F1 Driver Ratings - Monaco Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes – 10

A sparkling display all weekend from Lewis Hamilton as he extended his lead at the top of the drivers’ championship. He recovered well from a difficult first run in Q3 to nab pole away from Valtteri Bottas, and put in a stellar drive in the race to keep his tyres going for 67 laps despite having Max Verstappen applying pressure throughout. Hard to fault him this weekend.

Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes – 9

Bottas was just shy of pole on Saturday, but was deeply unfortunate in the race to finish third. A slow stop from the Mercedes crew meant Verstappen had the chance to get ahead in the pits, only for the pair to make contact. Bottas was fortunate he only dropped to fourth after sustaining a puncture, and moved up to P3 after Verstappen’s time penalty, but deserved a top-two finish in Monaco.

Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari – 8

Sebastian Vettel picked up Ferrari’s best result of the year in Monaco, albeit with some fortune after Bottas’ setback and Verstappen’s penalty. Ferrari lacked the bite to compete with Mercedes (or Red Bull, it seemed) in Monaco, so to have finished second can be considered a success.

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari – 5

Charles Leclerc looked like Ferrari’s best shout of getting ahead of the Mercedes in Monaco, topping FP3, but the team’s mistake qualifying left him 15th on the grid. Leclerc naturally can’t be penalised for that, but he certainly can for the mistake that ended his race. Passing at La Rascasse is always a risk, and while it worked on Romain Grosjean, Leclerc’s attempt on Nico Hulkenberg resulted in him touching the wall all by his own accord. He sustained a puncture and then came back to the pits at a fair speed, causing enough damage to his car that he was forced to retire.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull - 10

Verstappen continues to make his case for being the driver of the season so far. He qualified third despite issues in Q3 and almost got past Bottas at Turn 1. Verstappen naturally can’t be blamed for the unsafe release that would leave him P4 in the final results, but his charge to second and hounding of Hamilton was enormously impressive.

Pierre Gasly, Red Bull – 7

Pierre Gasly may have been out of touch with the leaders again in Monaco, but a decent haul of points will add to his growing confidence. The grid penalty for blocking Romain Grosjean in qualifying led to him being stuck behind Daniel Ricciardo through the first stint, but he got ahead through the pit stops. A late change of tyres allowed him to go on a charge to pick up the fastest lap bonus point – and he only finished 9.9 seconds off the race winner in the end.

Daniel Ricciardo, Renault – 8

It may be a world away from his success in 2018, but Daniel Ricciardo nevertheless impressed for Renault in Monaco. He did well to reach Q3 and made a great start to sit fifth in the first stint. The decision to pit under the Safety Car ultimately backfired as Lando Norris backed a number of drivers up to help his teammate, costing Ricciardo a handful of places. He got P9 thanks to Grosjean’s time penalty, but really deserved a bit more in Monaco.

Nico Hulkenberg, Renault – 7

Hulkenberg looked to be in contention for points in Monaco, but lost the chance after Renault’s strategy gamble backfired. He was pitted on Lap 10 in anticipation for the Safety Car caused by Leclerc, only to lose a number of places and get stuck behind Sergio Perez. That is where he would remain until the chequered flag as he finished P13, paying the price for a roll of the dice by the pit wall.

Kevin Magnussen, Haas - 6

Kevin Magnussen was one of the stars of qualifying on Saturday as he grabbed P6 on the grid, but a slow start cost him badly. The decision to stop early also backfired as he got stuck in the train behind Norris, leaving him out of the points, with a penalty also being handed down to the Haas driver for his corner cut to stay ahead of Sergio Perez, meaning he was classified 14th in the end.

Romain Grosjean, Haas – 9

A very tidy race for Romain Grosjean despite Haas’ recent tyre struggles and poor record in Monaco. He was unfortunate not to make Q3 after Gasly’s qualifying block, but a long first stint saw him benefit from Norris holding a number of drivers back. Grosjean couldn’t keep up with the McLaren of Carlos Sainz or the Toro Rossos, but did well to cross the line ninth, even if that became P10 following a penalty for cutting the white line at pit exit.

Carlos Sainz, McLaren – 9

Carlos Sainz’s best result of the year came thanks to a mix of superb driving and brilliant tactics. A flying start allowed him to get the jump on Daniil Kvyat with a lovely pass around the outside of Turn 3, but it was after the Safety Car where he really excelled, pushing to create a gap as teammate Norris held up the early-stoppers behind. The tactic worked a treat, with Sainz emerging from the pits leading the midfield before crossing the line a well-earned sixth, maintaining his 100 percent points record in Monaco.

Lando Norris, McLaren – 6

Norris was left downbeat on Saturday after missing out on Q3 by one-tenth of a second, but hoped a reverse strategy could lift him into the points. A scrappy first lap hurt his tyres, meaning he struggled to keep up with the drivers ahead. McLaren decided to use Norris to slow the field and give Sainz the best chance of scoring points, a task he fulfilled well. A frustrating weekend all in all for Norris, but he was nevertheless crucial to McLaren coming away with eight points in Monaco.

Sergio Perez, Racing Point – 7

Racing Point entered raceday in Monaco braced for difficulties, and so it proved, with the team sitting firmly as the slowest of the midfielders, ahead only of Williams. Sergio Perez pitted under the Safety Car, and was lucky not to hit the marshals at pit exit, but had his race compromised after getting stuck behind Robert Kubica’s spun car at La Rascasse. He made decent progress in the race, and believed a point could have been possible, but this was always going to be a weekend for the team to write off.

Lance Stroll, Racing Point – 5

Perez may have done the best job he could, but teammate Lance Stroll had a more difficult weekend. He was a long way off Perez in qualifying as his streak of Q1 exits continued, and he had a messy race that saw him make contact with Kimi Raikkonen and also receive a penalty for cutting a corner. A low point in his up-and-down season so far.

Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo – 6

Kimi Raikkonen made clear he didn’t care much for celebrating his 300th grand prix weekend – and that’s probably for the best, because it was hardly one to remember. Struggles in qualifying left him 14th on the grid before a scrappy race – most notable for a run-in with Lance Stroll – meant points were never likely.

Antonio Giovinazzi, Alfa Romeo – 4

Antonio Giovinazzi’s difficult start to the year continued in Monaco. He qualified 15th, took a three-place grid penalty for a block in Q1, made a sluggish start, then spun Robert Kubica, costing him more time to the rest of the field and copping a penalty in the process. A very messy race that the Italian will be eager to move on from.

Alexander Albon, Toro Rosso – 8

Another quietly impressive showing from Alexander Albon, whose first Monaco Grand Prix saw him reach Q3 and pick up some points. The decision to stay out under the Safety Car worked well as he benefitted from Norris backing up the pack, meaning he could pit and still be running in the points, eventually finishing eighth.

Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso – 8

Daniil Kvyat’s race was largely similar to Albon’s, running long before pitting and coming out ahead of the early stoppers. Losing the place to Sainz on the opening lap may have cost him a shot at sixth, but seventh is still the Russian’s best-ever result for Toro Rosso.

George Russell, Williams – 9

It was nice to see George Russell fighting with drivers not in a Williams this weekend. He stayed out of trouble in the race and managed to win a battle with Lance Stroll on merit. If anyone is starting to find light at the end of the tunnel for Williams, it’s Russell.

Robert Kubica, Williams – 6

Robert Kubica made a good start to run ahead of Giovinazzi for a while, only to be spun by the Alfa Romeo driver in a move that compromised his race. Yet again though, he trailed Russell in both qualifying and the race, ultimately finishing 53 seconds off his teammate in the race.