Tag: Max Verstappen

Austrian Grand Prix – Driver Ratings

SPIELBERG, AUSTRIA - JUNE 29: Race winner Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on June 29, 2025 in Spielberg, Austria. (Photo by Zak Mauger/LAT Images)

Lando Norris led home a comfortable McLaren 1-2 in the Styrian mountains following a pretty mundane Austrian Grand Prix. There was drama on the first lap, as Kimi Antonelli missed his braking point into Turn 3 and had to take evasive action, but in the process, he locked his rears and ran into the side of Max Verstappen, ending both their races, much to the agony of the large Dutch contingent that made the trip.

Once the two cars had been removed, the race fell into a rhythm with gaps appearing between the front runners and the chasing pack. The McLarens were in a class of their own, pulling a minimum of 0.3 seconds per lap to the rest of the field, and had a nice battle on Lap 11, swapping positions a few times before the first stops, with Norris coming out on top. From there, the gap stayed around 6 seconds, only narrowing through traffic but Norris wasn’t troubled to the flag.

Behind the McLarens, the Ferraris drove quietly to 3rd and 4th. Russell was 5th, also in a race of one, but behind was when the fun really began. A fantastic 6th place for Liam Lawson, and 7th for Fernando Alonso, who both expertly ran the one-stop, against all data recommendations. A double points finish for the Saubers in 8th and 9th, with Bortoleto grabbing his first F1 points in front of his teammate and Esteban Ocon rounded off the top 10, in front of his teammate.

It was far from a classic in Austria this year but the 3 DRS zones do guarantee us some action, and I am happy to see the track will be on the calendar until 2041. Its a classic which creates good racing, something that needs to be protected. Lets get into the driver ratings before the best weekend of the year next week: The British Grand Prix.

Lando Norris – 9.1

Lando bounced back beautifully from his clumsy move at the Canadian Grand Prix. He led every session he took part in, taking pole by over half a second and holding off pressure from his teammate to take a commanding victory in Austria. His race craft was on show, performing a lovely switchback on Piastri through Turn 3 as the McLarens did battle. The only mistake we saw was running wide at Turn 10, which allowed Piastri the chance to overtake. Once the pit stops gave him a 6-second lead, he kept Piastri at arm’s length to take a momentum-building victory before his home Grand Prix.

Oscar Piastri – 7.9

Oscar was caught out by Gasly’s yellow flag in Q3, which left him lining up 3rd on the grid. He immediately jumped Leclerc at Turn 1 to set up the McLaren battle. Taking advantage of DRS, he kept in Norris’ shadow for the first stint, momentarily taking the lead on Lap 11 before losing it again. He made one last, slightly desperate lunge on Lap 20 into Turn 4, which was nearly disastrous as he narrowly avoided Norris’ diffuser. It was uncharacteristic of the usually unflappable Aussie, and he got a virtual slap on the wrist from the pit wall for it. From there, he didn’t get close to Norris and had to settle for 2nd.

Charles Leclerc – 8.5

It was a quiet afternoon for Charles, but he maximised the performance of the Ferrari in Austria. Once he lost 2nd place to Piastri, he was left in the distance by the McLarens but stretched away from Hamilton in 4th. Leclerc took his 5th podium in Austria, the most of any track for the Monegasque.

Lewis Hamilton – 8.2

A much more positive weekend for Lewis and it was nice to see him smiling post race, despite finishing 30 seconds off the lead. Another quiet race in a Ferrari, starting 4th and finishing 4th. He lost ground in the first stint to Leclerc, up to 10 seconds and he did close in slightly over the next two, but never getting within 5 seconds. A podium would have been lovely but lets save that for next weekend.

George Russell – 8.1

Mercedes knew Austria wasn’t going to be a strong weekend for their car. The hot temperatures causing high tyre degradation and as a result, Russell ended over a minute behind the McLarens. This was damage limitation for Russell and probably the best he was hoping for. The predicted high temps for the British Grand Prix could scupper any podium aspirations Russell has for his home event.

Liam Lawson – 9.2

A brilliant performance from Lawson and a thoroughly well-deserved 6th place in Austria. I’m sure he had a smile on his face to out-qualify former teammate Verstappen on Saturday. It could have been a very different race as he came extremely close to being caught up in the first lap collision and lost 3 positions, but once clear, he performed the one-stop beautifully to well and truly finish best of the rest, getting back up to his starting position.

Fernando Alonso – 9.1

Another points finish for the leading Aston Martin and another successful one-stop strategy to take 7th place. Alonso just missed out on Q3 but was able to leapfrog into the points and held off his client, Bortoleto, to hold onto 7th in the final laps. All Aston Martin needs is a second Fernando Alonso for their other car…

Gabriel Bortoleto – 9.2

Bortoleto got the result his driving has deserved this year. He has shown moments of quality and great qualifying performances previously, but it all came together in Austria. His first Q3 appearance was followed by taking his first points of his F1 career on Sunday. He showed consistent pace throughout the race and made good overtakes when he needed to, but couldn’t quite get past his manager, Fernando Alonso, in the final laps.

Nico Hulkenberg – 9.1

This is going to be a hard one to rate below his teammate. Nico started right at the back of the grid and came home 9th. Both Saubers showed great speed in the race, and the car is showing real signs of improvement. Nico undercut at the first stops and overcut at the second and finished 7 seconds off his teammate. It’s double 9s for the Saubers!

Esteban Ocon – 8.6

Another quality performance from the back of the grid! Ocon started 17th and bided his time early on, making up a few places early on but then hanging onto his tyres to create a nice offset. He used this to his advantage, overtaking his teammate for 11th before lap 30 and then overtaking Hadjar late on to take 10th and the final point.

Ollie Bearman – 8.3

Bearman just missed out on points in Austria with another good drive from lower down the field, taking advantage of the incidents ahead. He was the first person to pit on Lap 11, starting on the softs and used the double hards strategy well from there, keeping out of trouble but couldn’t quite take home any of the spoils.

Isack Hadjar – 7.5

An unusual weekend for Hadjar in his rookie season, he was comprehensively outperformed by his teammate. He qualified 13th and finished 12th, continuing this small mid-season slump for the Frenchman. He had to take avoiding action at Turn 3, Lap 1, which dropped him down the order and he wasn’t able to threaten the points from there.

Pierre Gasly – 7.6

A frustrating race for Pierre as he made it into Q3 on Saturday, but tyre issues hampered him in the race. He was one of the few at the top to start on the softs, which degraded quickly, and he found no grip when he switched to the hards. Unfortunately for Gasly, we only really saw him getting overtaken on Sunday.

Lance Stroll – 5.3

Lance continued his streak of getting knocked out in Q1 in Austria and didn’t really trouble the TV screens during the race. He was rudely bundled off the track by Tsunoda at Turn 3, but that’s about it really. Another inconspicuous event for the Canadian.

Franco Colapinto – 4.5

A bumpy race for Colapinto. Every time he was shown on TV, he was in a scrap with Tsunoda. Both would end up with penalties, Franco’s for driving Championship leader Piastri off the road on the exit of Turn 3, not realising he was there. He would be spun around by Tsunoda later on to leave him last on the road, but he got that position back when Tsunoda had to take his penalty.

Yuki Tsunoda – 3.1

A terrible race from Tsunoda. Say what you like about the 2nd Red Bull and its issues, but this performance wasn’t all car issues. Yuki was knocked out in Q1 again, but kept making silly mistakes in the race. His dive bomb on Lance Stroll was clumsy at best and stupid at worst. He came from way too far back but didn’t fully commit, pushing Lance off at the exit and getting a slam dunk penalty. He repeated the move on Colapinto, this time at Turn 4. Diving late to the inside, but not fully committed, he has Colapinto to thank for not crashing at the apex, but then Tsunoda understeered wide, clipping and spinning Colapinto on the exit. He got a 10-second penalty for that indiscretion which put him dead last.

Alex Albon – 6.9

Really unlucky finish for Alex, he made up 6 spots at the start, was running in 6th place and looking likely to end his pointless streak before a technical issue forced him to retire on Lap 14.

Max Verstappen – 5.0

Max’s 31-race points scoring streak ended on Lap 1 on Sunday, through no fault of his own. He was minding his own business on the outside of Turn 3 before an out-of-control Antonelli came flying in, taking them both out. Unfortunate for Max and the Orange Army at Red Bull’s home race.

Kimi Antonelli – 2.5

A rookie error from Kimi, which is going to happen…as he is one. He got caught out by the cars in front braking earlier than expected, locked the rears and couldn’t slow down before colliding into Verstappen. He gets 2 penalty points on his license and a 3 place grid penalty for the British Grand Prix for his troubles. He will learn from this.

Carlos Sainz – N/A

A rare Did Not Start for Sainz. He was unable to pull away for the formation lap, causing an aborted start. Once he did get going, he brought it back to the pits, only for his brakes to catch alight, ending his race before it could start. Really tricky period for the Williams team. Hopefully they can pick things back up at their home Grand Prix.

Alright, decent Austrian Grand Prix, but can’t wait for the best weekend of the year, the British Grand Prix. Get us to Silverstone, where I fully expect the McLarens to continue their championship battle. Mixed weather is forecasted as well, could be spicy. See you next time.

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!