The Belgian Grand Prix showcased a high-standard field in Formula 1, with every small shortcoming costing drivers dearly in Edd Straw's rankings. Some drivers faced significant challenges, which impacted their performance. The rankings are based on performance across the entire weekend, considering qualifying as 'lap 0' and a crucial foundation for the race. It's important to note that this ranking fluctuates significantly from weekend to weekend and differs from the overall results due to varying car performance and 'luck' (factors outside a driver's control).
Here's a breakdown of the rankings and commentary:
Max Verstappen
Pros:
- Utilized tow from Isack Hadjar in Q3 to secure a front-row start against the odds.
- Briefly led the race and regained position after slipping to third due to VSC timing.
- Extracted maximum performance from the Red Bull.
Cons:
- Had the advantage of a team-mate with no competitive interest in Q3, simplifying his weekend.
Verdict: Positioned himself for a second-place finish in a car that wasn't the second-best.
Charles Leclerc
Pros:
- Dominated George Russell throughout the weekend.
- Maintained composure despite losing the lead due to VSC, pacing his reeling in of Leclerc effectively.
Cons:
- Only a couple of track-limits violations in the race.
Verdict: Imperious performance, even when misfortune affected his race.
George Russell
Pros:
- Dominated team-mate George Russell all weekend.
- Maintained patience and pacing despite losing the lead due to VSC.
Cons:
- Only a few track-limits violations in the race.
Verdict: Strong performance, even when misfortune complicated his race.
Oscar Piastri
Pros:
- Seemed more in control of the McLaren than Oscar Piastri from the start of the weekend.
- Demonstrated strong pace in qualifying and the race.
- Likely would have been on the podium without the 10-place grid penalty.
Cons:
- Small error on the final Q3 lap led to the abortion of his run.
Verdict: Another strong weekend, with the Q3 error as the only significant negative.
Pierre Gasly
Pros:
- Strong start to the weekend, initially outpacing Pierre Gasly in pace.
- Drove a strong race, surpassing Gasly and Liam Lawson in an opportunistic move on the Kemmel Straight.
- Won the four-car scrap for the final point with a strong race drive.
Cons:
- Marginally slower in qualifying than Gasly by 0.061s, but still performed well.
Verdict: Recovered from a couple of difficult weekends, showing his best form.
Sergio Perez
Pros:
- Back-of-the-grid penalty made Q3 and towing Verstappen a successful qualifying session.
- Felt most connected with the Red Bull, showcasing decent underlying pace.
- Strong first lap to climb to 15th before the safety car forced a pit stop.
Cons:
- Climb to sixth wasn't as dramatic as the 15 places gained suggested.
Verdict: Podium potential without the grid penalty that shaped his weekend.
Lewis Hamilton
Pros:
- Edge over Lewis Hamilton in qualifying by a minuscule margin, despite a yellow flag error.
- Attempted to stay clear of Antonelli, despite the Ferrari's lack of pace.
Cons:
- Needlessly moved over Piastri, hitting the McLaren and narrowly avoiding a penalty.
- VSC timing aided his battle for second with Verstappen.
Verdict: Strong performance, but the Piastri clash could have been detrimental.
Alex Albon
Pros:
- Outpaced Ocon throughout the weekend.
- Maintained high performance, beating everyone he realistically could in the race despite a first-lap puncture.
Cons:
- Only a few thousandths of a second separated him from Sainz, and a switch knock compromised his deployment.
Verdict: A largely strong weekend, with only a few rough edges.
Liam Lawson
Pros:
- Comparison with Lindblad is better than it appears, despite Lawson lacking the cooling package upgrade.
- VSC timing and Lindblad's aggressive driving didn't help his race.
Cons:
- The gap to Lindblad wasn't entirely explained by the spec difference, especially as Lawson struggled in the second race stint.
- Deployment struggles in the race, but could have taken the final point without slipping to third in the four-car battle.
Verdict: Spec offset made life harder for him than Lindblad, but he didn't extract maximum performance.
Nyck de Vries
Pros:
- Prevailed in the intra-team battle with Lance Stroll, outqualifying him by 0.175s and running ahead for most of the race.
- Relieved to have a more straightforward weekend, showcasing good pace.
Cons:
- Briefly fell behind Stroll when he was overtaken by his team-mate and Bearman on the Kemmel Straight.
Verdict: Troubled Aston Martin continues to make fair performance judgment difficult.
Valtteri Bottas
Pros:
- Had a more straightforward weekend, making good progress through practice and qualifying.
- 0.148s faster than team-mate Sergio Perez in qualifying.
- Drove a clean race, but the Cadillac's position between Williams and Aston Martin limited racing opportunities.
Cons:
- Perez's deployment problems and early demise meant a clean pace comparison was impossible.
Verdict: Bottas's most straightforward weekend, showcasing good pace.
Lando Norris
Pros:
- Track time lost on Friday due to hydraulic problems and a late start for FP2 are mitigating factors.
- Battled well in the race after suffering damage from a collision with Leclerc.
- Unexpected power unit behavior contributed to his qualifying deficit to Norris.
Cons:
- Struggled for confidence with the rear end, leading to inconsistency and slower single-lap pace.
- Never fully mastered the car as Norris did.
Verdict: A middling weekend by F1 driver standards.
Yuki Tsunoda
Pros:
- Audi felt his race pace was similar to Bortoleto's, but the race situation contributed to a 29-second deficit.
- Gearbox problems in qualifying prevented him from matching Bortoleto and making Q3.
Cons:
- Despite mitigating factors, he didn't appear as quick as Bortoleto on single-lap pace.
Verdict: Marginally the second-best Audi driver.
Kevin Magnussen
Pros:
- Outqualified Colapinto by 0.061s.
- Drove a good first stint, climbing into the points after passing Bortoleto.
Cons:
- FP2 crash at the exit of Fagnes caused substantial damage and cost laps.
- Second stint turned a points shot into a missed opportunity, but 10th was possible.
Verdict: Similar pace to Colapinto, but the crash and race setbacks cost him.
Nico Hulkenberg
Pros:
- Even with Nico Hulkenberg's problems, Bortoleto was the faster Audi driver on underlying single-lap pace.
- Kept Arvid Lindblad at arm's length in the second stint after jumping from 11th to eighth.
Cons:
- Needed fortune from VSC timing to jump to the front of the midfield.
- Initially held 10th but lost a position to Gasly during the first stint.
Verdict: A strong weekend, but needed fortune on his side.
George Russell (continued)
Pros:
- Russell's underlying qualifying pace deficit to Antonelli wasn't entirely due to deployment troubles.
- Mitigating factors for the first-lap clash, given Mercedes deployment problems impacted all cars.
Cons:
- Simply wasn't at Antonelli's level.
- First-lap move on Hamilton was legitimate but risky.
Verdict: Despite mitigating factors, Russell couldn't get close to Antonelli.
