F1 Las Vegas GP driver ratings: George Russell proves he can be Mercedes' team leader

George Russell - 10

Russell delivered a masterclass in Las Vegas to take his second victory of the year. He controlled the race from pole and was a deserving winner. 

Lewis Hamilton - 7.5

Hamilton’s qualifying struggles continued in Sin City as he made a mistake on both of his laps in Q3. He looked like he was the quickest driver in the race though as he recovered to finish second, hunting Russell down in the final dozen laps. Russell did say he was managing things from the front though.

Carlos Sainz - 8

An impressive weekend overall for Sainz. He was mighty in qualifying - and despite losing a place to Leclerc on the opening lap, got back ahead as both Ferraris struggled with their medium tyres. He ultimately recovered to finish on the podium after a scrappy hard stint. 

Charles Leclerc - 7.5

Leclerc was second-best to Sainz in qualifying before finishing behind him in the race. Was he slower than Sainz? Probably not. But circumstances and playing the team game worked against him.

Max Verstappen - 9

Verstappen continues to get the most out of the RB20. He ran a strong second in the middle part of the race before losing out of the two Ferraris.

Lando Norris - 8

A tough weekend overall for McLaren meant Norris couldn’t do much better than sixth on race day.

Oscar Piastri - 6

Piastri was once again comfortably well off the pace relative to Norris. He also picked up a penalty for a false start.

Nico Hulkenberg - 8

Hulkenberg delivered another storming midfield drive to give Haas another four points in the constructors’ championship, moving them ahead of Alpine.

Yuki Tsunoda - 8

Like Hulkenberg, Tsunoda was impressive in the midfield fight, picking up a couple of points for his efforts.

Sergio Perez - 5.5

It was another miserable weekend for Perez as he was knocked out in Q1. He drove a respectable race to finish 10th.

Fernando Alonso - 7.5

Aston Martin were officially the 10th-best team in qualifying - even behind Sauber. So to finish just outside of the points with an aggressive two-stop strategy deserves credit.

Kevin Magnussen - 6.5

After a recent run of impressive form, Magnussen was clearly the second-best Haas driver in Las Vegas. A one-stop strategy couldn’t propel him into the points.

Zhou Guanyu  - 7.5

Zhou enjoyed his finest weekend of the season. He progressed into Q2, securing a solid 13th on the grid. He was in the hunt for points before slipping back on the hards.

Franco Colapinto - 6.5

While Colapinto out-qualified teammate Albon, he crashed heavily in Q2. He drove a solid race from the pit lane to finish 14th.

Lance Stroll - 6

An anonymous weekend for Stroll, whose chances in qualifying were ruined by a mechanical issue in FP3 which meant he had just one run in Q1. His race was also hampered by a radio issue.

Liam Lawson - 5.5

It was a difficult weekend for Lawson. A step behind Tsunoda pace-wise and never looked like a contender for the top 10.

Esteban Ocon - 6

While Ocon failed to match Gasly's heroics in qualifying, his chances of a points finish were ruined by a bizarre incident in the pit lane. Ocon came into the pits but effectively had to drive straight through as his mechanics weren't ready.

Valtteri Bottas - 5.5

A poor weekend for Bottas as he was out-paced for Zhou - something that’s not really happened this year.

Alex Albon - 6.5

Track limits put Albon out in Q1 before a power unit issue forced him into an early retirement.

Pierre Gasly - 8.5

Gasly’s qualifying display was incredible, putting his Alpine third on the grid. His engine going up in smoke put him out of the race early on.