From 17th to first. Incredible. There is no doubting the skill of Max Verstappen, but his drive in Brazil all but proved he is the best on the grid.
How will that change these power rankings? Well, before we find out, the usual disclaimer. You know the drill, these are all subjective and based mainly on my (incredibly smart) opinion mixed with form and on-track results, meaning it is a generally subjective list that holds no real weight except for the large basis of fact I like to think I can generate.
So with that in mind, let’s get to the rankings!
10. Lewis Hamilton (-1)
His qualifying is really letting him down all of a sudden. This was a race that you would expect Lewis to have a real shot at. Sadly, for him being so far down the grid at the start of the race hampered any chance of his shot becoming a reality.
9. Oscar Piastri (-1)
The first half of the weekend was amazing for Oscar. The second half, not so much. Feels harsh dropping him a spot for this given how well his spring performance was and that he all but won that race, but hard not to drop him down due to everything else that happened.
8. Liam Lawson (new)
For the most part avoided coming together with other drivers and finished ahead of Sergio Perez on the track. Continues to show that he should be in that second Red Bull in 2025.
7. Yuki Tsunoda (new)
Third on the grid and running in the podium places for a large portion of the race, seventh is still a great result for the Japanese driver.
(Photo by Getty Images)
6. Esteban Ocon (new)
Came very close to a second career win, but couldn’t quite stop the brilliance of Max Verstappen. Still, had you said that Esteban would’ve finished second at a Grand Prix at some point this year way back in round one, you would’ve been laughed at. A stunning drive by the Frenchman.
5. Pierre Gasly (new)
Yeah he finished behind his teammate in the race, but he was by far the more consistent Alpine driver across the weekend. A great result for him and of course the team and a rare weekend where they leave with a smile on their faces.
4. George Russell (+6)
Might feel a bit much bumping George up this high, but it was also a very strange race to do power rankings. George drove a great race and very much could’ve won it had things played out differently. He was also consistent in the sprint on Saturday, delivering a very solid weekend overall.
3. Charles Leclerc (-2)
Charles didn’t really do anything wrong in Brazil, if anything that was his team bringing back the classic days of poor strategy. But he still wasn’t able to really challenge at the front as his very slim Championship aspirations came to an end.
(Photo by Getty Images)
2. Lando Norris (-)
You have to feel for Lando. Ten laps into the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, you would be thinking he was leaving Brazil with the best shot yet of claiming his first ever World Championship, with Verstappen so far down the field and having already taken points off him in the sprint. But then the rest of the race happened, and somehow he is now a race away from losing any chance of a maiden title. There’s always next year, Lando.
1. Max Verstappen (+2)
And that is why Max Verstappen is triple World Champion, about to become a quadruple World Champion. A simply stunning drive to break his ten-race win drought, and all but secure the 2024 World Championship. Amazing.
What do you think of this list? Which order would you currently rank the drivers in? Let me know your thoughts below!
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