As it so often does, Albert Park in Melbourne produced a memorable grand prix weekend as drivers were challenged by the high-speed, low-grip street circuit.
There were some outstanding showings among the 20 drivers – even if only 19 were able to participate in the grand prix itself.
But there is no question whose performance from this weekend will be remembered for a long time to come. Here are RaceFans’ driver ratings for the Australian Grand Prix.
A guide to RaceFans’ driver ratings system
RaceFans’ driver ratings system assesses driver performance across all three days of a grand prix weekend. Naturally, performances during competitive sessions – qualifying, sprint races and grands prix – will carry the most weight to their rating.
However, practice performance can affect a driver’s weekend rating in the event of a major mistake, such as a crash, consistent errors throughout practice sessions or if a driver shows a notably impressive speed throughout all free practice sessions relative to their team mate.
The system attempts to take into account the relative performance of each driver’s car and the expected results from that, meaning that a driver who wins a race in a car clearly superior to the rest of the field may not necessarily score as highly as a driver who claims a low points finish in a midfield car.
Ratings also attempt to take into account mitigating factors outside of a driver’s control. If a driver is forced to miss considerable track time due to car problems, is the victim of being blocked in qualifying, finishes far lower than expected because of a heavily botched pit stop or suffers any other misfortune they cannot be reasonably expected to control, their rating should not be penalised.
RaceFans rates each driver’s weekend performance on a scale of 0 to 10, where ‘5’ is considered to be a typically average weekend performance from a typically average Formula 1 driver.
Here is a rough guide to each possible score:
N/A – Not applicable – No rating is given as the driver did not sufficiently participate in the competitive sessions
0 – Disqualified – Only in the most extreme instance where a driver’s conduct disqualifies them from participation
1 – Appalling – An appalling display that brings a driver’s competency under immediate question
2 – Awful – A very, very poor performance of repeated errors with almost no redeeming qualities
3 – Very bad – Far more negatives than positives across the weekend which a driver should be very disappointed with
4 – Underperformance – Driver failed to achieve the base level expected for a Formula 1 driver
5 – Acceptable – The standard level of performance that should be expected from an F1 driver
6 – Good – A decent overall performance across the weekend, but not one of the best
7 – Very good – A strong performance across the weekend that any driver should be very pleased with
8 – Brilliant – A truly great weekend where the driver stood out as one of the very best of the field
9 – Exceptional – An outstanding performance that ranks as one of the best, if not the very best, of the entire season
10 – Legendary – One of the few all-time greatest performances by a driver in the history of Formula 1
Max Verstappen – 7/10
Start: Held position
Finished: Retired (L4 – Brakes)
▶ Struggled with balance of car in practice
▲ Secured third consecutive pole by almost three tenths
▲ Held the lead on the opening lap but suffered brake problem
▶ Lost the lead to Sainz before soaring brake temperatures led to early retirement
Although Verstappen lost his winning streak in Australia, it was through no fault of his own. He stormed to pole against the run of play throughout practice and managed to keep ahead of Sainz off the line. Although he lost the lead after running wide at turn three, that turned out to be no error on his part. Sadly, his early retirement means we’ll never find out just how strong his race pace would have ended up being.
Sergio Perez – 6/10
Qualified: 3rd (-2 places behind team mate, +0.359s)
Grid: 6th (-5 places behind team mate)
Start: -1 place
Strategy: Two-stop (M-H-H)
Finished: 5th (+14 places ahead of team mate)
▶ Battled with balance of his car throughout practice
▶ Beaten to front row by Leclerc to take third
▶ Fell to sixth on grid after grip drop for impeding Hulkenberg
▼ Overtaken by Russell on the opening lap
▲ Passed Russell and Alonso to gain fifth
▶ Suffered floor damage from trapped tear-off which affected tyre wear, finished fifth
On the face of it, Perez looked like he had a 2023-style weekend of failing to extract the best from his Red Bull – but that was not the case. Although his team mate took pole, Red Bull were probably not as overwhelmingly strong in qualifying as their results suggested and were likely weaker in the race than they had been in the first two rounds.
After a grid penalty that he was not to be blamed for, damage from a foreign object and his car generally just not being as strong in the race as its rivals, fifth was not a bad result for Perez. The fact his team principal apologised to him for his car’s performance after the race was telling.
Lewis Hamilton – 5/10
Start: +1 place
Strategy: One-stop (S-H)
Finished: Retired (Power unit – L16)
▼ Knocked out in Q2 for the first time in 2024
▶ Highest-placed soft starter, gaining a place from Alonso on lap one
▶ Undercut Tsunoda after first stop to run in 11th
▶ Forced to retire on lap 16 when power unit failed
Hamilton’s final season with Mercedes is looking as if it will be no more fruitful than the previous two. He only looked on his team mate’s level once in final practice, but while he couldn’t follow Russell into Q3, he was only half a tenth off. He tried something different by starting on soft tyres and was matching his team mate’s lap times despite being a few places and seconds behind, but his power unit failure means we will never know how he could have fared.
George Russell – 6/10
Qualified: 7th (+4 places ahead of team mate, -0.059s)
Start: +1 place
Strategy: Two-stop (M-H-H)
Finished: Retired (Crash – L57)
▲ Inside the top six in every practice session before qualifying seventh
▲ Passed Perez at the start to sit in fifth after Verstappen’s retirement
▶ Overtaken by Perez in second stint, then ran behind Alonso
▶ Crashed after being caught out by Alonso’s ‘erratic’ defending on penultimate lap
Russell was the better Mercedes driver in Melbourne and his performance across the weekend was satisfactory – and probably good, all things considered. But there is a problem when it comes to how to factor in his race-ending crash. While it may appear that he was solely to blame for losing his car on his own, the stewards’ inquiry into the crash suggests that Alonso stepped over the line of what’s acceptable. For that reason, it feels as though he can’t be too heavily penalised for being caught out the way he was.
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Charles Leclerc – 7/10
Qualified: 5th (-3 places behind team mate, +0.25s)
Grid: 4th (-2 places behind team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: Two-stop (M-H-H)
Finished: 2nd (-1 place behind team mate)
▶ Quickest of all in two final practice sessions
▶ Qualified fifth after abandoning final Q3 attempt, moved to fourth by Perez’s penalty
▲ Undercut Norris after first stop to take second where he would remain
▶ Kept ahead of Norris but could not catch team mate, settling for second
▲ Took bonus point for fastest lap
It’s very tricky to judge how to rate Leclerc. He had a good grand prix and backed up his team mate for a one-two win, but it was easy to see how dissatisfied he was with his result. He lost his confidence in the balance of the car in qualifying after looking like favourite for pole and he did well to get by Norris without having to do it on track. Although he lost a chance to fight for a win, it feels like it was more to do with a set-up change gone wrong, rather than substandard driving on his part.
Carlos Sainz Jnr – 9/10
Start: Held position
Strategy: Two-stop (M-H-H)
Finished: Winner (+1 place ahead of team mate)
▶ First time back in car after undergoing appendectomy in Jeddah
▲ Closest driver to Verstappen on Saturday, beating team mate and Perez to front row
▲ Passed Verstappen for lead on second lap before his problems worsened
▲ Maintained strong pace, looking very comfortable out front
▲ Led every lap after passing Verstappen to secure memorable victory
This was Sainz’s weekend and one that he will remember for a very long time. He built himself up smartly over the weekend and while he missed out on pole, he did beat a Red Bull to the front row. Although Verstappen was suffering a problem when he overtook him, it was before things really started to get bad and he still had to make the move stick into turn nine – and he did. From there, he controlled the race like any of Verstappen’s recent victories.
What takes Sainz’s performance from an eight to a nine, compared to so many of Verstappen’s showings in recent years? Although he was clearly well enough to race, it’s clear Sainz was not physically at 100% over the weekend – something Alexander Albon will vouch for. Yet despite this, he delivered an excellent performance that even though he was likely in the best car on Sunday, he was the best driver on the circuit over the weekend.
When it comes to the end of the season and beyond, Sainz’s Melbourne weekend will stand out as one of the year’s most memorable performances. And that is what brings his gutsy driving to a nine.
Lando Norris – 8/10
Qualified: 4th (+2 places ahead of team mate, -0.257s)
Grid: 3rd (+2 places ahead of team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: Two-stop (M-H-H)
Finished: 3rd (+1 place ahead of team mate)
▲ Beat team mate to line up fourth on the grid, but promoted to third by Perez’ penalty
▶ Dropped behind Leclerc and Piastri after first stop but allowed by team mate
▶ Kept pace with Leclerc but unable to get close enough to challenge
▲ Secured first podium of the season in third
Norris secured his first podium of the season after a strong weekend where he appeared to maximise his car’s performance. He seemed to get the best out of his car on Saturday and although Ferrari have the faster car, he did well to keep up with them even if he could not get close enough to fight. One of the best performers of the weekend.
Oscar Piastri – 6/10
Grid: 5th (-2 places behind team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: Two-stop (M-H-H)
Finished: 4th (-1 place behind team mate)
▶ Secured sixth on grid but promoted to fifth after Perez’ penalty
▶ Undercut team mate with earlier stop before allowing him by
▼ Lost five seconds with error at turn 13
▲ Finished directly behind team mate just off the podium in fourth
A good home grand prix for Piastri who certainly provided more joy for his hometown fans than Ricciardo did. He was slightly behind Norris on Saturday and Sunday but not by much and was a gracious team mate by recognising Norris was better placed to attack the Ferraris and allowed him through. A solid result but he cannot score higher after his unforced error into turn 13.
Fernando Alonso – 4/10
Start: -1 place
Strategy: Two-stop (H-M-H)
Finished: 8th (-2 places behind team mate)
▼ Reached Q3 but made mistake on final push lap
▶ Started on hard tyres and pitted under VSC, jumping several rivals
▶ Passed by Perez to run sixth with Russell behind
▼ Finished sixth but demoted to eighth after post-race drive-through penalty
For once, Alonso came away from a grand prix weekend with fewer points than his team mate – and it probably being deserved. Alonso made a mistake in qualifying that left him behind his team mate and benefitted from a well-timed VSC to put himself into the top five.
Although the debate around his defensive driving against Russell will rage for a long, long time, the evidence is clear that he took deliberate action that flirted too closely with danger at that particular corner at that particular speed and a penalty feels justified given all the nuances of the situation. Either way, he probably deserved to be behind Stroll to begin with.
Lance Stroll – 6/10
Qualified: 9th (+1 place ahead of team mate, -0.48s)
Start: +1 place
Strategy: Two-stop (M-H-H)
Finished: 6th (+2 places ahead of team mate)
▶ Out-qualified team mate in Q3 but failed to match best Q2 lap again
▲ Passed Tsunoda at the start and undercut Perez with first stop
▶ Jumped by team mate pitting under VSC, then passed by Perez
▶ Ran behind Russell for most of race, matching team mate’s pace ahead
▶ Finished seventh but promoted ahead of team mate after penalty
If only Stroll performed at the level he did over the Australian Grand Prix weekend throughout 2023, then Aston Martin could have had a strong chance of finishing higher in the last year’s championship. Even if he could have qualified better, he still had a better Saturday than his team mate and only fell behind him in the race because of Hamilton’s well-timed retirement. His race pace was solid and he deserved to score decent points.
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Pierre Gasly – 4/10
Qualified: 17th (-2 places behind team mate, +0.365s)
Start: Held position
Strategy: Two-stop (M-H-H)
Finished: 13th (+3 places ahead of team mate)
▶ Failed to follow team mate into Q2 after “small gearshift issue”
▶ Reprimanded for crossing pit exit line in qualifying
▶ Ran long first two stints before rejoining 15th after final stop
▼ Hit with five second penalty for crossing pit exit line – again
▶ Finished 13th, classified just ahead of Bottas
It’s difficult to make a strong impression when your car is one of the slowest on the grid, but Gasly has been better this year than he was in Melbourne. He didn’t quite seem to have the same pace as his team mate and was only ahead of him due to Ocon’s misfortune. His race pace was decent enough given the car he has, but committing the same basic infraction twice in the same weekend is not what an experienced driver should do.
Esteban Ocon – 6/10
Start: Held position
Strategy: Three-stop (M-H-H-H)
Finished: 16th (-3 places behind team mate)
▶ Hit the wall early in Q1 but recovered to escape into Q2
▶ Undercut Magnussen to run 14th before forced to pit with tear off in brake duct
▶ Fell to last after third stop, where he would finish
While Alpine continues to lack the performance of many of their traditional rivals, Ocon made a good showing of things over the weekend in Melbourne. He had a lucky escape brushing the wall exiting the final corner in Q1 but made up for it by reaching Q2 for the first time in 2024. He got a decent start and was in a promising position before a rogue tear-off strip ruined his afternoon. He showed decent race pace, matching that of Magnussen throughout the second half of the grand prix.
Alexander Albon – 5/10
Grid: 12th
Start: -2 places
Strategy: Two-stop (M-H-H)
Finished: 11th
▼ Crashed heavily in first practice after hitting bump at turn six, missing second practice
▶ Allowed to take over team mate’s chassis for rest of the weekend
▶ Reached Q2 but eliminated in 12th, two tenths from Q3
▼ Lost two places to Bottas and Magnussen on first lap
▶ Fought hard to keep pace with faster cars ahead but as cost of tyre wear
▼ Lost 11th when passed by Magnussen, finishing out of the points in 11th
A birthday weekend Albon will never forget, but not for the right reasons. His heavy crash in first practice defined his team’s weekend and ended his team mate’s. But it is not Albon’s fault that his team lacked a spare chassis.
After switching to Sargeant’s car, Albon was under immense pressure to deliver. He did a reasonable job, securing a decent starting position and driving as hard as he could in the race to only just miss out on points. It was a drive that would have been worthy of a 6/10, but he must be docked for his Friday shunt.
Logan Sargeant – N/A
▶ Was 14th fastest in first practice, less than a tenth behind team mate
▶ Had two offs in second practice on way to recording 13th-best time
▶ Withdrawn from the grand prix to allow team mate to race his car
There is nothing to assess about Sargeant’s weekend as he was denied the opportunity to complete the event by his team following Friday’s practice sessions. While it was almost certainly the wisest and best decision for the team, only the heartless would not have felt sympathy for him.
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Yuki Tsunoda – 8/10
Start: -1 place
Strategy: Two-stop (M-H-H)
Finished: 7th (+5 places ahead of team mate)
▲ Ahead of team mate in every practice session, inside top ten in two
▲ Qualified season-best eighth on grid after being top ten in each qualifying phase
▶ Ran behind Stroll for majority of race after being passed on first lap
▲ Great pass on Gasly at turn 12 to move up to ninth
▲ Scored first points of season in eighth but promoted to seventh after Alonso penalty
Tsunoda was excellent throughout the Australian Grand Prix weekend to deliver one of the more impressive and mature performances of his career. He looked comfortable and confident from the moment he headed out of the pitlane in first practice and made team mate Ricciardo look lost by comparison. His pass on Gasly was one of the best of the day and he thoroughly deserved to finish in the points for the second straight race.
Daniel Ricciardo – 4/10
Qualified: 18th (-10 places behind team mate, +0.729s)
Start: Held position
Strategy: Two-stop (S-H-H)
Finished: 12th (-5 places behind team mate)
▶ Behind team mate in every practice session
▼ Knocked out of Q1 in 18th after exceeding track limits on final push lap
▶ Changed power unit prior to start of race
▶ Started on softs and pitted early to gain clear air
▶ Struggled with graining but kept around 10 seconds away from team mate
▲ Passed Ocon for 14th before finishing 12th
A worrying one for Ricciardo whose weekend was so reminiscent of so many he had with McLaren before they let him go. He should have escaped Q1 and only had himself to blame and while he gained six places from his starting position, he gained only one from actually passing a rival – Ocon’s Alpine. He never looked like he was driving the same car as his team mate and gave his home fans little to cheer about.
Valtteri Bottas – 6/10
Start: +1 place
Strategy: Two-stop (M-H-H)
Finished: 14th (+1 place ahead of team mate)
▲ Reached Q2 before being knocked out in 13th
▲ Got ahead of Albon at the start to run just outside points
▶ Lost ~30s with yet another pit stop problem, falling last
▶Got by team mate after his own slow stop to sit in 15th
▶ Picked up 14th after Russell’s crash where he would finish
It was not the ‘home’ grand prix Bottas would have wanted as he finished well out of points contention, but he shared little blame for that. Once again, a pit stop problem for Sauber cost him badly – this time around 30 seconds. If you take away 30 seconds from his race time before the late VSC, he would have been in the mix with the Haas drivers and was largely matching their pace. He was also the better of the two Sauber drivers this weekend.
Zhou Guanyu – 5/10
Qualified: 19th (-6 places behind team mate, +0.645s)
Start: Held position
Strategy: Two-stop (S-H-H)
Finished: 15th (-1 place behind team mate)
▼ Knocked out slowest in Q1 after damaging front wing running wide at T10
▶ Forced to start from pitlane as replacement wing broke parc ferme
▶ Started on softs and pitted early for hards
▶ Suffered gearbox problem “throughout the race” according to team
▶ Lost ~18s in second stop due to gearbox problem
▶ Moved ahead of Ocon when he pitted to finish behind team mate in 15th
A frustrating weekend for Zhou who probably looked like he was worse than he really was. He only went slightly wide in qualifying but that was all it took to break his front wing, ending his qualifying. His gearbox problems made his afternoon on Sunday very difficult but once again his race pace was virtually identical to his team mates when he was out on the track.
Nico Hulkenberg – 6/10
Qualified: 16th (-2 places behind team mate, +0.267s)
Start: Held position
Strategy: Two-stop (H-M-H)
Finished: 9th (+1 place ahead of team mate)
▶ Failed to beat team mate into Q2, missing out by two tenths
▶ Started on hard tyres before pitting under VSC for mediums
▶ Allowed through by team mate then ran behind Tsunoda
▲ Ran strong race pace, keeping team mate behind at bay
▲ Set for final point in tenth but promoted to ninth after Russel crash
Two consecutive rounds in the points for Hulkenberg as he secured a top ten finish at Albert Park for the second straight year. It was another very solid showing by the Haas driver, but although he finished ahead of his team mate, he was fortunate to get ahead thanks to the Virtual Safety Car and team orders. Considering that and the fact he was beaten by his team mate in qualifying, he doesn’t quite get the same score as him.
Kevin Magnussen – 7/10
Start: +1 place
Strategy: Two-stop (M-H-H)
Finished: 10th (-1 place behind team mate)
▲ Successfully reached Q2 to secure 14th on the grid
▲ Got ahead of Albon at the start to run in 13th
▶ Allowed team mate to pass, then ran behind him the rest of the race
▲ Great pass on Albon to move up to 11th
▲ Gained final point when Russell crashed to finish tenth behind team mate
As odd as it may seem to score Magnussen more than Hulkenberg despite finishing behind him, it feels justifiable when looking at the whole weekend. Magnussen beat his team mate into Q2 and was looking racy throughout the grand prix. He played the team game again to help benefit Hulkenberg after the VSC worked out in his team mate’s favour and his pass on Albon was excellent. He deserved a point and probably deserved to be the leading Haas driver.
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NB. Drivers who did at least two grands prix
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2024 Australian Grand Prix
- Alonso calls Australian GP penalty a ‘one-off I’ve had too many of’
- Red Bull saw warning sign of Australian GP brake problem on Saturday – Verstappen
- Failing to punish Alonso would have “opened a can of worms” – Russell
- Leclerc sure “many team principals” are pursuing Sainz for 2025 seat
- “Don’t put me under pressure” – The best unheard team radio from Melbourne
Matthijs (@matthijs)
26th March 2024, 7:57
This is the second year in a row that Tsunoda’s teammate is (thus far) last in the average F1 drivers ratings standings. While De Vries and Ricciardo both perform(ed) undeniably poor, perhaps Tsunoda indeed is faster than most give him credit for. Even within the RB-family I feel Yuki has not gotten the appreciation he deserves so far, with vocally expressing to expect first De Vries and then Ricciardo to have the upper hand within the team.
MichaelN
26th March 2024, 10:13
It’s possible that Tsunoda is better suited to the recent Red Bulls, but it’s hard to look past him being thoroughly outclassed by Gasly, who isn’t exactly on many teams’ wishlist. But since he can’t be compared to someone who isn’t his teammate, it’s fair to say he at least seems to be doing a solid job recently. Especially with the top positions being so hard to reach, he’s done quite well.
Honda
26th March 2024, 14:45
In this 2nd year already he was close to Gasly, 12-9 in qualifying was a big improvement, 23-12 is little misleading as in Baku Gasly got P5 and Yuki was P6 before the rear wing damage. So he lost 8pts in that race. I can clearly see the progress he is making and I think there is more to come from him. Ricciardo is a good challenge for him even though now he is not top5 drivers any more but he is not bad either. Pretty normal for driver who are coming to end of their career and have lost their peak performance, consistency.
Riccard
26th March 2024, 8:09
I understand 9/10 for Sainz if (as the article says) it reflects good performance despite recently having surgery.
If this has been Verstappen though, we’d have said it was one of his weaker weekends.
Time on the table in qualifying meaning we placed 2nd when 1st was available. Great front-running in stints 1 and 2; but seemingly troubled in stint 3, losing both time and tyres.
7/10 on merit, with +1 bonus point for doing it with just two weeks of training, and +1 for giving us a winner that isn’t Max
earthling (@34rthl1ng)
26th March 2024, 9:30
I would have Sainz a 9 if not for the awkward T10 in Q3 where he lost 2-3 tenths and probably pole. But I am very frustrated to have lost what could have been a race-long battle with Max for the win. I do not thing Max could have scampered away as easily as usual from Carlos in DRS range. Then come strategies, pitstops etc. and anything could have happened. On the whole I think Max would probably have won anyway, but it would have been worth watching (the problem with the relentless Max victories is that they are supremely boring, you do not even get to watch Max on TV after the first lap until the flag comes down, most race days).
So I find Carlos a bit overestimated today maybe that’s the surgery effect, I’d give him an 8. But I find him consistently underestimated here, so this is a nice change. I believe Carlos is going to give Charles a run for his money in his last Ferrari season. In Bahrein he showed what he’s made of getting ahead of Charles twice, even when the team favoured their number 1 driver with an undercut that reinstated things in their pretended order
Riccard
26th March 2024, 13:24
I agree he’s been underestimated by a lot of commentators. To some people this might be “wow that #2 driver won a race”. Whereas I’m seeing Ferrari’s basically co-#1, a driver on a par with Leclerc/Russell/Norris/Piastri, do what we all know he’d be doing several times a season IF the Verstappen/RB20 pairing wasn’t such a machine.
It’s “nice to see him get a chance to remind us he’s good” — rather than “who’s that?”
MichaelN
26th March 2024, 10:15
The 9 is a bit much. This isn’t really a historic race by any means, and I doubt it’ll register as more than a “oh yeah, Sainz had that surgery two weeks before, huh!” by the end of even this season. Still, a solid 8 performance. Can’t really fault him for anything this weekend.
Dex
26th March 2024, 13:34
There’s no consistency here. Sainz didn’t do anything that Verstappen doesn’t do all the time, usually showing bigger dominance in fact. He wouldn’t get 9 for this, 8 at best, sometimes even 7 (reason could be that he didn’t qualify first, in the fastest car over one lap). So what does this mean, is it an extra point for not being Verstappen or RB driver? That wouldn’t make sense, because Ferrari was at least as fast as RB (I don’t mean cash grab team obviously) this weekend.
He was my driver of the race, but if this is 9, Verstappen should almost have 9s and 10s.
And I would give him a 9 by the way, but that’s not the usual criteria here.
frood19 (@frood19)
26th March 2024, 21:56
Agreed, verstappen has had numerous performances like sainz’s that were routinely rated as solid ‘8’. This is just vapid recency bias. I think Norris and tsunoda are rated way too high too. I kind of defended these ratings articles because the season mean is generally a really good arbiter of the best drivers…but it’s hard not to keep thinking these are just arbitrary nonsense from week to week.
DieRooiGevaar
28th March 2024, 3:22
When I had my appendix out I could hardly cycle to school two weeks later, let alone complete a race at the top of the game (and yes, I was nothing short of super fit when I was in high school). The fact that he stayed in the game to the end is insane, and I cannot for a second blame Sainz for a drop in performance in the final stint.
I’d rate Verstappen higher – the fact that he stayed ahead of the charging Ferrari for that long with a brake even slightly on is nothing short of crazy.
Martin (@f1hornet)
26th March 2024, 9:14
Ricciardo has now had the same number of starts for AT/RB as De Vries, and has only had one point scoring finish in that time. They bumped De Vries on the basis that he should have performed better given his motor racing experience, despite the fact that included only one F1 start before joining the team. Danny Ric has had 232 starts before re-joining AT, and hasn’t really performed, Mexico aside. Perhaps the only thing protecting him for being booted for Liam Lawson is that Red Bull management are distracted with the Christian Horner stuff, and that he’s more charismatic?
David (@nvherman)
26th March 2024, 10:09
@f1hornet
IIRC, Horner stated that he was never in favour of Lawson getting the drive in the first place, so they were looking for any excuse to drop him (although to be fair, I may be getting mixed up with De Vries at this point), and I believe that they were trying to spite McLaren with the comments about being as quick as Verstappen in the RB19 test Ricciardo did, following McLaren buying him out of his contract.
I’ve believed that Ricciardo is overrated for many years now, he’s only ever been a one trick pony (his late braking, as Brundle describes him as “Dan Dare on the brakes”), and his performances since 2017 demonstrate that.
Also, the “shoe-y” is just a disgusting thing to do.
MichaelN
26th March 2024, 10:17
I think it was De Vries that Red Bull never really wanted, but gave him a chance after Verstappen vouched for him, and also because they didn’t really have someone lined up for the seat.
David (@nvherman)
26th March 2024, 10:32
Yeah, that sounds familiar now you mention it
Martin (@f1hornet)
26th March 2024, 11:53
I guess that goes to my charisma point. Red Bull like Ricciardo (and right now there’s not an obvious person other than Lawson pounding on the door). Unless performances improve, I expect that to change at the end of the season though. Tsunoda too needs to show he could be a Red Bull driver, and while I think he’s getting better, I don’t know that I would prefer him to Perez (let alone Sainz). The likes of Buemi and Vergne were given three seasons back in the day before being given the boot and Tsunoda is in his fourth season now.
DieRooiGevaar
28th March 2024, 3:26
I can only guess that the prevailing suspicion at the Red Bull top is that the situation would be reversed if DR and YT got into the RB, which has radically different characteristics to those of the Visa Cash App Excercise in Ridiculous Overbranding Racing Bulls Team F1 Whatever.
I can’t be sure, but they have access to data that we do not. I’m curious to see how the season plays out. I have certainly been far more impressed with Tsunoda’s driving than in the past though.
earthling (@34rthl1ng)
26th March 2024, 9:34
A zero for both Merc drivers and the pink slip for the v1l3 Herbert as a steward.
Well, maybe I’ll be a bit generous with #44 and give him a 1 for his well-timed power failure that gave FA the chance for a pitstop under VSC.
David (@nvherman)
26th March 2024, 10:12
@34rthl1ng what a load of nonsense you write.
PlosslF1
26th March 2024, 12:33
I swear I’d die laughing if it came out Herbert was the only steward not to of voted on it being a penalty :)
roadrunner (@roadrunner)
26th March 2024, 14:39
@34rthl1ng: It’s all part of Hamilton’s big plan of. In 2007 he started to align with Herbert, knowing he’d be steward one day. Then in this race he needed Alonso in front of Russell so he had to time the VSC perfectly. Than back at the Mercedes pits he convinced the team of calling Russell in for his second stop while manipulating Alonsos Mercedes power unit, so Russell could catch back up with him.
The rest was beyond his control, but knowing perfectly the strength and weaknesses of all his rivals it was quite easy for him to predict that Alonso would try something dirty and Russell would fall for it.
PlosslF1
26th March 2024, 15:04
Your cromulent explanation really does embiggen the case against Herbert ;)
earthling (@34rthl1ng)
26th March 2024, 22:13
Would buy the explanation but for one thing. The need to think and plan ahead by someone not able to
Jere (@jerejj)
26th March 2024, 10:19
Most impressed: SAI, NOR, & TSU
Most disappointing: PER (notwithstanding the tear off-induced performance drop, but largely because of qualifying), RIC, & ALB
David (@nvherman)
26th March 2024, 10:34
@jerejj I’m not disagreeing, but notable that in your list there’s one driver from Red Bull’s family in Most impressed, and two in the most disappointing. Both of whom are the most experienced they have.
pcxmac (@pcxmac)
27th March 2024, 2:03
These are all new tracks for DR, and I am pretty sure Honda are pulling strings on that team to keep YT relevant.
I would judge DR after Japan to see if hes improved, because Yuki has loads more seat time in that team.
RBAlonso (@rbalonso)
26th March 2024, 10:22
I’m not having Alonso at 4/10.
He was ahead of Stroll in Q1 and Q2, lost a place at the start to a driver 2 with steps softer compound. Gained 10s on vsc but came out 11.4 ahead of stroll, on lap 35 was 16s ahead. Finished 12s ahead of Stroll even with issues and managing Russell.
The only reason he’s been docked points is for a penalty that is far from clear cut, and the Russell rating attributes Alonso 100% responsibility for the accident when in reality Russell misjudged it.
Dex
26th March 2024, 13:40
That 4 seems rather arbitrary too, and looks like a moralistic choice to be honest. But considering the damage he did to his own race, I don’t think I’d give him more than 5.
In the end I have to remind myself that we’re discussing someone’s personal, subjective ratings. But if I was doing this, I’d establish clear criteria and rules.
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
26th March 2024, 16:19
What’s special about being ahead of Stroll…?
RBAlonso (@rbalonso)
26th March 2024, 21:09
The ratings system uses team-mates performance as the key barometer.
earthling (@34rthl1ng)
26th March 2024, 22:16
I do not buy the penalty and would easily give FA a 7, would be an 8 with a better qualifying effort
Crawliin-from-the-wreckage (@davedai)
27th March 2024, 4:34
Yes I’d be giving Alonso a 7 , for maintaining his cool , excellent defensive driving and good to watch until Russell lost the plot and control of his car.
Only a 6-7 for Norris from me. Continued with his tradition of failing to be able to take advantage as circumstances fell his way. Uninspiring held position run, never threatening.
Showed his class by giving the crowd the finger.
Wellbalanced
26th March 2024, 10:35
The only one I would quibble with would be Max: he produced the goods in qualifying to get pole, had a good start in the race, and was then foiled by a car issue. So, I think 7 seems a bit low, given he performed at all times. I would say 8.
Pete
26th March 2024, 10:41
Personally, I’d say it’s still an 8 for Sainz. Had Red Bull not had issues, Sainz would have finished 2nd and people would have said “it’s a good drive all things considered – 8.” Had he got in front of Max and then fended off pressure from him for the rest of the race, then you’ve got the possibility of a 9 or a 10 but in reality, he overtook a broken car and then controlled the race from the front.
ludewig
26th March 2024, 17:56
Same here. We also have no clue how much the surgery affected Sainz, so that is pure speculation.
PlosslF1
26th March 2024, 10:56
Who else here just scrolled straight down to Alonso to see what score he got after Will Wood said “How am I supposed to give Alonso an 8/10 rating now?”… :)
George (@fedar)
26th March 2024, 13:18
I do not see how ALO “failed to achieve the base level expected for a Formula 1 driver” this weekend. Sure, he was poor by his own standards, but he still did a reasonable quali and a decent race. After all he put the car in Q3 and the mistake that lead to Russel’s crash was I believe his only one in the race. Should get a 5 or a 6 in my view.
As a Ferrari fan I can not complain too much about SAI getting a 9, but I think 8 would be more suitable. His race was pretty straightforward, no particular challenge, just manage the tires and keep your focus. His quali was also very good but not exceptional. Therefore an 8 (7+1 for the physical condition) would probably be more suitable. If he had gone trough a grueling battle with VER to get that win, then 9 would be deserved.
montreal95 (@montreal95)
26th March 2024, 16:58
Most ratings I agree with, but with a few exceptions :
1) Hulkenberg’s rating doesn’t take into account that he was impeded by Perez on his best lap if Q1. he was faster than Magnussen this weekend unlike Jeddah when it was indeed just circumstantial that he finished in front.
2) Verstappen should just get an N/A. it’s unfair to rate him a 7(way too low) and it’s unfair to rate him a 10 for just qualy and the race start.
3) Bottas had an excellent weekend ruined by his team. He destroyed Zhou in qualy and race and would’ve scored points without Sauber useless wheelnuts.
4) two drivers had a 10/10 weekends with their respective machinery: Sainz and Tsunoda. Neither got a 10. I don’t know what a driver has to do to get a 10 in your ratings. Win the race starting from the pit lane in an Alpine? Let’s be real.
ludewig
26th March 2024, 18:03
If I would do the rating, I would rate the quali and race separately and indeed would give Max a N/A for the race.
And Sainz could have done better by getting pole. He beat Max in Q1 and Q2, but then messed up in Q3.
montreal95 (@montreal95)
26th March 2024, 18:35
I totally agree. Separate ratings for qualy and race would solve this problem. It’s not like it’s a once in a year occurrence. Leclerc in Brazil 2023 comes to mind and he’s far from the only one recently who’s race ended very early through no fault of his own.
With regards to Sainz I see your point however it’s not like the case of Leclerc in Bahrain when he set a time in q2 faster than Max’s pole time but then had issues in q3. Not so here, Sainz might have made a small mistake in q3 but it’s more of a case of MV maximized all he had in q3 which he couldn’t manage or didn’t even try to manage in q1 and q2. Now, I’m sure Ferrari had RBR beating pace(just) in Melbourne qualy, but it was with Leclerc not with Sainz. Leclerc is on average a tenth or two faster than Sainz in qualy normally but he messed up. So it was a case of the RBR’s top qualifier at his absolute best against Ferrari’s second best qualifier( by a much much smaller margin than Perez of course but still) 2 weeks after appendectomy.
To sum it up, I don’t think in the circumstances Sainz would’ve got pole anyway and a small mistake in q3 is not enough for me to chop off a whole mark off his grade especially after being bedridden for half of the time between Jeddah and Melbourne and barely training for the other half. I might have been able to agree with a 9.5 but they don’t do that here.
ludewig
27th March 2024, 9:24
It was a small mistake by Sainz in Q3, but it was still a mistake which could have had major repercussions in the race if Max didn’t have his brake on.
Ultimately, the teams have got way better software that tell them what is possible much better than what we can gather from the data and Vasseur did think that P1 was a possibility.
And keep in mind that for Will Wood, a perfect race is typically worth an 8. A 9 requires some amazing heroics which in most cases will mean that the driver had to suffer from something beyond their control, like a blown engine in quali (or in this case, surgery). And a 10 requires the driver to solve world hunger, in addition to driving a perfect race.
montreal95 (@montreal95)
26th March 2024, 18:40
‘@fedar’ George I apologize, my comment was not a reply to yours of course. messed up again with the placement. Very sorry.
On that note I repeat my plea to ‘@keithcollantine’ : please, please can we have an edit button? even one active for a short time after posting. I’d pay for a 2 year subscription immediately just to have that and I’m sure I’m not the only one. Please?
JA
27th March 2024, 7:22
Hulkenberg being infront of Magnussen was once again circumstantial due to him getting a pitstop under a VSC. Hulkenberg was also slower on the first timed lap in Q1. With that being said, the impeding should have been accounted for – he did what he could in the end with what he was given.
Asd
26th March 2024, 16:18
My disagreements with the scores:
– I didn’t see a 2 point difference between Sainz and Leclerc, they were very close.
– I saw a larger difference than 1 point between Russell and Hamilton in favor of Russell.
– I definitely saw a much better performance than 4/10 from Alonso!
It’s somewhat dishonest to state that Stroll finished 6th and Alonso finished 8th. It’s actually factually wrong!
They were classified in those positions, which is something different from finishing in those positions.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
26th March 2024, 19:37
Yes, agree with everything you said.
AlexS
27th March 2024, 0:48
Also i agree with all your points Asd.
Magie
26th March 2024, 17:41
Well Get Will That one!
RR
26th March 2024, 19:25
The ratings are too high for some and too low for others.
Max should never rate below 8, he just does not make errors which itself is unusual.
Ben Rowe (@thegianthogweed)
26th March 2024, 19:27
Magnussen was actually faster in the final stint than hulkenberg, despite being on older tyres. He was also given an order to let Hulkenberg through. Hulkenberg did get blocked but that was early on in Q1. Magnussen imprved near the end and Hulkenberg didn’t.
pcxmac (@pcxmac)
27th March 2024, 2:03
Alonso, hands down, best defense, and producer of drama.
Edvaldo
27th March 2024, 13:21
for someone who needed team orders, again, to finish where he did, Norris is too high.