Formula 1 driver ratings: Ranking the 2023 grid, with Max Verstappen and Lando Norris among the stars

With 22 rounds within the books and a world champion long-crowned, it is time to charge the drivers for his or her performances within the 2023 Formulation 1 season.

Max Verstappen, Purple Bull: 10

Championship place: 1st – 575 factors

There could by no means be one other season fairly as dominant as what Verstappen has delivered in claiming a 3rd successive world championship, setting file win, level and podium totals within the course of.

After two wins within the first 4 races of the season for Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez, the Dutchman went on to make discuss of a title race between the Purple Bull pair look absurd, reeling off 17 victories within the remaining 18 Grands Prix.

Whereas the RB19 was undoubtedly the very best automotive on the grid, Verstappen’s unimaginable dominance of Perez – and the remainder of the sector – required exceptional consistency.

The 26-year-old displayed a rising maturity to deal with moist and chaotic races all through the marketing campaign, a lot of which may have simply been misplaced by a mistake or second of poor judgement.

Verstappen’s near-faultless marketing campaign has established him as an entire driver, who now rightfully sits among the many greats of the game with three titles.

Sergio Perez, Purple Bull: 5.5

Championship place: 2nd – 285 factors

It began so brightly with these two wins within the first 4 races, however sadly, the prospect of going toe-to-toe with Verstappen for a full marketing campaign acquired in Perez’s head.

After failing to grab a world championship lead when being comprehensively outperformed by Verstappen within the fifth race of the season in Miami, the Mexican’s marketing campaign fully fell aside.

The following 5 races have been 5 of the 9 events when he did not make it by means of to the ultimate a part of qualifying, a totally unacceptable determine given the RB19’s pace benefit, notably at that stage of the season.

Perez would complain that the automotive had been developed away from his driving type, however would finally come beneath main strain with a first-corner crash at his residence race in Mexico solely heightening hypothesis that Purple Bull may select to exchange him a 12 months earlier than the top of his contract.

In the end, the truth that he held onto second to safe Purple Bull’s first ever one-two within the drivers’ championship, with a comparatively constant end to the marketing campaign, has seemingly assured he’ll not less than begin the 2024 season as Verstappen’s team-mate.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes: 7.5

Championship place: third – 234 factors

2023 was one thing of a bounce-back marketing campaign for the seven-time world champion, as he overcame the frustration of being given one other uncompetitive automotive to largely get probably the most out of the W14.

Having been notably outscored by George Russell in 2022 of their first season as team-mates, Hamilton dispelled any notion that – on the age of 38 – his powers are waning.

Whereas he has now gone two full seasons with out a victory, Hamilton did not less than handle so as to add to his file pole place tally with a memorable lap in Hungary.

After dismissing rumours of a blockbuster change to Ferrari, Hamilton signed a two-year contract extension that can hold him within the sport till the top of 2025.

Whereas he could not fairly chase down Perez for second within the drivers’ standings, Hamilton confirmed greater than sufficient to counsel that if Mercedes can lastly grasp F1’s present period of design laws, he’s greater than able to difficult Verstappen.

George Russell, Mercedes: 6

Championship place: eighth – 175 factors

Having hardly put a foot unsuitable in his very good debut marketing campaign with Mercedes, Russell’s 2023 season could not have been in a lot higher distinction.

Whereas he was hardly ever far off Hamilton’s tempo, a mixture of misfortune with reliability and a few pointless errors noticed Russell end 59 factors again from his team-mate.

The Brit’s daring strategy is admirable and entertaining however three five-second penalties and a late crash to surrender a podium end in Singapore hinted at some poor decision-making.

Russell did finish the season on a optimistic observe, claiming a vital podium in Abu Dhabi to maintain Mercedes forward of Ferrari within the Constructors’ Championship.

In 2024, Russell should reaffirm his standing as Hamilton’s successor because the chief of the staff, with what appeared like a formality 12 months in the past not fairly so sure now.

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari: 7.5

Championship place: fifth – 206 factors

It has been one thing of a season of two halves for the Monegasque.

He endured a depressing begin with two retirements within the first three races, together with some shocking qualifying struggles, leaving him to play catch up.

Leclerc was second solely to Verstappen in claiming 5 pole positions, with three in a span of 4 races in the direction of the top of the season offering a reminder of his prodigious one-lap pace.

Whereas Leclerc has a exceptional energetic streak of 12 begins from pole with out a win, he appeared to have each likelihood of ending it in Las Vegas till an sadly timed Security Automotive handed the benefit to Purple Bull.

One other sturdy exhibiting in Abu Dhabi rounded off a vastly constant finish to the marketing campaign, which advised he is able to take the combat to Verstappen if Ferrari can present a automotive able to difficult.

Carlos Sainz, Ferrari: 7.5

Championship place: seventh – 200 factors

The one non-Purple Bull driver to win a 2023 race, Sainz produced a marketing campaign that additional dispelled the notion that he’s merely a strong quantity two choice to Leclerc.

The graceful-operating Spaniard’s win in Singapore was the clear spotlight of his season, as he confirmed unimaginable race-craft and composure to maintain Lando Norris’ McLaren inside DRS vary behind him to create a buffer to the quicker Mercedes automobiles behind them within the closing phases.

The victory in Singapore got here after a second successive pole place, the primary of which he transformed right into a podium end at Monza following a exceptional late scrap with Leclerc in entrance of the Tifosi.

Sainz – together with many of the grid – is rarely going to have the uncooked tempo of the extremely quick Leclerc, however his means to handle a race, generally overruling questionable calls from the Ferrari pit wall, is proving to be an equaliser.

If there was a criticism it will be that there have been just a few too many crashes, with a vital one in Abu Dhabi observe enjoying a key consider Ferrari failing to high Mercedes within the constructors’ standings.

Lando Norris, McLaren: 8.5

Championship place: sixth – 205 factors

Considerably regrettably for Norris, he ends the 2023 season having bolstered his standing as the very best driver on the grid with out a race win.

As soon as McLaren sorted out the MCL60 with some main upgrades on the ninth race of the season in Austria, Norris was comfortably the very best factors scorer behind Verstappen.

The Brit reeled off seven podiums, with maybe his most memorable show of the season coming at Silverstone as he took the lead from Verstappen initially earlier than holding off Hamilton for second in an exciting battle.

Nevertheless, he was in the end left annoyed as a win continued to evade him, frequently chastising himself for failing to supply an ideal lap in qualifying when pole had been there for the taking.

An enormous crash in Las Vegas introduced his solely retirement of the season, however Norris’ marketing campaign left little doubt that it’s merely a matter of time till he joins the winners’ circle.

Oscar Piastri, McLaren: 7.5

Championship place: ninth – 97 factors

Including to Norris’ frustration was the truth that McLaren’s solely (Dash) win of the season got here from his rookie team-mate.

Having claimed a primary Grand Prix podium a spherical earlier in Japan, Piastri transformed Dash pole to victory in Qatar to punctuate a really spectacular debut marketing campaign.

The truth that the victory got here on the identical day Verstappen sealed the title could even have suited the understated 22-year-old.

Piastri clearly struggles to match the tyre administration on Norris over a full-distance race, and bettering in that space must be his foremost focus through the winter.

Nevertheless, the actual fact McLaren prolonged his contract halfway by means of the season tells you all the pieces it is advisable to learn about what the staff product of his driving.

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin: 8.5

Championship place: 4th – 206 factors

The texture-good story of the season, or not less than the primary half of it, was Alonso’s return to prominence with Aston Martin.

Many eyebrows have been raised when the Spaniard, in a season throughout which he would flip 42, opted to hitch the staff that had completed seventh in 2022 constructors’ standings.

Nevertheless, they started the season as Purple Bull’s nearest challenger, with Alonso rolling again the years to take six podiums within the first eight races.

He got here up agonisingly quick in an exciting pole contest with Verstappen in Monaco, wherein victory would have given him a good chance of claiming the thirty third Grand Prix win he has waited greater than a decade for.

Aston Martin’s failure to match the event of the opposite front-runners noticed Alonso wrestle within the latter phases of the season amid just a few uncharacteristic errors, however he did have another trick up his sleeve with an unimaginable defensive show and last-lap cross on Perez in Brazil sealing an eighth and closing podium of the marketing campaign.

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin: 5

Championship place: tenth – 74 factors

The Canadian’s exceptional restoration from a pre-season biking accident to take sixth in Bahrain solely added to the optimistic vibes across the staff, however it will be largely downhill from there on Stroll’s facet of the storage.

A dismal run of qualifying kind noticed him make it by means of to Q3 on simply 4 of 17 events, limiting his alternatives to again up Alonso.

Whereas Stroll’s possession of his seat at Aston Martin seems to be unconditional whereas his father Lawrence stays the staff’s proprietor, his kind was so disappointing and his physique language so detached that he started to be questioned over his need to stay within the sport.

An unsavoury incident in Qatar the place a annoyed Stroll pushed his coach within the storage after being knocked out in Q1 marked a brand new low, and led to a warning from the FIA.

Nevertheless, simply when most had written him off, Stroll recorded back-to-back fifth-place finishes in Brazil and Las Vegas to not less than present some positivity going into 2024.

Pierre Gasly, Alpine: 6

Championship place: eleventh – 62 factors

It is onerous to view both Alpine driver’s efficiency outdoors the prism of a vastly disappointing marketing campaign for the staff, which has seen them fall again from final 12 months’s fourth, to sixth within the constructors’ standings.

After shedding Alonso and Piastri, Alpine have been delighted to pluck Pierre Gasly from the Purple Bull driver pool, regardless of the actual fact he and his new team-mate Esteban Ocon have been recognized to have a troublesome relationship.

Given he needed to make the adjustment to a brand new automotive, the truth that Gasly has outscored Ocon, albeit marginally, represents one thing of successful.

The spotlight of Gasly’s season got here as he claimed a podium in a rain-hit Dutch Grand Prix, as soon as extra exhibiting his means to excel in difficult situations.

Together with hoping for a extra aggressive 2024 challenger, Gasly might be out to ascertain himself because the staff’s lead driver.

Esteban Ocon, Alpine: 6

Championship place: twelfth – 58 factors

Ocon would possibly argue that if it weren’t for his six DNFs, he would not have been outperformed by Gasly.

He had a few high-quality moments with a podium in Monaco and a fourth-placed end in Las Vegas, and constantly scored factors on a Sunday on the events he did see the chequered flag.

Nevertheless, Ocon’s uncompromising – maybe generally to a fault – driving type continues to rub a lot of his rivals up the unsuitable method.

In the end, Alpine will hope to supply a automotive that can provide Ocon and Gasly extra to consider than battling one another for the ultimate factors positions.

Alex Albon, Williams: 8

Championship place: thirteenth – 27 factors

The rebuilding of Albon’s profession took one other huge step as he led Williams to a much-improved marketing campaign.

The British-born Thai driver displayed his pure pace with three top-six qualifying shows, however sadly did not at all times have a automotive able to preserving him within the points-scoring positions.

On virtually the entire events, the chance was there, Albon took it, scoring in seven grands prix, with the one main blemish of his marketing campaign a crash in Australia.

Albon’s performances have caught the attention across the paddock, and Williams will know that they might must proceed to progress to keep away from shedding the 27-year-old to a extra aggressive outfit.

Logan Sargeant, Williams: 4.5

Championship place: twenty first – 1 level

It has been a vastly difficult marketing campaign for the rookie, who has too typically been unable to supply beneath strain.

It took Sargeant 13 races to achieve a Q3, and his first F1 level solely got here beneath the reasonably fortuitous circumstances of each Hamilton and Leclerc being disqualified after the race.

Williams’ and Formulation 1’s keenness to have an American driver within the sport signifies that Sargeant would possibly get a second chew on the cherry in 2024.

A P6 in Las Vegas was simply his finest qualifying efficiency of the marketing campaign, however the positivity from that show was considerably undone by a careless double breach of observe limits every week later in Abu Dhabi.

The 22-year-old should minimize out the errors and produce in qualifying extra frequently if he’s to increase his F1 profession past 2024.

Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri: 7

Championship place: 14th – 17 factors

The Japanese driver has produced a strong marketing campaign, comprehensively outperforming rookie Nyck de Vries within the opening half of the season earlier than the Dutchman was dumped by the staff.

Tsunoda has measured up solidly in opposition to Daniel Ricciardo because the eight-time race winner joined the staff, with the pair usually fairly evenly matched.

After AlphaTauri improved their automotive with late-season upgrades, Tsunoda claimed sturdy points-scoring finishes in Texas, Brazil and Abu Dhabi.

The 23-year-old, who has already amassed 63 Grands Prix appearances, has but to point out the type of ability to counsel he belongs within the Purple Bull senior staff alongside Verstappen, however a full 2024 marketing campaign alongside Ricciardo ought to present an intriguing measuring stick.

Tsunoda nonetheless has areas to enhance, with one space he can accomplish that being his temperament, though his emotional responses to the observe motion have continued to create nice leisure.

Daniel Ricciardo, AlphaTauri: 7

Championship place: seventeenth – 6 factors

Ricciardo’s mid-season return was blighted by an unlucky accident in Dutch Grand Prix observe that might lead to a five-race absence attributable to a hand harm, which implies we solely have a seven Grands Prix pattern dimension from which to evaluate his season.

There was one standout lead to that run, with Ricciardo’s solely point-scoring end coming in Mexico after he took a shocking fourth in qualifying.

That efficiency confirmed there may be life within the previous canine but after the struggles at McLaren that left him with out a seat, however it seems a few of his most dear work could have come off the observe.

The AlphaTauri and Purple Bull management have been effusive of their reward of the suggestions Ricciardo has been in a position to present on the right way to enhance the automotive.

2024 is a big season for each AlphaTauri drivers as they search to stake a declare what appears to be like set to be a vacant Purple Bull seat the next 12 months.

Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo: 6

Championship place: fifteenth – 10 factors

The previous Mercedes driver’s season began with an encouraging eighth in Bahrain, however there have been few celebratory moments since.

Solely three additional point-scoring finishes have adopted for Bottas, who has made extra headlines along with his off-track promotional work than he has behind the wheel.

Whereas he has fairly comfortably outperformed his team-mate, Bottas would seem like falling in need of doing sufficient to persuade the staff’s future house owners Audi of preserving him on past 2025.

The Finn did present that there are some advantages to all of the long-distance biking he does between races by utilizing his excessive health to take eighth within the vastly difficult warmth of Qatar.

Zhou Guanyu, Alfa Romeo: 6

Championship place: 18th – 6 factors

F1’s first Chinese language driver has backed up his rookie season with one other competent marketing campaign, however has did not set the world alight.

He has been disappointing in qualifying, apart from a shock P5 in Hungary, and has consequently left himself with an excessive amount of to do on a Sunday, with factors coming from three ninth-placed finishes, in Australia, Spain and Qatar.

Zhou can have the honour of driving at his residence race because the Chinese language Grand Prix returns to the calendar, however he’s one other driver whose long-term future within the sport is presently removed from safe.

Nico Hulkenberg, Haas: 6.5

Championship place: sixteenth – 9 factors

On his return to F1, Hulkenberg confirmed that he has a lot left to provide by comprehensively out-classing his team-mate in qualifying.

Sadly for the German, Haas’ automotive was so onerous on its tyres that many sensible shows over one lap got here to nothing on race day.

Consequently, the 36-year-old did not come near shedding his undesirable tag because the F1 driver who has probably the most begins with out a podium.

If Haas can get on high of their tyre points subsequent 12 months, there might be a greater alternative to evaluate whether or not Hulkenberg can nonetheless combine it with the very best on a Sunday.

Kevin Magnussen, Haas: 5.5

Championship place: nineteenth – 3 factors

Having regarded spectacular alongside Mick Schumacher final season, Magnussen struggled to match one other veteran in Hulkenberg over one lap.

Whereas he might be dissatisfied along with his qualifying performances, he usually seemed to be as much as the duty on race day, however merely did not have a automotive able to scoring factors frequently.

Having been given one other 12 months within the seat by the ruthless determine that’s Guenther Steiner, Magnussen might be beneath strain to supply in 2024.

Whereas there was little pleasure on the observe, Magnussen did produce a number of the finest viral moments of the season as he shared a number of heart-warming moments earlier than and after races along with his toddler daughter.

Nyck de Vries, AlphaTauri: 4.5

Championship place: twenty second – 0 factors

It simply by no means fairly labored out for the not-so-inexperienced rookie.

De Vries did not benefit from an enormous break that got here largely on account of one vastly spectacular show for Williams as he stepped in at Monza in 2022.

The AlphaTauri (and Purple Bull) hierarchy appeared to shortly start to remorse their choice to place former Mercedes man De Vries in a seat that might have been used for a driver from their very own academy.

Because the strain constructed, the errors saved coming and a choice was taken to let the Dutchman go after simply 10 races, with out a level to his title.

Liam Lawson, AlphaTauri: 7

Championship place: twentieth – 2 factors

This rookie made a powerful affect as he stepped in to exchange Daniel Ricciardo for 5 races.

The New Zealander calmly went about his enterprise, not over-pressing, and was finally rewarded with a factors end in Singapore.

The late-season cameo has elevated to being one of many first names being talked about for any potential vacancies, with hypothesis already on the market over whether or not Williams may take into account giving him Logan Sargeant’s seat in 2024.

Both method, it appears fairly sure that Lawson might be a everlasting fixture on the F1 grid earlier than lengthy.

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