Another race done as Azerbaijan is now behind us. Four rounds in to the 2023 F1 season it’s time to once again bring you the latest edition of the F1 driver power rankings.
As always 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!
Rather than rank all 20 drivers on the grid, I have made it more streamlined and easier by simply bringing the top 10 drivers. As always this means that some drivers drop out, and a couple have jumped in after my last rankings.
You can also check out my team power rankings too for a similar analysis.
Let’s get to it.
10. Yuki Tsunoda (new)
Two points finishes in a row for the Japanese driver in a pretty rubbish car after two races where he finished 11th and narrowly missed out on points. A great effort so far.
9. Alex Albon (-1)
He’d be dirty not to get any points after another strong weekend. Albon continues to shine in a car that is clearly below his skill level. His name will be one to surely be mentioned by bigger teams soon if he continues this form.
8. Lando Norris (new)
Norris had a great weekend as the McLaren continues to improve. Somehow he is always in the mix in qualifying and always in the mix in the points on race day. And while the McLaren gets better and better, this is all he needs to keep on doing.
(Photo by Sportskeeda)
7. George Russell (-3)
Falls back a couple of spots due to a poor qualifying on Friday and a poor race on Sunday, Russell didn’t have a horrible weekend but it will be one he will want to move on from quickly. Put in a great overtake on Max Verstappen in the sprint race (that was completely fair Max) to showcase his skills once again, but other than that, nothing too great from him.
6. Lewis Hamilton (+1)
Is it weird to see Lewis Hamilton kind of just making up the numbers right now? He is just always there in the mid pack of the points and able to pick up places when needed but not doing anything super amazing to see him work his way up the grid or showcase that the Mercedes is getting any better. Hopefully for both him and his loyal fans, there will be better results to come.
5. Lance Stroll (-)
Another solid weekend by Lance Stroll saw him walk away with more points and also some great advice from his Jedi Master as he works his way out of his Padawan braid towards knighthood. A small mistake in the race where he hit the barrier ultimately saw him lose what could’ve been fifth, but a seventh place and holding off George Russell for the majority of it will be something he can still walk away happy with.
4. Charles Leclerc (+5)
Finally Charles Leclerc can leave a Grand Prix feeling somewhat satisfied. Sure he didn’t get a win in either the sprint or main race after two pole positions, but two podiums for him was a good turnaround after his poor start to the season. There are solid signs from him and the Ferrari that the pace can be extracted, and around tight circuits where cornering speed is more prevalent, that will bode well for a couple of potential wins. Hello Monaco in a few weeks’ time…
3. Fernando Alonso (+1)
No podium for the first time in 2023 for Fernando but another great drive from the two-time World Champion saw him leave Azerbaijan with more solid points and maintaining third in the World Championship.
(Photo by PlanetF1)
2. Max Verstappen (-1)
The Championship leader in second place?! What is this! Verstappen was unlucky not to win the main race after a bit of a unfortunate strategy error by Red Bull, but he still drove great to finish second after also climbing his way back on to the podium in the sprint race as well. This position is more of a reflection of the driver’s form finishing above him than his own, because he certainly still is a step above the rest so far in 2023.
1. Sergio Perez (+1)
Felt wrong to not put Perez at number one after two wins and an incredible weekend all around. Perez just loves street circuits, and Azerbaijan is fast becoming his home away from Mexico. He definitely is in with a shot of winning the Championship this year, a feat that I don’t think anybody would be sad to see.
What do you think of these rankings? Do you agree with the positions? Let me know what you think in the comments below.