Another round of F1 done means another round of F1 driver rankings for your eyes.
Of course that also means I have to let you know that 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 (-1)
Was his penalty a little harsh? Maybe. But that’s two rounds in a row now where have slipped after his very strong start to the season. Still driving very well though, so still deserves a top 10 spot.
9. Esteban Ocon (-2)
No podium, but still solid points for the Frenchman. Adds to the tally for Alpine who continue to take negative criticism as fuel for a resurgence.
(Photo by Sportskeeda)
8. Charles Leclerc (-3)
Ooof. Bad weekend for Leclerc. Let’s just not talk about it and move on shall we?
7. Lance Stroll (+3)
That’s my Lance. A strong qualifying and a strong race, especially given the car seemingly just didn’t like Barcelona. His home race next will be a chance to shine in front of his home fans, a place he loves racing at. Watch this space.
6. Carlos Sainz Jr (+2)
A front row gets him a little bit higher, and he wasn’t terrible in the race, he just had no pace compared to those in front. Still continues to be a very invisible season however for the Spaniard.
5. Sergio Perez (-2)
Only a few races ago I was saying how much Perez could win this Championship. Now he may even drop back behind Alonso if he is able to get back to his form.
One or two races a year with some bad form is generally okay, but this is now three for Perez who is slowly creeping into Mercedes-era Valtteri Bottas territory this season when it comes to an intra-team battle for the Championship. Still plenty of time to turn it around, and Montreal is technically a street circuit, so look out for him next round.
(Photo by PlanetF1.com)
4. Fernando Alonso (-2)
Hard to drop him back given how well he has done this season but it was an unusually off weekend for Alonso. Sure he had damage to his car on Saturday, but in the race he didn’t seem competitive at all until the final few laps, when he ultimately held station behind his teammate.
Still, you know he’s having a good year when we are disappointed to see him finish in seventh. Rewind a year ago, and we would be saying this was a great race for him. How times have changed.
3. George Russell (+3)
Started 12th, finished third. Amazing. Considering Perez started one spot ahead of him but finished one spot behind him is even more testament to what a great drive Russell had.
Talk of a long-term Mercedes extension is incredibly warranted at this rate. Although perhaps he needs to try and learn the difference between sweat and rain.
2. Lewis Hamilton (+3)
A fantastic drive by Hamilton to get second in the race. I love seeing Hamilton have to drive the wheels of a rubbish car, as to me these are the races that showcase his true greatness, not the ones in which he simply has to sit in it and win. Here’s hoping to more of these races moving forward.
1. Max Verstappen (-)
Pole. Win. Fastest Lap. Led every lap. Another standard weekend for Max Verstappen.
What do you think of these rankings? Do you agree with the positions? Let me know what you think in the comments below.