F1 Driver Ratings - Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes – 8

Arguably Lewis Hamilton’s best showing yet in Baku, the Briton still couldn’t quite put everything together to beat Valtteri Bottas. After falling just short of pole, Hamilton got a great start, but by his own admission was not aggressive enough at Turn 1. This allowed Bottas to keep his lead and then pull clear in the early stages, after which he never looked like losing, leaving Hamilton to settle for P2.

Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes – 10

Bottas was the class of the field in Baku from qualifying onwards, taking a redemptive victory after his late heartbreak last year. He upstaged Hamilton and the Ferraris in qualifying before holding his own in the race, fighting back after a sluggish start to control proceedings at the front. A perfect 10.

Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari – 6

An underwhelming weekend for Vettel. A decision to forgo a tow in Q3 cost him any shot at pole position, before struggles on the Soft tyre in the early stages of the race meant he could not keep up with the Mercedes drivers. For the fourth weekend in a row, he never came close to winning this race.

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari – 5

As impressive as Leclerc may have been through practice and in the opening stint of the race as he ran on the Medium, he gets a big docking on this score for his Q2 crash. Mistakes like this are natural early in any F1 career, but still, it cost Ferrari its best hope of winning in Baku.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull – 9

Verstappen continues to make his case for being the best driver of the opening flyaway races, once again exceeding Red Bull’s potential in Baku. A slow start allowed Sergio Perez to get ahead to begin with, but Verstappen did well to get back clear and then stay within spitting distance of Vettel ahead. For a driver who should be aiming for P5 at best each weekend, to have not finished a race any lower than fourth this year is a remarkable achievement.

Pierre Gasly, Red Bull – 6

Poor Pierre Gasly. He couldn’t have got any more penalties if he had tried in Baku. Three separate penalties warranting a pit lane start could not stop him from a brilliant rise through the field – something he failed to do in Australia – to be on course for P6. A suspected driveshaft failure forced him to retire, stunting what would have been a brilliant recovery effort. It’s making for promising signs heading to Europe.

Daniel Ricciardo, Renault – 5

Daniel Ricciardo’s early-season struggles at Renault showed few signs of easing as he had a weekend to forget in Baku. P12 in qualifying was perhaps generous given Renault’s place in the pecking order, before the clumsy incident with Kvyat brought his race to an early end, complete with a three-place grid penalty for Spain.

Nico Hulkenberg, Renault – 6

Nico Hulkenberg put it down as “one of those mysterious weekends” for Renault in Baku. No matter what he did, he seemed incapable of getting any kind of pace out of the R.S.19 car, dropping out in Q1 and spending the entirety of the race out of the points. He’ll be hopeful of better next time out in Spain.

Kevin Magnussen, Haas – 6

Haas’ tyre woes continued pretty much as expected in Baku, leaving Kevin Magnussen to settle for a disappointing 13th-place finish. A two-stop strategy was all he could muster, with the race effectively becoming an extended test session for the team as it looks to try and get to the bottom of its issues.

Romain Grosjean, Haas – 5

Grosjean was hoping to try and fluke his way into the points with a one-stop strategy, but a brake issue meant he was running way down in 16th before he came into the pits. Haas need to resolve this issue sooner rather than later, or the constructors’ championship picture could become incredibly bleak.

Carlos Sainz, McLaren – 8

Sainz’s first points at McLaren were well worth the wait. Disappointed with P11 in qualifying after losing his final flyer to yellow flags, Sainz made up ground early to rise into the points. Position traded between him and teammate Lando Norris through the race before McLaren put Norris onto a two-stop strategy, allowing Sainz to grab P7 and a tidy haul of points.

Lando Norris, McLaren – 8

Lando Norris’ impressive start to his F1 career continued with his second points haul in four races. A charge into Q3 was followed by a good start that saw him even angle for a pass on Max Verstappen at one stage, but he couldn’t keep that pace up. Norris ran ahead of Sainz for much of the race, but was put onto a two-stop strategy to try and catch Sergio Perez in sixth. While it cost him seventh, it was nevertheless a brilliant display.

Sergio Perez, Racing Point – 10

It’s always Baku for Perez and this team, isn’t it? While it wasn’t a third podium, Perez still put in a foot-perfect display, running ahead of Max Verstappen early on before keeping the McLarens at an arm’s length throughout the race. Couldn’t have done anything more, so deserving of a perfect 10 score.

Lance Stroll, Racing Point – 7

Lance Stroll’s qualifying form remains disappointing as he suffered an eighth straight Q1 knockout, but his race display in Baku was excellent. A rapid start saw him move up to ninth early on, and while he was fortunate to benefit from Ricciardo and Kvyat dropping out, two points is a fair reward for his Sunday efforts.

Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo – 7

A good fightback for Kimi Raikkonen after his qualifying exclusion, going from the pit lane to P10. Raikkonen pitted just six laps in to get out of traffic, and managed his Medium tyres well to rise up the order through the race, eventually nabbing a point for his efforts to keep up his streak to start the season.

Antonio Giovinazzi, Alfa Romeo – 6

Antonio Giovinazzi’s first Q3 appearance was soured by his 10-place grid penalty for a change in his power unit element, leaving him fighting from the back of the grid. He couldn’t match Raikkonen’s pace, meaning he could only finish 12th after getting stuck in traffic despite an early stop.

Alexander Albon, Toro Rosso – 6

Back down to earth for Albon and Toro Rosso after his China heroics. While most of the midfield runners came in early, Albon was kept out in P9, meaning he dropped back after pitting. He couldn’t find a way through given the tight confines of the track in Baku, meaning 11th was all he could manage.

Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso – 7

A tough break for Daniil Kvyat to retire in Baku after he qualified an incredible sixth for Toro Rosso and looked set for a decent lot of points. A sluggish start saw him lose some places before an early stop, with his race eventually being brought to an early end after the collision with Ricciardo (for which he was blameless, of course).

George Russell, Williams – 6

George Russell will be delighted to see the back of such nightmarish weekend in Baku after his FP1 scare with the manhole cover. He still managed to outqualify teammate Robert Kubica, though, and finished half a minute up the road from his teammate in the race.

Robert Kubica, Williams – 5

Kubica’s struggles continued in Azerbaijan, with his Q1 crash only adding to the troubles facing Williams right now. He was adrift from Russell throughout the race, leaving him last once again. Hopes of an upturn in fortunes in Barcelona have been hampered by the loss of the chassis that was being prepared for him, as it was given to Russell after his FP1 shunt.