A great win by Max Verstappen sees him put one hand on the trophy every driver ultimately wants to win: The Roar’s F1 power rankings title!
But how do the other drivers around him land after the Qatar Grand Prix? We’re about to find out, but first 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. Zhou Guanyu (new)
Probably doesn’t warrant a spot in the top ten based on overall performances in 2024, but I don’t care. He was amazing on Sunday in the race and needs to be celebrated for it. Amazing work and amazing to get points on the board for his team.
(Photo by Getty Images)
9. Lewis Hamilton (-6)
No idea what is happening with Lewis right now. He is racing with a mindset that is just odd for someone of his caliber. Was that his last ever race in a Mercedes? Guess we will find out in the coming days.
8. Nico Hulkenberg (-1)
A bad race by the Hulk, but still points came from the sprint and his overall performances in 2024 warrant him being in the top ten overall drivers. Let’s see if we can get a barnstorming drive from him in his last race for Haas to help his team claim back sixth in the Championship.
7. Pierre Gasly (+2)
If you were to isolate drivers based on the last five races and rank them as who is in the best form, Pierre Gasly might very much be at the top. Another great race by the Frenchman for more points and helping Alpine in their battle for sixth in the Constructors’ Championship. He’ll be hoping to keep this momentum heading into 2025.
6. Carlos Sainz (-1)
One of those nothing weekends from Carlos where he did nothing wrong but was rarely seen. Points scored in both the sprint and main race and an unlucky puncture during all the safety car chaos was the story of his time in Qatar, and he’ll be hoping that Abu Dhabi can bring a bit more light to his final days in Ferrari before heading off to Williams.
5. Oscar Piastri (+5)
A great weekend by Oscar, with a sprint win and main race podium. Sure, the sprint win was gifted to him, but it was a rightful payback by his teammate for a sprint win that would’ve happened in Sao Paulo a few weeks ago.
4. Lando Norris (+2)
Perhaps a bit unlucky in the main race to get such a severe penalty, Lando drove a great weekend that easily could’ve netted him two wins. Unfortunately, it only netted him a spring race podium and solitary point in the main race, but you can’t fault his overall performance in Qatar.
(Photo by Getty Images)
3. George Russell (-1)
Not the results he got a week ago in Las Vegas but it was still a strong weekend by George. Inherited pole after Max Verstappen’s grid penalty, he fought his way back through the field after a botched pit stop to finish the race in fourth. Had that stop not happened how it did and had he gotten off the line a little better, then the win was definitely possible, but fourth was still a solid result overall.
2. Charles Leclerc (+2)
Somewhat similar of a weekend to his teammate that he was slightly invisible and not really involved in much, but finishing second in the main race and fifth in the sprint race brought home some solid and needed points for him and Ferrari. He now sits only eight points behind Lando Norris in second as well, meaning that a push for Championship runner-up is on the table for Charles next weekend.
1. Max Verstappen (-)
Never doubt the four-time World Champion. With all the talk being around the pace of McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes this weekend, did anybody actually have Max winning on their bingo card? Probably not, but once again he showed his ability and skill to take yet another race win and solidify his position as the best driver in Formula 1 right now.
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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