Rating the F1 Drivers after the Australian Grand Prix

Here are my ratings for each driver after the opening round of the 2025 F1 season.

Bortoleto – 6/10

Gabriel impressed in qualifying, outperforming his vastly experienced teammate, Hülkenberg, and reaching Q2 on his first attempt. He initially managed the tricky conditions well, but once the rain returned, he struggled on slick tyres and ended his race with a spin into the barriers. However, all things considered, it was still a solid start to the 2025 F2 champion’s F1 career.

Hülkenberg – 7/10

Although out-qualified by his rookie teammate, Nico used his experience and skill to keep his car on track and out of trouble, finishing in an impressive P7 for the Kick Sauber team. With this result, they have already surpassed their total points from the 2024 season - a strong start for the Swiss outfit.

Albon – 9/10

A fantastic weekend from start to finish. Qualifying 6th and finishing 5th highlighted Williams' remarkable turnaround in form. Albon showed excellent consistency and race-craft, holding off Hamilton and capitalising on others' mistakes. A brilliant day for the Thai-British driver.

Sainz – 5/10

Carlos showed strong pace early in the weekend, finishing FP1 in 2nd place. He was quick enough to reach Q3, but his race unraveled when he spun into the barrier under safety car conditions. Costly mistakes like this shouldn’t be happening at this level, making for a disappointing return to Melbourne.

Hadjar – 4/10

A superb debut in qualifying saw him secure P11, the highest of any rookie on the grid. Unfortunately, it all went downhill as he crashed into the barriers at Turn 1 on the formation lap and was unable to start the race. A disappointing debut, but the raw speed is clearly there.

Tsunoda – 7/10

Arguably the star of qualifying, Tsunoda put his Racing Bulls machine in 5th place for Sunday’s race. He started strongly, but a couple of errors in the rain, combined with some poor luck, saw him tumble to 12th by the finish. An anticlimactic end to an otherwise standout weekend.

Bearman – 2/10

A weekend to forget. Two crashes in practice, no participation in qualifying, and running last all race long. The only positive? He finished the race without further damage to the car. He'll be hoping for a fresh start in China.

Ocon – 3/10

A quiet weekend for Ocon, making it difficult to assess his performance. He qualified 19th and finished ahead of his rookie teammate Bearman, but Haas struggled for pace throughout. Not the dream start to his Haas career.

Doohan – 4/10

Jack started the weekend impressively, showing pace equal to or better than Gasly’s. An unfortunately timed yellow flag in Q2 prevented him from advancing to Q3. His race, however, lasted less than a sector as he spun into the barriers in the wet. Not ideal, but plenty of positives to take from his debut weekend.

Gasly – 6/10

Showed his impressive one-lap speed by making it into Q3 and holding a top-10 place for much of the race. He was unlucky to slip out of the points at the end, but overall, a solid drive from the Frenchman.

Stroll – 7/10

A fantastic race from the Canadian. After starting 13th, he kept his car out of trouble and capitalised on others' mistakes to finish in 6th place. A strong and composed start to the season.

Alonso – 5/10

Consistently quicker than his teammate in the race, but a costly mistake saw him spin into the barriers after hitting loose gravel at Turn 6. Given the unpredictability of the race, Alonso could have been fighting for a top-five finish, making this an opportunity lost.

Antonelli – 8/10

A sensational drive through the field for the rookie. After qualifying 16th, he showcased his talent in the treacherous conditions, pulling off daring overtakes on Hulkenberg and Albon. His 4th-place finish was well deserved and highlighted just how special his talent is.

Russell – 9/10

Starting 4th and finishing 3rd was likely the maximum Russell could have hoped for—and he achieved it. He didn’t put a foot wrong all weekend, extracting the most from the Mercedes in a strong season opener.

Lawson – 2/10

Qualifying 18th and crashing out of the race was hardly the ideal start to his Red Bull career. He struggled for pace in both dry and wet conditions and lacked confidence in the car. He’ll be eager to reset and improve in China.

Verstappen – 9/10

Once again, Verstappen showcased his mastery. His extraordinary car control was evident as he managed to stay in the fight despite the changing conditions, proving why he is a four-time world champion. He pressured Norris late in the race, but the McLaren’s pace was just too much to overcome.

Hamilton – 5/10

His first weekend in red didn’t go smoothly, with a consistent deficit to his teammate being his biggest issue. He showed glimpses of pace but will be hoping to build on this result and push for higher positions next time out.

Leclerc – 6.5/10

After showing strong pace in FP2, that speed disappeared by Q3. Qualifying 7th and finishing 8th was a disappointing start for a driver with title ambitions. However, he drove a clean and consistent race—the car simply wasn’t on the level of the front-runners.

Piastri – 8.5/10

An excellent qualifying effort saw him secure P2, just under a tenth behind teammate Norris. He looked set for a strong race and was arguably the fastest on track until a late mistake saw him skate into the gravel and get beached. Despite being a lap down, he recovered to finish 9th—a frustrating end to an otherwise fantastic performance.

Norris – 10/10

After beating Piastri in qualifying, he led from the start and stormed to an impressive victory. He maintained composure in ever-changing conditions and fended off Verstappen’s late charge brilliantly. A perfect start to the season for the McLaren driver, who now looks like a serious title contender.

Star Performer: Lando Norris (10/10)

An absolutely faultless performance. Quickest in qualifying, dominant in the race, and composed under pressure. He couldn’t have asked for a better start to his 2025 title challenge