F1 Driver Ratings: Bad day for Hamilton - but could he have done better?

Max Verstappen - 10

(Qualified 1st, started 1st, finished 1st)

It was a near-perfect weekend for reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen who got his title bid back on track with a dominant display at Imola. The Dutchman stormed to pole position by 0.7s ahead of his main rival, Charles Leclerc. The sprint wasn’t straightforward for Verstappen, losing out at the start before re-overtaking Leclerc on the penultimate lap. The race went Verstappen’s way as he made the perfect start to take his second victory of the season.

• Verstappen laps Hamilton to win at Imola amid Ferrari disaster
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Sergio Perez - 8

(Qualified 7th, started 3rd, finished 2nd)

Sergio Perez didn’t maximise the RB18 in qualifying as he slumped to seventh but he made the most of the Saturday sprint to secure third on the grid. A good start got him ahead of Leclerc, where he remained for the remainder of the race despite intense pressure from the Monegasque.

Lando Norris - 10

(Qualified 3rd, started 5th, finished 3rd)

Lando Norris continues to show why he is one of F1’s best drivers as he returned to the podium at Imola. Norris qualified third in wet conditions, before dropping to fifth in the sprint. Norris benefitted from Leclerc’s late spin but it was still a perfect weekend.

George Russell - 9

(Qualified 11th, started 11th, finished 4th)

Russell got the most from a tricky Mercedes W13 as he out-qualified Lewis Hamilton by 0.4s on Friday. Starting from 11th on the grid, Russell found himself in sixth after making a lighting start. Mercedes’ lack of pace became apparent in the closing laps as he was forced to defend from the fast-charging Valtteri Bottas. 

Valtteri Bottas - 9

(Qualified 8th, started 7th, finished 5th)

After missing the entirety of FP2 due to a chassis change, Bottas’ performance in the sprint and then the grand prix was extraordinary. Even though he has often struggled in wet conditions, Bottas maintained his starting position as he narrowly avoided front wing damage from Daniel Ricciardo and Carlos Sainz just ahead. From then on, Bottas showed great race pace and without a slow pit stop, he’d have been able to challenge Norris for a podium finish.

Charles Leclerc - 6

(Qualified 2nd, started 2nd, finished 6th)

Ferrari was second-best this weekend but Leclerc’s costly mistake on Lap 53 of the Emilia Romagna GP could prove decisive in terms of the title race at the end of the season. With Verstappen over 10 seconds up the road, Leclerc was in a fight with Perez for second. Leclerc took too much kerb at Variante Alta, pirouetting into the barrier. A costly mistake for Leclerc but at least he has a sizeable championship lead, for now at least.

Yuki Tsunoda - 9

(Qualified 16th, started 12th, finished 7th)

The Japanese driver enjoyed one of the best races of his short F1 career as he went from 12th on the grid to finish 7th. Yuki Tsunoda’s pace on the slicks was impressive as he overtook Kevin Magnussen and Sebastian Vettel on track, while completely out-performing more experienced teammate Pierre Gasly. 

Sebastian Vettel - 9

(Qualified 9th, started 13th, finished 8th)

Vettel showed why he is a four-time champion at Imola as he progressed into Q3. The German was exemplary in wet conditions, running in ninth after the opening lap, and his earlier stop on the slicks nearly got him ahead of Bottas on track. The Aston Martin’s lack of pace in the dry dropped him behind Tsunoda but still an impressive weekend and a timely reminder of Vettel’s talents.

Kevin Magnussen - 8

(Qualified 4th, started 8th, finished 9th)

Magnussen starred in qualifying with fourth on the grid but Haas’ decision to start on the mediums during the sprint proved costly as he dropped to eighth on the grid. The Dane ran as high as fifth during the intermediate phase but Haas’ lack of pace and apparent tyre management saw him lose out to Russell, Bottas and Vettel. Still, a strong weekend again for Magnussen with a few points.

Lance Stroll - 7

(Qualified 15th, started 15th, finished 10th)

Like Aston Martin teammate Vettel, Lance Stroll is a bit of a wet-weather specialist so it was no surprise to see the Canadian more competitive than usual. Stroll made a great start as he got ahead of Hamilton, moving up to 11th on the opening lap. Once Alonso dropped out, Stroll maintained 10th to the chequered flag despite intense pressure from behind, capping off a great weekend for the Silverstone-based outfit.

Alex Albon - 8

(Qualified 20th, started 18th, finished 11th)

Another impressive weekend from Albon after he scored his first point for Williams last time out at the Australian Grand Prix. The Thai driver made a good start, moving up to 15th, while Williams nailed its switch to the slick tyres, overtaking Lewis Hamilton on track for the position. With Esteban Ocon’s penalty, Albon was promoted to 11th, just outside of the points.

Pierre Gasly - 6

(Qualified 17th, started 17th, finished 12th)

Gasly couldn’t match his younger teammate’s heroics as he duelled with Hamilton for much of the race. The Frenchman was below his usual high standards as he was knocked out in Q1 in Friday qualifying before colliding with Zhou in the sprint. A rare off-weekend for Gasly.

Lewis Hamilton - 4

(Qualified 13th, started 14th, finished 13th)

The seven-time F1 champion endured another miserable weekend at Imola as Mercedes lacked outright pace. Unlike teammate Russell, Hamilton made zero progress on race day as he lost out through the wet to dry pit stop phase of the race before being stuck behind Gasly in the AlphaTauri. Given that Russell was able to finish fourth, Hamilton should have been in contention for a points finish.

Esteban Ocon - 5

(Qualified 19th, started 16th, finished 14th)

It was a poor weekend for Ocon who often thrives in changeable conditions. The Frenchman wasn’t a match for his teammate on Friday and Saturday, and he was unable to make much progress on race day. He then picked up a five-second penalty for an unsafe pit release, ensuring points were never a realistic target.

Guanyu Zhou - 4

(Qualified 14th, started PL, finished 15th)

Zhou crashed heavily in the sprint race after colliding with Gasly, forcing him to start in the pit lane. Given Bottas’ impressive pace (quicker in the race than Norris and Russell), Zhou will be left to rue his weekend, particularly as he was fourth in Q1 during Friday qualifying. 

Nicholas Latifi - 4

(Qualified 18th, started 19th, finished 16th)

It was an anonymous weekend for Latifi but at least he kept it out of the barriers. Latifi ran ahead of Zhou for much of the race before losing out when DRS was enabled. A lot of work to do for the Canadian to get on level terms with Williams teammate Albon. 

Mick Schumacher - 4

(Qualified 12th, started 10th, finished 17th)

The wait for points goes on for Schumacher despite securing a top 10 starting position after an impressive sprint performance. The German spun on the opening lap after contact with Alonso before suffering another spin later on in the race as he struggled with the damp conditions. Given Haas was capable of scoring points, Schumacher simply isn’t getting the most out of it.

Daniel Ricciardo - 4

(Qualified 6th, started 6th, finished 18th)

Daniel Ricciardo once again didn’t have the outright pace of McLaren teammate Lando Norris but a misjudgement on the opening lap of the grand prix saw him collide with Carlos Sainz before dropping to the back of the field. The Australian couldn’t recover from there, finishing last and 18th of the classified finishers. 

Fernando Alonso - 6

(Qualified 5th, started 9th, DNF)

Another weekend of misfortune for Alonso was picked up damage on the opening lap following contact with Schumacher. His sidepod suffered damage before exploding as he dropped down the field. Just two points in four races isn’t what Alonso deserves for his performances this season.

Carlos Sainz - 4

(Qualified 10th, started 4th, DNF)

It was another torrid weekend for Sainz at Imola after crashing in Q2 during Friday qualifying. Despite recovering in the sprint race, the Spaniard spun out on the opening lap of the grand prix after an unfortunate collision with Ricciardo.