Australian GP driver ratings: Two potential Red Bull drivers deliver masterclasses

Carlos Sainz - 10

A sublime weekend from Sainz on his return from surgery. While he did make a mistake on his best qualifying lap in Q3, he was consistently quicker than Ferrari teammate Leclerc. It was the same in the race - and even if Verstappen didn’t DNF - Sainz would have likely pushed the reigning world champion hard for the victory.

Charles Leclerc - 8

Unfortunately for Leclerc, a rare off weekend coincided with Verstappen’s first DNF in two years. He was a step behind Sainz in Australia and thus missed out on his first win since 2022.

Lando Norris - 9

Norris was back to his best in Melbourne this weekend. He got the most out of the McLaren in qualifying to pip Leclerc. On race day, strategy cost him a possible P2, losing crucial track position after the first round of pit stops.

Oscar Piastri - 7.5

Piastri was fairly competitive in Australia but lacked some crucial race pace relative to Norris. He also ran wide at the penultimate corner late on, although the mistake was inconsequential to his race result. 

Sergio Perez - 7

A quiet race from Perez after he was put back three places on the grid having impeded Hulkenberg in qualifying. He struggled to make a mark on the top four once he dispatched Alonso for fifth. 

Lance Stroll - 7

While Stroll was the weaker of the two Aston Martins, it was a professional weekend overall.

Yuki Tsunoda - 9

Another mighty weekend from Tsunoda, who continues to dispatch Ricciardo in Norris-like fashion. Q3 and a tidy points haul - surely Red Bull will be considering him for 2025?

Fernando Alonso - 7.5

Alonso made amends for his qualifying mistake with a fine drive to sixth. Granted, he did benefit from the Virtual Safety Car, allowing him to get ahead of Russell who crashed out late on. He was penalised after the race for "potentially dangerous" driving - dropping him from P6 to P8. 

Nico Hulkenberg - 7.5

After a rare underperformance in qualifying, Hulkenberg put together a good race to come away with points for the second time this season. Remarkably, it’s the first time he’s scored points in back-to-back races since 2019.

Kevin Magnussen - 7

Magnussen wasn’t as quick as Hulkenberg in the race, playing the team game when Haas issued team orders. However, he did enough to come away with a point. 

Alex Albon - 7

Albon was the sole Williams in action after the team decided to give him Sargeant's chassis. The Thai driver fought hard for points but lost out to the Haas duo ultimately. 

Daniel Ricciardo - 6

Another torrid weekend from Ricciardo, who continues to be dominated by RB teammate Tsunoda. He fell foul of track limits in qualifying before enduring an anonymous race.

Pierre Gasly - 6

Gasly is now 3-0 down against Ocon in the qualifying head-to-head. He probably only beat his French compatriot in the race after Ocon suffered a lengthy pit stop.

Valtteri Bottas - 7.5

Bottas was robbed of a points finish after yet another slow pit stop ruined his race. 

Zhou Guanyu - 6

Zhou was unfortunate to pick up damage in qualifying, costing him a strong shot of Q2. Like his teammate, a slow pit stop cost him a chance of a better result.

Esteban Ocon - 7.5

Ocon was arguably the star of qualifying, progressing into Q2 in the slowest car on the grid. Like the two Saubers, a slow pit stop curtailed his afternoon. 

George Russell - 4.5

Russell threw away a solid weekend with another blunder on the final lap. While Alonso did brake early, the blame lies with the Mercedes driver. Regardless, he was once again the quicker of the two Mercedes drivers.

Lewis Hamilton - N/A

Even before his engine failure, Hamilton was enduring another subdued weekend. A poor start to the year personally for Hamilton.

Max Verstappen - N/A 

Verstappen's race ended early when his rear brakes caught fire.