Azerbaijan GP Driver Ratings: Piastri’s Triumph, Leclerc’s Pole, and Verstappen’s Worst Weekend in Six Years?

Azerbaijan GP Driver Scores: Has Max Verstappen Experienced His Toughest Weekend in Six Years?

Crash.net presents its F1 driver evaluations after a thrilling Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Oscar Piastri – 10

Piastri showcased outstanding skill in Azerbaijan, securing his second career win. His impressive move to pass Leclerc was a highlight, and his defensive driving for the remainder of the race was top-notch.

Charles Leclerc – 9

Leclerc delivered an impeccable pole position performance in Baku. During the initial phase of the race, he appeared to be in for an easy ride, establishing a five-second advantage. However, the Ferrari seemed less competitive on the hard tires, allowing Piastri to overtake at Turn 1 later in the race. Leclerc couldn't regain his position before facing pressure from Perez and Sainz in the final laps.

George Russell – 8.5

Russell made the most out of the Mercedes car in Azerbaijan. He qualified fifth and managed to secure a somewhat lucky podium finish. Additionally, he successfully overtook Verstappen during the race.

Lando Norris – 8

Norris had some bad luck in Q1 when a yellow flag came out at the wrong time for him. Despite this setback, he bounced back and managed to finish ahead of his closest competitor for the championship.

Max Verstappen – 6

Verstappen experienced a surprisingly difficult weekend, which he attributed to a bad setup decision. Compared to his teammate Perez, he was slower around the Baku circuit.

Fernando Alonso – 8.5

Alonso delivered an impressive performance to secure a spot in Q3, outperforming both Williams drivers. As is typical for him, he maximized the potential of the Aston Martin during the race, resulting in a significant points gain.

Alex Albon – 8

Albon achieved Williams' top finish this season by securing eighth place. Demonstrating impressive speed, he managed to extend his stint on hard tires while holding off challenges from Norris, Verstappen, and Russell.

Franco Colapinto – 8.5

Colapinto remains impressive. The Argentine driver stood out during the qualifying session, reaching Q3 in just his second F1 race.

Lewis Hamilton – 6

Similarly to Verstappen, Hamilton faced difficulties in Azerbaijan. He attributed his disappointing Q3 performance to a defective part, and his race prospects were dashed by having to start from the pit lane because of a power unit change.

Oliver Bearman – 8

Bearman delivered an outstanding performance during the qualifying rounds, outpacing Hulkenberg. However, the Haas driver faced difficulties maintaining speed in the early stages of the race. Bearman caught a break towards the end, managing to overtake Hulkenberg on the second-to-last lap at Turn 3, shortly after navigating through the debris left by Sainz and Perez.

Nico Hulkenberg – 7

Hulkenberg was outqualified by his temporary rookie teammate. He was in position to earn a point as he entered Lap 50, but Bearman overtook him.

Pierre Gasly – 7.5

Gasly had a reasonably successful weekend, standing out as the faster driver among the Alpine team. Although he performed strongly in qualifying, his efforts were nullified by a disqualification over a fuel flow infringement. Despite this setback, he raced commendably and ended up just shy of earning points.

Daniel Ricciardo – 6.5

Ricciardo had a rather lackluster performance throughout the weekend. Among the two Red Bull drivers, he was the less impressive, blending into the background without making a significant impact.

Zhou Guanyu – 6.5

Zhou's outcome was determined before qualifying when Sauber decided to install a new engine. He focused on supporting the team, providing Bottas with a helpful slipstream during the Finn's fastest lap. Zhou performed consistently during the race, eventually passing Bottas twice and finishing ahead of him.

Esteban Ocon – 6

Ocon faced a troubling weekend, with his practice sessions being significantly restricted.

Valtteri Bottas – 6

Bottas has been performing well in qualifying sessions, but his efforts fell short of advancing to Q2.

Sergio Perez – 8.5

Azerbaijan marked Perez’s most impressive performance of the season. He was clearly Red Bull’s top driver, maintaining a lead of more than 20 seconds over Verstappen before an unfortunate incident forced him to retire.

Carlos Sainz – 8

Though Sainz didn't quite match Leclerc's speed, he excelled in managing his tyres and performed well on race day. Unfortunately, the collision with Perez, deemed a racing incident by the stewards, was a disappointing moment.

Lance Stroll – 6

Stroll's race was compromised early on after a collision with Tsunoda on the first lap.

Yuki Tsunoda – 5.5

Despite a strong performance in qualifying, Tsunoda was forced to retire early after a collision with Stroll on the first lap.

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