Wow. One round to go and the fight for second position in the Driver power rankings is completely open. Who would’ve thought?
With Lando Norris having a difficult weekend, Charles Leclerc rising again and others around them also laying claim to the ‘best of the rest’ behind Max Verstappen, it all sets up things very intriguingly for Abu Dhabi this weekend.
But of course, quick disclaimer. With any power rankings, these are subjective and based purely on opinion mixed with results. Are these 100 per cent accurate? Inside my mind, yes! Outside of it, no. But it’s a nice way to spark some discussion, showcase some form and allow a conversation that brings F1 fans closer together – and maybe also further apart at the same time.
Fun, right? Always!
To make it extra interesting on the drivers front, rather than rank all 20 drivers on the grid, I have made it more streamlined and easier by simply bringing the top 10 drivers.
You can also check out my team power rankings too for a similar analysis.
Right, let’s get to the rankings.
10. George Russell (-2)
A bit of an invisible weekend by George. Sad to see, but will be hoping to bounce back this weekend.
9. Lewis Hamilton (-2)
See the write-up for Russell above.
8. Fernando Alonso (-5)
Feels harsh to drop Fernando down this many spots but it was a tricky weekend for him that didn’t really seem to come together. The last few races have definitely been that way for him but overall, this season has shown enough that Fernando still has it.
7. Lando Norris (-5)
Another one I feel harsh dropping down so low, this mainly does come from improvements around him and the fact that he really had nowhere else to go. A small blip though, watch him bounce back this weekend.
(Photo by RacingNews365)
6. Lance Stroll (+3)
Two fifth place finishes in a row for Lance and perhaps his strongest drive yet coming from 19th on the grid to the top five. Can secure his first ever top ten Championship finish this weekend in Abu Dhabi.
5. Esteban Ocon (new)
Amazing result for Esteban to take fourth place. Most importantly perhaps for him it brings him to within four points of teammate Pierre Gasly in the Championship standings for 11th. Look out for that battle this weekend.
4. Carlos Sainz (+2)
Lost a podium due to no fault of his own, and perhaps even more. Had there been two Ferraris at the start to cover Verstappen the race could’ve been completely different. However it was still a strong drive by Carlos to finish sixth after everything that happened to him across the weekend.
3. Sergio Perez (+2)
Another race in losing a position on the last lap isn’t a good look, however Sergio drove a great race overall to land a podium and also secure second in the Championship.
2. Charles Leclerc (+2)
Let’s just not talk about his record of not turning a pole into a win shall we? Second place was still a great result, particularly in the way he secured it on the last lap. It was also nice to see a fairly happy Charles after the race, something which is quite a rarity.
1. Max Verstappen (-)
18 wins now for Max in 2023, meaning he has a win percentage of 81.82% heading into the final round. Win this weekend and he’ll end with an astonishing 86.36% win percentage. Incredible.
(Photo by Reuters)
What do you think of these rankings? Do you agree with the positions? Let me know what you think in the comments below.