F1 Driver Ratings: Spain 2019

Mercedes dominated the Spanish Grand Prix weekend, topping all the practice and qualifying sessions before controlling the race itself to take a record-equalling 5th consecutive 1-2. Lewis Hamilton may have made a mess of Saturday but a good launch off the line enable him to lead every lap and take the win.

Teammate Valtteri Bottas executed a stonking pole position lap but blamed clutch issues as to why he got an average start. Bottas never looked like challenging Hamilton.

Max Verstappen put in a brilliant weekend to beat both of the Ferraris and move back into third place in the drivers’ championship.

As always, the order below is the finishing order of the Grand Prix.

2019 Spanish Grand Prix – Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya

Lewis Hamilton: 8.5/10

Valtteri Bottas: 8/10

Max Verstappen: 9.5/10

Sebastian Vettel: 8/10

Charles Leclerc: 7/10

Pierre Gasly: 6.5/10

Kevin Magnussen: 8.5/10

Carlos Sainz: 8/10

Daniil Kvyat: 8/10

Romain Grosjean: 7.5/10

Alexander Albon: 7/10

Daniel Ricciardo: 6.5/10

Nico Hulkenberg: 5.5/10

Kimi Raikkonen: 6/10

Sergio Perez: 6/10

Antonio Giovinazzi: 4.5/10

George Russell: 7.5/10

Robert Kubica: 4/10

RETIRED

Lance Stroll: 4/10

Lando Norris: 5/10

I have given Max Verstappen the highest rating this time round. It was another exemplary performance all weekend. It is the 14th time in a row, Verstappen has either maintained of finished higher than where he started; a true testament to his sensational race pace and racecraft. On average, the Dutchman was 0.5 quicker than teammate Pierre Gasly and his driving looks pretty flawless.

Ever since Canada last year, he has shown that he is more than capable of winning a world championship if he is given a car that can at least challenge the Mercedes. It would have been so interesting to see what he could have done in this year’s Ferrari or even a Ferrari from 2018 or 2017. Sadly, we are deeply missing a Hamilton vs. Verstappen season-long battle and I am just hoping Red Bull can find something soon to get Verstappen up there and fighting the Silver Arrows.

Lance Stroll and Robert Kubica get the lowest scores this week, but it is mainly due to their lack of pace compared to their respective teammates. I thought about penalising Stroll for his part in the Norris collision which put them both out of the Grand Prix but I would call it a racing incident.

Stroll looked like he turned in on Norris, simply taking the racing line and not leaving any space for the Brit. But Norris was only just alongside and did have time to back out of it. That is how I saw it anyway.