The Austrian Grand Prix was a challenging race for many drivers, with penalties for track limit violations dominating the headlines. Here are the driver ratings for the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix, as rated by PlanetF1.com:
Max Verstappen: 9/10 Verstappen had another dominant weekend, topping every session. He fended off a strong challenge from his teammate in the sprint race and took a commanding victory in the main race, securing his fifth successive win.
Charles Leclerc: 8/10 Leclerc showed good pace, leading the race briefly after a strategic pit stop. However, he couldn’t hold off Verstappen and finished second. He questioned why his teammate had more pace early on in the race.
Sergio Perez: 6.5/10 Perez struggled in qualifying, receiving multiple warnings for track limit violations. He made his way through the field to finish on the podium, but his performance was overshadowed by his teammate’s dominance.
Lando Norris: 9/10 Norris had an excellent drive, showcasing the improvements from the upgrades applied to his car. He showed potential for a podium finish but ultimately couldn’t match the pace of the Red Bulls and Ferraris. He received credit for avoiding in-race penalties.
Fernando Alonso: 7.5/10 Alonso started in P7 and had an unconventional strategy with early pit stops. He finished in fifth place but lacked the pace to challenge the cars that pitted later.
Carlos Sainz: 8/10 Sainz faced challenges throughout the race, including battling with his teammate and questionable decisions from the Ferrari pit wall. He finished fourth but was later penalized, dropping him to sixth.
George Russell: 7.5/10 Russell made quick moves and maximized his tires to move up the grid. He finished in P10, showcasing his skill despite the lack of pace in the Mercedes car.
Lewis Hamilton: 6.5/10 Hamilton had a difficult race, struggling to keep the car within track limits. He received multiple warnings from the team and finished in a disappointing position. The Mercedes car lacked pace overall.
Lance Stroll: 6.5/10 Stroll’s race was affected by timing issues with the Virtual Safety Car, causing him to rejoin the track further down the order. He managed to finish in the points, securing a P9 finish.
Pierre Gasly: 6.5/10 Gasly had several track limit violations and received penalties, but he still finished in the points. He is yet to fully find his form as an Alpine driver.
Alex Albon: 6.5/10 Albon battled further up the field than expected but couldn’t secure points. The Williams car’s performance limitations were evident.
Zhou Guanyu: 5.5/10 Zhou finished in P14, lower than expected given his previous performance in Canada. The car lacked pace, impacting his race result.
Logan Sargeant: 7/10 Sargeant showcased good performance, especially considering his limited experience. He received a track limit penalty but performed well compared to other drivers.
Esteban Ocon: 5.5/10 Ocon started with a penalty for an unsafe release in the pits. He struggled to make progress and finished outside the points for the first time in five races.
Valtteri Bottas: 5/10 Bottas had a poor race, finishing outside the points. He has only secured points twice this season and has been behind his teammate in multiple races.
Oscar Piastri: 5/10 Piastri had a significant gap between him and his teammate, Norris. Damage from a collision impacted his race, and he struggled to move up the grid.
Nyck de Vries: 5/10 De Vries finished ahead of his teammate, Tsunoda, but it was mainly due to Tsunoda’s mistakes rather than his own performance.
Kevin Magnussen: 4.5/10 Magnussen faced challenges with his setup and struggled to make progress. He had an incident with De Vries and finished further down the order.
Yuki Tsunoda: 4/10 Tsunoda had an eventful race with multiple incidents, including contact with Ocon, track limit penalties, and pit stop issues. He finished in 18th place.
Nico Hulkenberg: 7/10 Hulkenberg had a strong qualifying performance but retired due to a power loss. His overall score benefited from his performance in sprint qualifying.
Overall, the race was challenging for many drivers, with penalties for track limit violations impacting their performance. Verstappen and Leclerc stood out with their strong performances, while Hamilton and Bottas struggled with pace and penalties.
