Tag: Russell

Belgian Grand Prix Driver Ratings

It was by no means a classic in Belgium this time around. Once again wet weather actually gets in the way of racing, when it used to produce some of the best action. F1 in 2025 is basically a dry weather sport, which is a damn shame. Once the track was dry enough for this risk averse race director to let us go, Piastri took advantage of the slipstream up to Lecombe to take the lead and not look back. Not much action happened behind unfortunately, apart from Lewis Hamilton rolling back the years to pull off some lovely overtakes on a comeback drive, gifting him points in the process.

Without further ado, let’s get into the ratings:

Oscar Piastri – 9.1

It was a masterful drive from Oscar in Belgium. Starting 2nd on the rolling start, he bravely followed Norris through Eau Rouge and slipstreamed past him on the Kemmel straight to take the lead, and crucially the strategy advantage on a wet-dry track. Once he had the advantage, he didn’t give it back. He held onto his degrading mediums, and didn’t give Lando a sniff, putting in metronomic lap times over the last 25 laps to win by 4 seconds.

Lando Norris – 7.5

A mistake ridden race from Norris which we haven’t seen for a while. He didn’t ace the rolling start, which lost him the lead and then made 3 costly mistakes when hunting down Piastri to take the lead back. He had to settle for 2nd on this occasion and a loss of momentum in the title fight.

Charles Leclerc – 8.7

Charles had a great weekend all round in this seemingly improved Ferrari. He ran third for the whole race, withstanding constant Verstappen pressure to take a very deserved podium.

Max Verstappen – 7.5

Max was hampered by the race officials on Sunday. Red bull opted for a high downforce setup, anticipating wet weather, which they got, but the race director didn’t let them use it. With the race being run in dry conditions for the majority, Verstappen wasn’t able to get past Leclerc on the straights, confining him to 4th.

George Russell – 7.7

A lonely one for George after he passed Albon on Lap 6. He was quicker than the Williams but slower than the cars ahead, eventually finishing 30 seconds off the lead and 16 behind the podium. George is worried about this Mercedes performance slump since his Canada win.

Alex Albon – 8.9

A cracking performance from Albon. His last gasp Quali lap to get him into 5th was mega! Not that we saw because of poor TV direction, but that’s not new. He couldn’t hold off George in the wet but did stop Hamilton in his tracks to take a fantastic 6th for Williams.

Lewis Hamilton – 7.9

I think this was Lewis’ best race for Ferrari despite starting 18th and finishing 7th. His progress up the field in the early stages threw us back to pre-2022. He carved his way through, his late braking moves and brace driving. His move on Gasly was confident! Something we haven’t been able to say for a long time. Fingers crossed this is actually the turning point we are hoping for.

Liam Lawson – 8.3

Another great drive from Lawson. He is stringing a few together now! A good qualifying got him into position and Racing Bulls got the strategy right to maintain 8th place.

Gabriel Bortoleto – 8.6

Bortoleto’s best all round performance to date. He out performed his teammate all weekend, got into Q3 and scored his 2nd ever points. He looked consistently quick and made some nice moves in the race.

Pierre Gasly – 8.1

Valuable point for Gasly and Alpine. Their aggressive strategy paid off, Gasly pitted on Lap 11 with Hamilton to jump up multiple places into 11th and then inherited 10th after Hulkenberg pitted twice.

Ollie Bearman – 7.8

Ollie was unlucky not to get points in the race, after Haas left him and his teammate out too long on the inters and they weren’t able to recover. Ollie just misses out in 11th, gutting.

Nico Hulkenberg – 7.4

Nico was another who missed out on strategy. Sauber decided to pit him a second time when running in 10th, which proved to be the wrong decision. He dropped down to 15th and could only recover to 12th. A valuable point dropped in the very close midfield battle.

Yuki Tsunoda – 7.6

This bottom half is going to follow a similar pattern. Another driver screwed by strategy. Yuki was arguably having his best weekend in a Red Bull, qualifying and running in 7th until a radio mishap meant he ran an extra lap with the inters, dropping him well out of the points. Still, light at the end of the tunnel.

Lance Stroll – 7.1

Honestly have no idea what happened to Stroll, apart from he climbed from 16th to 14th. On paper, not bad. He did make a lovely move on a Haas, which we saw on TV. Other than that, we know he definitely participated.

Esteban Ocon – 6.1

Esteban was not happy with his team, saying they made every mistake possible on Sunday. They left him out way too long on the intermediates and went the wrong way on setup which left him stuck. Ouch.

Kimi Antonelli – 5.3

A struggle for Kimi in Belgium. Wasn’t able to get out of Q1 in both sessions, started from the pit lane in the main race and progressed only to 16th. This Mercedes performance and his confidence have taken a hit. Summer break can’t come soon enough to allow Kimi to reset and go again.

Fernando Alonso – 5.1

Not even Fernando Alonso can cure this Aston Martin. Alonso qualified 19th, started from the pit lane and finished 17th. Even bigger ouch than Ocon.

Carlos Sainz – 5.9

Yet another driver screwed by strategy. Carlos pit on Lap 12 like the rest of the grid but gambled on another on Lap 26 which was, again, a mistake. He wasn’t running in the points so might as well have hit it didn’t work out. Scored points in the sprint though!

Franco Colapinto – 3.5

Another pitlane starter who didn’t trouble the main field. Not much else to say. Like Stroll, we definitely know he participated.

Isak Hadjar – 6.7

Both strategy and car issues put pay to Hadjar’s day. Despite running as the first Racing Bull on the road in the early stages, the team pulled Lawson in first. This cost Hadjar a lap and many positions as he came back out towards the back. However, not all was right with his car, an issue lost him lots of time and ate through his tyres. He finished a lap down.

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.

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!

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.