Abu Dhabi GP driver ratings: Lando Norris shows he can handle the pressure

Lando Norris - 9.5

Abu Dhabi was arguably Norris’ most impressive F1 victory, given the immense pressure he was under. McLaren’s hopes of the constructors’ title were placed solely on his shoulders after teammate Piastri was spun at the first corner. He kept his cool and delivered his fourth win of the year.

Carlos Sainz - 9

Unlike his teammate, Sainz safely made it to Q3 and was ‘best of the rest’ behind the two McLarens in qualifying. Ferrari lacked that final tenth of pace in the race to really challenge Norris, meaning they had to settle for second place in the constructors’ championship.

Lewis Hamilton - 9

Hamilton was entirely faultless for his Q1 elimination at the Yas Marina Circuit after running over a bollard. He delivered a mighty final stint on the medium tyres, including a stunning pass on teammate Russell, to come away with fourth.

Pierre Gasly - 9

It was yet another impressive weekend from Gasly in Abu Dhabi. He started fifth on the grid before finishing as the lead midfield runner in P7. A fine end to the season.

Nico Hulkenberg - 8.5

Like Gasly, Hulkenberg enjoyed another mighty weekend in F1’s midfield. The only blemish on it, though, was his grid penalty for overtaking on pit exit. Besides that, he continues to drive beautifully.

Charles Leclerc - 8.5

Leclerc went from 19th on the grid up to eighth on the opening lap of the race in Abu Dhabi. However, he will regret his qualifying mistake, which put him out in Q2.

Fernando Alonso - 8.5

Another underrated weekend from Alonso. Top 10 in qualifying; top 10 in the race. You can’t ask for much more if you’re Aston Martin at the moment.

George Russell - 7.5

Russell was once again the lead Mercedes in qualifying, continuing his impressive run on a Saturday. However, it seemed that Hamilton was simply the faster driver in Abu Dhabi, closing a 14-second gap in the final stint to finish ahead.

Alex Albon - 7

Albon ran inside the top 10 with a dozen laps to go but lost out to Alonso and Piastri. Williams never quite had the pace for points this weekend.

Yuki Tsunoda - 6.5

A terrible start for Tsunoda put him on the back foot. The Japanese driver hinted that a clutch issue was to blame for his slow start, and it’s something that affected him when he made his first pit stop. However, judging by who finished inside the top 10, points were always a big ask for VCARB this weekend.

Kevin Magnussen - 6.5

Magnussen was put on the unfavoured two-stop strategy, which simply didn’t work out. His race was then completely ruined by Bottas, who slammed into the side of him at Turn 6.

Oscar Piastri - 6

Piastri was ultimately not to blame for his first-corner contact with Verstappen. He would probably have finished at least seventh had it not been for an avoidable clash with Colapinto after the Virtual Safety Car.

Max Verstappen - 6

A scrappy weekend for Verstappen. He made a mistake on his first Q3 lap before an optimistic lunge on Piastri spun both drivers around.

Liam Lawson - 6

A tough weekend for Lawson, who was out-qualified by Tsunoda for the sixth race in succession. His race was ruined when his front-left tyre wasn’t fitted properly, incurring a 10-second stop-go penalty as a result.

Zhou Guanyu - 5.5

Zhou’s one-lap struggles returned as he was eliminated in Q1. He then drove a solid, albeit unspectacular, race, picking up a five-second time penalty for a false start.

Lance Stroll - 5.5

After a good start, Stroll’s pursuit of points fell away. He was handed a five-second penalty for track limits.

Franco Colapinto - 5.5

Colapinto’s final race with Williams ended with a DNF due to an engine problem. Before that, he had been hit by Piastri, giving him a puncture.

Sergio Perez - 5.5

An apt end to Perez’s season with a DNF on the opening lap of the race. He was caught up in the first-lap mayhem, with a collision with Bottas leading to his retirement.

Jack Doohan - 5.5

An underwhelming F1 debut for Doohan. He struggled for pace but, crucially, stayed out of trouble. Experience gained for the Australian ahead of next year.

Valtteri Bottas - 4.5

Bottas starred in qualifying as he made Q3 for just the second time this season. The race was a disaster despite a strong start. Contact with Perez resulted in a 10-second time penalty, while a crash with Magnussen forced him out of the race. He later picked up a grid penalty - one he might never serve if he doesn’t return to F1 in the future.