Turn 1 overtaking Doohan which dropped him from 11th to 12th. Despite that setback, he showed better race pace.

Ollie Bearman – 7.8

Baerman was the leading Haas driver once again, finishing 13th. The young Englishman continues to impress in his rookie season against a solid F1 teammate.

Esteban Ocon – 6.2

Ocon was outperformed by his rookie teammate and failed to make an impact in the race. It was a quiet weekend for the French driver.

Nico Hulkenberg – 7.1

Hulkenberg finished 15th in what is arguably the slowest car on the grid. He did well to finish ahead of several drivers despite starting 18th.

Lance Stroll – 5.2

Stroll had another forgettable weekend, qualifying 16th and failing to make progress in the race. His lack of impact in Formula 1 continues.

Jack Doohan – 5.1

Doohan overtook Bortoleto on the final lap to hand over the wooden spoon to the Brazilian. That’s about it.

Gabriel Bortoleto – 5.1

Same as Doohan really, Bortoleto ran at the back all race, moved off the bottom during the pits but couldn’t hold on.

Pierre Gasly – 5.0

Pierre’s race ended on Lap 1 after a race incident with Yuki Tsunoda. As Martin Brundle says “2 into 1 doesn’t go” at Turn 4 with both ending in the barriers.

Yuki Tsunoda – 5.0

See above with a better qualifying performance from Yuki, getting into the Top 10 again.

Championship Standings

With this win, Piastri becomes the first Australian to lead the championship since Mark Webber in 2010. Verstappen and Norris remain close behind, while Mercedes and Ferrari continue to chase McLaren in the constructors’ standings. The season now heads to Miami in two weeks, where the battle for supremacy is sure to intensify.

Bahrain Grand Prix Driver Ratings

There we go, that’s much better! The Bahrain Grand Prix extinguished any memories of last weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix to put on a show in the desert; showcasing the best of Formula One.

Oscar Piastri made it look easy at the front with a commanding victory from pole position, however, behind him was pure entertainment. Several competing strategies meant a mixed up order throughout with overtaking all over the track, and a safety car to bunch the field, giving us action all the way to the end. Lando Norris managed to climb back up to third after a poor qualifying session. The Ferraris looked quick, and Lewis Hamilton appeared to be getting on top of his car, while the Red Bulls still seemed a step behind.

A shout-out to the rookies, in particular Ollie Bearman, who came from last to earn points—a great drive from the young Brit. There were solid performances all around; Antonelli had a great race even though he didn’t score any points, and so did Jack Doohan, but strategy decisions derailed their races.

Overall, it was a great race, exactly what we needed and a timely reinforcement for my next article on why Formula One should enforce each car to use all three dry tyre compounds per race. Look out for that shortly.

Right, into the ratings.

Oscar Piastri

Oscar dominated the weekend, securing a commanding victory from pole position. He led from start to finish, easing into the race during the first stint before pulling away in the second and third. The safety car briefly brought the pack closer, but Piastri remained untroubled, showing great speed and consistency.

8.8/10

George Russell

George Russell had another strong weekend, qualifying second but starting third due to a strange team penalty for instructing their drivers to leave the garage before the pit lane opened in Q2 after Ocon’s crash. He made a great start, taking second in the opening laps and holding his position throughout the race. His strategy of soft-medium-soft worked perfectly, and he held off Lando Norris in the closing stages to secure second place.

8.8/10

Lando Norris

Lando had a scruffy weekend in Bahrain which started in qualifying, leaving him sixth on the grid, and then a five-second penalty for being out of his grid box at the start cost him valuable time in the race. Despite this, he fought back to finish third, but more points dropped. In a tight title battle, he needs to be more consistent.

7.8/10

Charles Leclerc

The Monegasque driver outperformed his car, qualifying third and starting second after Russell’s penalty. Ferrari’s alternate strategy of starting on mediums saw him lose positions early, but he fought back with strong overtakes when he had the tyre advantage later on. A late switch to hards cost him some pace, but he held off Norris for a long time before finishing fourth.

8.2/10

Lewis Hamilton

The seven-time champ had a better weekend, though qualifying remains an area he must improve upon, which is crazy to write. Starting ninth, he delivered a solid recovery drive, running medium-medium-hard, like his teammate. He showed strong pace in the middle stint, briefly climbing to fourth before settling for fifth. Progress with the car is evident, and he’ll look to build on this in Jeddah.


7.8/10

Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen struggled with a twitchy Red Bull, qualifying seventh and finishing sixth. Brake issues hampered his ability to attack, and team operational problems in the pits cost him time. Despite these challenges, you’ve got to expect he extracted the most from his car, and did show great speed in bursts.


7.8/10

Pierre Gasly

Pierre was a standout performer in Bahrain, qualifying fifth and finishing seventh. He showed great pace throughout the weekend, battling with the top teams and narrowly losing out to Verstappen on the final lap. His consistency and aggression were impressive, making him my driver of the weekend.


9.1/10

Esteban Ocon

Ocon delivered a strong race, starting 14th after his Q2 shunt but finished seventh. An aggressive strategy of pitting early for fresh tires gave him a great undercut, and he maximized his pace in the Haas. This continues the team’s strong turnaround after a worrying start to the season in Australia.

8.5/10

Yuki Tsunoda

Yuki Tsunoda had a better weekend, qualifying tenth and finishing ninth. He was involved in battles throughout the race, including a collision with Carlos Sainz that ended the Ferrari driver’s race. Despite some setbacks, Tsunoda showed improved pace and consistency.

7.5/10

Ollie Bearman

Ollie Bearman was another star of the race, starting last after a poor qualifying but finishing tenth to score points. His overtakes and tyre management were exceptional, showcasing his potential as a rookie. This performance will boost his confidence moving forward.


8.9/10

Kimi Antonelli

Kimi Antonelli was another standout rookie, qualifying fifth and showing great pace throughout the race. Mercedes’ strategy cost him track position, but he fought back from 14th to finish 11th. His aggression and precision were impressive, even if he missed out on points.


8.1/10

Alex Albon

Alex Albon was unlucky to finish 12th after a strong race. He was on course for eighth before the safety car came out just after he pitted, dropping him down the order. Despite the setback, he showed good pace and made significant progress from 15th on the grid.


7.6/10

Nico Hulkenberg

Nico Hulkenberg finished 13th in what is likely the slowest car on the grid. He took advantage of the chaos and safety car to move up the order, but there’s little more he could have done given the car’s limitations.


8.2/10

Isack Hadjar

Hadjar had a tougher weekend, qualifying 12th and finishing 14th. A slow start and aggressive strategy didn’t pay off, and he struggled to keep up with the pack after the safety car. It was a decent performance but not up to his recent standard.


7.3/10

Jack Doohan

Jack was unfortunate to finish 15th after running in the points for much of the race. A poorly timed pit stop before the safety car cost him track position, but he showed good pace and progress after a slow and, accident heavy, start to his F1 career.


7.4/10

Fernando Alonso

Alonso had a quiet race, qualifying 13th and finishing 16th. Aston Martin’s struggles continued, and there was little Alonso could do to make an impact. They are quickly becoming the forgotten team in 2025.


7.1/10

Liam Lawson

Lawson finished 17th after a race filled with battles and penalties. A ten-second penalty for a collision with Bortoleto summed up a difficult weekend for the man from Auckland. He is being shown up by the other rookies and needs to put in a performance quickly, before Helmut Marko gets another bout of itchy fingers.

6.2/10

Lance Stroll

Lance Stroll qualified 19th and finished 18th, reflecting Aston Martin’s struggles. He was largely invisible during the race, and there’s little to say about his performance. Again, sums Aston Martin up at the moment.


3.5/10

Gabriel Bortoleto

Gabriel Bortoleto finished 19th after being involved in a collision with Lawson. He struggled to make an impression really and made up the backmarkers throughout the race.


5.5/10

Carlos Sainz

Carlos Sainz was unfortunate to retire after a collision with Tsunoda damaged his sidepod. He had a strong weekend, outqualifying his teammate and running in the points before the incident.


7.6/10

P.S.

Nico Hulkenberg was disqualified post-race for excessive plank wear, but his performance remains unchanged in the ratings.

Japanese Grand Prix Driver Ratings

Max Verstappen led home the two McLarens at Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix, securing his first victory of the season. While this keeps my early bold predictions alive, the race itself was far from thrilling. Reminiscent of Monaco last year, there was very little action, as summed up by Oscar Piastri in the post-race debrief. The highlights were sparse, with only one change in the top 10 from grid to finish: Lewis Hamilton overtook Isaac Hadjar early on to claim seventh. Beyond that, there was minimal movement, making for a rather uneventful race.

The sweeping turns of Suzuka made it difficult for drivers to follow closely, and the lack of overtaking opportunities contributed to a race that was, frankly, a bit boring. One notable performance came from Kimi Antonelli, who led the race for the first time and became the youngest driver to do so. This was his last chance to beat Max Verstappen’s record as the youngest F1 winner, but he fell short.

Now, let’s dive into the driver ratings

Max Verstappen

Max won the race in qualifying, securing pole with a lap that edged out the McLarens by less than a tenth of a second. The damp conditions on race day helped mitigate overheating issues, a particular strength of the McLarens. Verstappen took a strong start, held off Lando Norris into the first corner, and maintained a measured pace throughout, keeping the McLarens in his dirty air. A slightly slower pit stop didn’t cost him, as he emerged just ahead of Norris and controlled the race to the finish. A consistent, mature drive.


8.5/10

Lando Norris

It was a case of “so close, yet so far” for Lando. The McLaren looked the fastest car all weekend, but Max got the better of them when it mattered. He got a great start, matching Verstappen, but couldn’t get alongside into the first corner. From there, he was stuck behind Max, unable to get close enough for DRS. McLaren’s decision to pit him on the same lap as Verstappen was questionable, and a faster stop might have changed the outcome. Still, a solid performance.


7.3/10

Oscar Piastri

Oscar’s fate was sealed in qualifying, where he couldn’t quite challenge for pole. Starting third, he was unable to make progress up the field. He looked quicker than Norris at times, threatening with DRS, but couldn’t capitalize. Pitting one lap earlier than the leaders didn’t help, and he came home third. A strong drive, but overshadowed slightly by his teammate.


7.2/10

Charles Leclerc

A lonely race for Charles, who qualified fourth and finished fourth. He outperformed the car slightly in qualifying, which set him up for a solid race. He finished 16 seconds behind Verstappen and 1.5 seconds ahead of George Russell. A decent drive, especially with his teammate down in seventh.


7.6/10

George Russell

The leading Mercedes driver all weekend, George qualified fifth and finished fifth. He was slightly disappointed not to be on the second row, as the Mercedes seems to be the second-fastest car at the moment. He followed Leclerc home, finishing 2.5 seconds behind. A solid but unspectacular performance.


6.9/10

Kimi Antonelli

Another strong weekend for Kimi, who qualified sixth and finished sixth. He led the race for the first time, becoming the youngest driver to do so, and finished just 1.3 seconds behind Russell. His consistent performances are proving Mercedes right for promoting him.


7.9/10

Lewis Hamilton

Another off weekend for Lewis. He started eighth on hards, hoping for a safety car, and overtook Hadjar early on as one of few on track overtakes. However, he struggled on fresher tyres after pitting out of sequence, finishing nearly 20 seconds behind Antonelli. Something isn’t quite clicking for Lewis this season.

6.5/10

Isack Hadjar

Hadjar scored his first F1 points after qualifying seventh and finishing eighth, solidifying his position as the best of the rest. He’s been consistently quick and easily outperformed his new teammate. A really strong start to his F1 career.


7.8/10

Alex Albon

Albon has been the standout performer for Williams this year. He qualified ninth and finished ninth, continuing his run of Q3 appearances. A solid, consistent drive, despite some angry radio messages.
Rating: 7.8/10

Ollie Bearman

Bearman continues to impress in his rookie season. He qualified tenth and finished tenth, outperforming his teammate Ocon, who finished eighteenth. A great performance to leave his Australian nightmare in the past.


8.1/10

Fernando Alonso

Alonso started thirteenth and finished eleventh, gaining two positions. He had a nice duel with Pierre Gasly on the opening lap but otherwise had a quiet race.
Rating: 7.3/10

Yuki Tsunoda

Tsunoda didn’t have his dream Red Bull debut, starting fourteenth and finished twelfth, at least he outperformed Liam Lawson in the Racing Bull. A decent performance at his home race, but not enough to challenge for points.
Rating: 6.9/10

Pierre Gasly

Gasly started eleventh and finished thirteenth. He’s been consistently around the points but hasn’t been able to break into the top ten. A solid drive, but the Alpine lacks pace.
Rating: 7.2/10

Carlos Sainz

A tricky weekend for Sainz. He qualified twelfth but received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Hamilton in Quali. He finished fourteenth, struggling with braking issues, especially into the final chicane.


6.2/10

Jack Doohan

Doohan had a tough weekend, qualifying nineteenth after a big crash in FP2. He made some progress in the race but finished fifteenth, 20 seconds behind his teammate.
Rating: 6.3/10

Nico Hülkenberg

Hülkenberg qualified sixteenth and finished sixteenth in the slowest car on the grid. A solid but unremarkable performance.
Rating: 6.8/10

Liam Lawson

Lawson was demoted back to Racing Bulls after just two races and struggled in Japan. He started thirteenth and finished seventeenth, going backwards throughout the race. He was thoroughly outperformed by his teammate, which can’t keep happening anymore.


5.5/10

Esteban Ocon

A poor weekend for Ocon, who qualified nineteenth and finished eighteenth. He was thoroughly outperformed by his rookie teammate Bearman.
Rating: 4.5/10

Lance Stroll

Stroll started last after a gust of wind ruined his qualifying lap and made little progress in the race, finishing nineteenth.
Rating: 4.5/10

Gabriel Bortoleto

Bortoleto had a tough weekend, qualifying seventeenth and finishing twentieth. He struggled with the slow Sauber and couldn’t recover after a poor start.
Rating: 5.1/10

Final Thoughts

The Japanese Grand Prix was a largely uneventful race, with minimal overtaking and little drama. The weather conditions didn’t help, making the race more predictable rather than spicing things up. While there were some standout performances, the lack of action left fans wanting more. Perhaps a two-tire rule, requiring drivers to use all three dry compounds, could inject some excitement into future races. Until then, we’ll have to hope for more thrilling weekends ahead.

Australian Grand Prix Driver Ratings

The 2025 season is underway and what an entertaining start that was. Rain always makes things more interesting in F1 and Australia 2025 was no different. I can’t remember the last time the opening race of the season was wet, but I’m sure a mixture of slippery conditions, new cars and lots of rookies led to the mistakes we saw on track this weekend, to only have 14 finishers, the lowest since the 2023 Brazilian Grand Prix.

At the end of the race, Lando Norris came through to take the chequered flag, with an assured, mature drive. At one point, I thought my first bold prediction from my last post – link here – was coming through but this time, McLaren got their strategy calls spot on and helped Lando keep his advantage.

There were lots of good…and some not-so-good drives this weekend so let’s get into rating them all. I will be using ice-staking rules so expect lots of decimal places and no 10s.

Lando Norris – 9.2

This weekend couldn’t have got much better for Lando. Pole position, led most of the race and took the win under extremely difficult conditions. He got a good start, held off Verstappen at the first corner and didn’t really look back. His safety car restarts were assured, held off attacks from his teammate and Verstappen again towards the end. Apart from the excursion through the grass on Lap 44 and having to trust his team to make the right tyre decision when the rain came down post excursion, the win never really looked threatened. This was an extremely mature and confident start to a big season from the man from Glastonbury.

Max Verstappen – 8.2

Max Verstappen just doesn’t have bad races. Despite an unusual unforced error in the early stages of the race to give up 2nd place to Piastri, Max kept it on the grey stuff to maximise what his car could give him in Australia. The McLaren pace will worry him as they were able to pretty easily gain a 16 second lead in conditions that Max thrives in, but when push comes to shrove, its another 18 points, another podium for the reigning world champion, and a result Red Bull will definitely take after a shaky pre-season.

George Russell – 8.1

An under-the-radar performance to 3rd place by George Russell. He kept out of trouble, ran his own race as the Mercedes was locked in as the 3rd fastest car, and took advantage when others made mistakes around him. Not much else to say, apart from this was his best opening race result of his career, lovely stuff.

Kimi Antonelli – 8.8

I don’t think Mercedes could have asked for a better Sunday from their drivers. After only qualifying 16th on Saturday, Kimi Antonelli showed why Toto Woolf put him in the 2nd Mercedes for 2025, coming home 4th. While the other rookies fell by the wayside, Kimi carved his way up the field, kept it out of the walls and got his reward. He did have a clumsy spin when he dipped a tyre on the grass on entry of turn 4 but made up for it with an outrageous move around the outside of Alex Albon into Turn 9 on the final lap! He also becomes the 2nd youngest points scorer in F1 history, only behind Verstappen, and took a big early lead in the Rookie of the Year competition. Wherever Toto Woolf is , he is surely beaming an I-told-you-so smile.

Alex Albon – 8.1

Another under-the-radar but impressive performance from the British-Thai driver. Williams led the midfield teams on Saturday, with both drivers reaching Q3, ad Albon led the line in 6th place. He then improved that to 5th by the chequered flag on Sunday. Similar to Russell, he kept out of trouble, drove consistently and kept it out of the wall (unlike his teammate), to give him his best result since leaving Red Bull all those years ago.

Lance Stroll – 7.9

Keeping it on track was the name of the game around Albert Park, and Stroll did just that to take 7th and valuable points for an Aston Martin that doesn’t look particularly quick. The much-criticized Canadian is an easy punching bag, and he doesn’t help himself (see Formation lap, Brazil 2024) when trying to get rid of the ultimate pay driver tag. One thing he has always been good at, is driving in slippery, changeable conditions and he proved that again.

Nico Hulkenberg – 7.9

Nico showed why Audi chose him to lead their line when they take over Sauber in 2026. Despite not hitting the ultimate heights of F1, he is reliable, fast and provides these types of performances that are so valuable for teams in the bottom half of the grid. Nico has already surpassed Sauber’s points total from the entirety of 2024, can’t ask for more than that from race one.

Charles Leclerc – 7.4

An underwhelming performance all round at Ferrari in Melbourne. Charles did well to gain positions at the start and was running 5th for most of the race until the rain came on Lap 44. A spin dropped him down the order while battling Tsunoda and a bad call from Ferrari to leave both drivers out on slicks in increasingly wet conditions limited Charles’ points reward, eventually coming home 8th. The silver lining was a nice move around the outside of Hamilton at the final safety car restart to win that intra-team battle.

Oscar Piastri – 7.2

What could have been for Oscar at his home race and the Aussie curse continues. He lost 2nd place to Verstappen off the line but pressured him into a mistake to get it back on Lap 17. He then shadowed Norris as the McLarens gapped the Red Bull to put themselves in a convincing 1-2 but the threat of leading is that you hit the weather first. This caught both McLarens out, Oscar more than Lando and as he re-entered the race track, he lost the back end and spun off at the final corner, ruining his chances of victory. Having fell to the back of the grid, he did well to finish 9th and grab some points. His move around the outside of Hamilton at Turn 9 on the final lap was a beauty and gave the home crowd something to cheer about.

Lewis Hamilton – 6.0

Just a bit average from Lewis on his first race in Red. The Ferrari isn’t as quick as the team hoped after a decent pre-season but Hamilton’s performance was a little flat all weekend long. Beaten by Leclerc in every session and didn’t look particularly dangerous in the race will be disappointing for Lewis but it was always going to be a learning process for him. He will have to settle for a point on debut.

Pierre Gasly – 7.5

Pierre will be disappointed not to take home some points from the Australian Grand Prix. He was running nicely in the top ten for most of the race until the changing conditions caught him out. He made a mistake at turn 1 after the final safety car restart, lost positions to the Ferraris and Piastri and his points disappeared. Overall though, a good drive against quicker opposition.

Yuki Tsunoda – 8.2

Yuki was having a great weekend until Lap 44 on Sunday. He qualified a fantastic 5th and was battling Leclerc for P5 in the race until the rain came again and his team took a chance to stay out on slicks. This put him back in 12th with 5 laps to go and couldn’t do anything to climb back up. Big shame but the performance was there.

Esteban Ocon – 5.5

Not the weekend Ocon would have dreamt up for his Haas debut. While Ocon beat his teammate in both Quali and the race, he beat only his teammate as Haas propped up the classifications.

Oliver Bearman – 2.5

Oliver is lucky to get 2.5 to be honest. He crashed early in FP1, missed FP2 because of it and then beached his car in FP3. He didn’t start qualification and finished last in the race with a couple spins on his way. Best he forget about the Aussie Grand Prix and pretend China is the first race of his Haas career.

Liam Lawson – 3.5

The curse of the 2nd Red Bull seat continues. Another rocky debut in Australia, this time for the man from across the Tasman Sea. Reliability issues hindered his practise but that doesn’t fully explain qualifying 2nd last. He had decent pace in the dry but was left out to dry (excuse the pun) by his time and crashed at Turn 2 while trying to survive the rain on old tyres. Hardly a confidence boosting weekend.

Gabriel Bortoleto 6.9

I think Bortoleto is my pick for 2nd best rookie performance after Antonelli. Out-qualifying Nico Hulkenberg at first attempt is an impressive feat and shows he is right on the pace. The Sauber isn’t very quick so not much to say about his race apart from the spin that ended his race was more car failure than driver error.

Fernando Alonso – 6.7

Fernando was having a usual dogged performance in the Aston before an unusual spin at Turn 6/7 which still baffles me and I’ve watched it about 8 times. He was running in the points until then but luckily for him, his teammate picked up them up in his absence.

Carlos Sainz – 6.5

Carlos was having a solid Williams debut until another unusual spin. This Williams doesn’t look half bad and is solidly in the midfield fight, if not at the front. Carlos’s race ended with a torque spike under the safety car which threw him into the wall, which can probably be put down to learning a new power unit. He is going to be just fine at Williams.

Jack Doohan – 4.5

Somehow Jack Doohan came into the season under a fair amount of pressure for a seat he hadn’t raced in yet. I’m not counting Abu Dhabi last year, that was a test drive. It wasn’t looking too bad after qualifying but he made a rookie error, which is fair, on Lap 1, getting caught out by a slippery white line and going straight to the scene of his accident, ending his race abruptly. Not awful, but not great. The pressure is still very much on.

Isack Hadjar – 6.5

Poor, poor Isack. It was all going so well! He performed really well during practise and qualifying. He was on the pace from the get go and was only .06 of a second from Q3 but it all unravelled on the formation lap of all places. He got too trigger happy exiting Turn 2 and around she went, over before it began. It was hard to watch him in tears as he got out the car and drove home the magnitude of the sport that we love. I hope he puts this behind him quickly because he showed great potential this weekend.

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Way too early bold predictions

So here we are again, on the eve of another F1 season. 3 days of testing and 3 practice sessions stand between us and lights out on the F1 2025. While we are so close to the Australian Grand Prix on 16th March, there are still many miles to be driven before meaningful action that we can actually trust takes place. 

So why not fill those meaningful miles with meaningless predictions that we will never mention again…unless I nail them!

Here we go: 

Verstappen Wins the Australian Grand Prix

I know what you are thinking, blimey, brave choice Jimmy. The man who has won the first race of the season for the last 2 years at a canter and won the last 4 titles in a row is likely to win the first race of this season as well. However, Max Verstappen is no longer the bookies favourite for the title, something we haven’t been able to say for a long time. Arguably, Red Bull finished 2024 with the fourth fastest car, and had McLaren decided to put all their chips in front of Norris much earlier, the Drivers Championship could have gotten away from him. But Verstappen is the best driver in the world right now and he’s suddenly got a fight on his hands. I wouldn’t be surprised while the world is looking at McLaren and Ferrari, Verstappen shows everyone just what makes him a 4-time World Champion, so after a race with multiple safety cars and a wee bit of chaos, the champ comes out on top to lead the championship once again, but not for long…

There are 7 different winners in the first 7 races

I have a feeling that 2025 will live up to the greatest start to an F1 season ever, 2012. They had 7 different winners in 7 races that season, so why can’t 2025? Now, in any other season, that would feel really bold, but actually it’s not too far-fetched for current form. There were 5 different winners in the final 6 races of 2024. So really I am talking myself out of my own bold prediction but to be fair to myself, having 7 different winners means there will be some shocks, and here is the big one – Lewis Hamilton won’t be one of them.

I’ll leave that there and will say no more…except predict all the winners in order. Here we go: 

Australia – Max Verstappen

China – Charles Leclerc

Japan – Lando Norris

Bahrain – Oscar Piastri

Saudi Arabia – Fernando Alonso

Miami – Liam Lawson

Emilia Romagna – George Russell

Lewis Hamilton will win more races than Charles Leclerc

Now Lewis Hamilton fans, don’t fret, I fully expect Lewis to hit the ground running at Ferrari, just not quite get over the line in the first half of the season, but never count out Lewis Hamilton, especially when he feels he needs to prove people wrong. If Ferrari produces a car fast enough to win races, Hamilton has proved time and time again that there is no one better. He won 2 races last season in a car that was inconsistent at best, but when it was on, so was he. That’s only one less than Leclerc in a much better car, imagine what Lewis can do in that car. 

Piastri Leads the Championship at the Summer Break

While Norris led the McLaren resurgence last year, I have been really impressed with Oscar Piastri in his short 2-year career. He immediately put the memories of Daniel Ricciardo to bed in his rookie season, proving McLaren’s decision right 10 fold. He is quick, fast and has got pace, as someone resembling Alan Hansen once said (3:57 on the video below), and he very rarely makes mistakes. His tyre management let him down in 2023 as well as some iffy qualifying performances but in year 2, he was never far away from Lando, sometimes in front of him, both on Saturday and Sunday and once he won the Hungarian Grand Prix, he became a problem in Lando’s title fight. His overtake around the outside of Norris in Italy was a statement of intent from Oscar, and one that was beautifully executed. He is only going to get better, and no one had a better winning pedigree in the lower formulas than Oscar Piastri, so he knows how to fight at the front. Will he win the championship? I don’t think so, but he is going to be a real player in it.

3:57

And the Winner is…

This is a really tricky season to predict, if we get the whole season like last year, we are in for a treat. I genuinely think we have 5 title contenders, maybe 6. Close your eyes and throw a dart type choice. But I’m taking this seriously, this is genuine, from the heart and that. It has to be…Lando Norris. Cmon the boy, he WILL be the first British champion since Lewis Hamilton and break the Dutch stronghold.

My bold prediction is the points total: 394 to win it.

You heard it here first.

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