Spanish GP Driver Ratings: Verstappen Shines, Out-of-Contract Star Impresses, and Mid-Season Struggles Persist for Perez

Driver Ratings for the Spanish Grand Prix: Impressive Performance by a Contract-Free F1 Driver

Connor McDonagh, a journalist for Crash.net, provides his driver ratings for the Spanish Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen – 10

Verstappen once again proved to be the key player for Red Bull, showcasing exceptional skill in Barcelona despite not having the fastest car.

Lando Norris – 8.5

Considering McLaren possessed the quickest car this weekend, it's difficult to concur with the fans' choice to award Norris as the driver of the day. Although his pole position lap was extraordinary, he failed to come through during crucial moments on Sunday, both at the start and when navigating through traffic later.

Lewis Hamilton – 9

Barcelona is one of those circuits where Hamilton consistently performs well. This time, he managed to secure third place in qualifying, and despite a sluggish beginning to the race, he turned that into his first podium finish of the year.

George Russell – 8

Russell had a remarkable start, reminiscent of Alonso, as he skillfully maneuvered around the outside of both Norris and Verstappen to seize the lead. However, Russell's race pace wasn't quite on par with Hamilton's. Despite the lack of strategic differences, the seven-time world champion still had the upper hand.

Charles Leclerc – 8.5

Despite facing challenges with speed until the final qualifying session, Leclerc managed to outperform Sainz once more. He delivered a seasoned performance, ultimately securing fifth place by carefully managing his tyres.

Carlos Sainz – 7.5

Sainz mentioned that he aimed to be assertive while racing in his home country, but his efforts were futile as he ended up in sixth place.

Oscar Piastri – 6

Piastri had a disappointing weekend, with his prospects dashed by an incident in the last few corners during qualifying. Although he managed to climb back to seventh place, this performance fell short, especially considering he was driving the top car in Barcelona.

Sergio Perez – 5.5

Perez's difficulties during the middle of the season persisted in Spain. Though he made it to Q3, his penalty from the previous race meant he started with a disadvantage.

Pierre Gasly – 9

Apart from Verstappen, Gasly undeniably stood out as the top performer of the weekend. He shone during the qualifying rounds and followed it up with an impressive race. If it weren't for a sluggish pit stop, he would have ended the race ahead of Perez.

Esteban Ocon – 7.5

Though slightly trailing behind Gasly, Ocon managed to secure a point, contributing to what was a strong weekend for Alpine.

Nico Hulkenberg – 7

Haas was not in the running for points in Barcelona, but Hulkenberg managed to deliver a solid performance, finishing in 11th place.

Fernando Alonso – 6.5

Sadly for Alonso, competing on his home ground, Aston Martin showed no promise. The car lacked speed, and it felt like a repeat of last year's struggles in terms of development.

Zhou Guanyu – 6

Switching to a different chassis led to Zhou making his first Q2 appearance of the season. He was assigned a more standard strategy compared to his teammate Bottas, enabling him to compete within the midfield pack.

Lance Stroll – 6

Stroll didn’t match Alonso’s performance during a weekend where Aston Martin seemed unlikely to earn points.

Daniel Ricciardo – 6.5

It was an unusually rough weekend for Red Bull Racing, as their recent upgrade hasn't yet shown the expected improvements. Nonetheless, Ricciardo managed to have a reasonably strong performance in the race.

Valtteri Bottas – 6.5

Bottas shone during the qualifying round, increasing his lead over Zhou to a perfect 10-0 in their direct comparison. However, Sauber's strategic choices were surprisingly poor.

Kevin Magnussen – 5.5

A premature start dashed Magnussen's hopes for a strong race performance.

Alex Albon – 6.5

Williams had their toughest weekend of the year, as they were clearly the slowest team in Barcelona.

Yuki Tsunoda – 5.5

Tsunoda had a chaotic race and received a penalty for exceeding the speed limit in the pit lane.

Logan Sargeant – 5

Lagging behind and largely unnoticed. A forgettable weekend for both Sargeant and the Williams team.

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