DRIVER RATINGS: Hamilton (and Leclerc) deserved 10/10 and here’s why…

Max Verstappen - 9

A third consecutive victory looked unlikely for Verstappen when he lost control of his Red Bull RB18 on Lap 9. A ‘gust of wind’ was to blame for Verstappen’s rare mistake. DRS issues halted Verstappen’s charge but once Red Bull converted the reigning champion to a three-stop strategy, the race was put in Verstappen’s hands. Leclerc’s unfortunate retirement allowed Verstappen to ultimately take the victory but besides his uncharacteristic mistake, his pace was lightning. 

Sergio Perez - 8

Perez enjoyed another solid afternoon at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, handing Red Bull another 1-2 finish. Despite taking the lead through the pit stops, benefitting from Verstappen’s spin and DRS failure, Perez never had the pace to remain in P1, even without team orders.

• Max Verstappen wins dramatic Spanish Grand Prix
• Full results: Formula 1 Spanish GP
• Verstappen’s full radio outburst ‘road rage’

George Russell - 9

Russell continues to repay Mercedes’ faith in him with a fine drive to the podium in Barcelona. Russell made a storming start, moving up to third on the opening lap before gaining another spot thanks to Verstappen’s error. His defence against the reigning champion was fantastic as he kept the Red Bull driver behind for several laps. The Red Bull’s race pace was too strong as he ultimately dropped to third.

Carlos Sainz - 6

Sainz’s miserable season continues after spinning at Turn 4 following an awful start where he dropped down to fifth after encountering anti-stall. Sainz was fortunate to recover to fourth after Hamilton was hit with a ‘DNF-risk’ in the closing laps while Alfa Romeo’s two-stop strategy with Bottas. Sainz needs a good Monaco GP to refind his confidence.

Lewis Hamilton shone despite F1 Spanish GP struggles

Lewis Hamilton - 10

The seven-time champion was rightfully voted driver of the day. After an underwhelming qualifying display, Hamilton’s day got even worse when he tangled with Magnussen on the opening lap, resulting in an unfortunate puncture for the Mercedes driver. Hamilton ran at the back of the grid but his race pace was sublime, comparable to eventual race winner Verstappen. Hamilton was running just 11 seconds behind teammate Russell until he was forced to back off due to a potential water leak in the Mercedes power unit. Given how far Hamilton was behind - at least 40 seconds following his Lap 1 pit stop - it was an outstanding drive and timely reminder that he still has the pace, particularly on race day, to compete at the front. 

Valtteri Bottas - 8

Bottas once again got the most out of the Alfa Romeo in qualifying, securing seventh on the grid. With Leclerc’s retirement and issues for Hamilton and Sainz, the Finn was on for fourth at the midway point of the race. However, Alfa’s decision to stick with a two-stop proved costly as Bottas lost out to Hamilton and Sainz. Still, another impressive race from the Finn.

Esteban Ocon - 8

Ocon was the man on the move in the opening part of the race, overtaking Ricciardo and Schumacher in quick succession before settling in behind Bottas. From then on, it was a lonely race for Ocon, similar to what he has enjoyed in previous races. P7 was where Ocon finished at the end of the race to bring his points tally to 30 for the season.

Lando Norris - 8 

On the surface, eighth isn’t a brilliant result for Norris but given he was contending with illness, it was a brilliant drive. Norris was unfortunate to miss out on Q3 due to a track limits violation but made amends for it on race day, moving into the top 10 on the opening lap. Norris overtook teammate Ricciardo into Turn 1 en route to a strong points finish.

Fernando Alonso - 7

Alonso was caught out by the traffic in qualifying as he was knocked out in Q1 in front of his home crowd in Barcelona for the first time in his career. In typical Alonso fashion, the Spaniard made a storming start, making his way through the midfield pack to eventually finish ninth. A strong recovery to cap off a solid weekend for Alpine in terms of points scored.

Yuki Tsunoda - 8

Another impressive weekend from Tsunoda, who had the edge over AlphaTauri teammate Gasly throughout qualifying and the race. Tsunoda moved up to 11th on the opening lap before getting past Ricciardo, then losing out to Alonso through the pit stop phase. Overall, a fine weekend for the Japanese driver who seems to be more at home in F1 during his sophomore. 

Sebastian Vettel - 8

The four-time F1 champion got the most out of the upgraded Aston Martin in qualifying, over half a second clear of teammate Stroll. Vettel ran long in the first stint and narrowly missed out on a top 10 finish at the end of the race. A solid drive once again from the German.

Daniel Ricciardo - 5

Ricciardo was able to out-qualify Norris for the first time in nine grands prix but that was only due to an unfortunate track limits violation for his younger teammate. Despite starting inside the top 10, Ricciardo plummeted down the order as he struggled with race pace throughout the race. Another disappointing race for the Australian. 

Pierre Gasly - 5

A poor weekend from Gasly overall in Barcelona after being out-qualified by teammate Tsunoda. The Frenchman ran as high as 12th on the opening lap but a tangle with Stroll later on cost him a shot at the top 10. 

Mick Schumacher - 6

After making Q3 for the first time in his F1 career, points looked like a likely possibility for Schumacher, particularly after his lighting start, running in sixth place after the opening lap. The German lost out through the pit stop with Schumacher himself questioning the strategy after the race. A disappointing race in the end which should have ended in his first points finish.

Lance Stroll - 6

Stroll was unable to match Vettel despite running directly behind his more experienced teammate on the opening lap. The Canadian’s race was ruined following a tangle at Turn 1 with Gasly, who was later handed a five-second penalty for his role in the incident. Stroll managed to recover to 14th.

Nicholas Latifi - 7

It was Latifi’s best race of the season as he out-performed teammate Albon for the first time in 2022. The Canadian overtook Albon on his way to finishing 15th. He also ran ahead of Stroll and Magnussen in the latter part of the race.

Kevin Magnussen - 6

After starring in qualifying, Magnussen’s race was undone after contact with Hamilton on the opening lap into Turn 4. Magnussen had more room available to his left when battling the seven-time champion so probably could have avoided the incident. 

Alex Albon - 6

A rare off-weekend for Albon as he was beaten by Williams teammate Latifi. The Thai driver was overtaken on track by his teammate and then was forced to make four stops rather than the fancied three-stop strategy.

Guanyu Zhou - 5

It was another difficult weekend for Zhou in Barcelona as he trailed teammate Bottas by over a second in qualifying. Granted, the Chinese rookie didn’t have the upgraded Alfa Romeo package but he has to do better, particularly in qualifying. Another technical issue forced him to retire prematurely. 

Charles Leclerc - 10

It was a perfect drive from Leclerc until he was forced to retire from the race on Lap 27. Ferrari said that Leclerc’s issue was due to an "unidentified" PU issue, causing him to lose the lead in the championship for the first time this season. His qualifying lap was stunning and he was on course for his first-ever win in Spain.