Driver Ratings - Italian Grand Prix

Sometimes it only takes one race to remind you why you love Formula 1. And oh boy, the crazy Italian Grand Prix reminded why we all love this sport.

Here are the driver ratings from Monza.

Pierre Gasly – 9

Nearly a year since he was demoted from Red Bull, Pierre Gasly showed the world why he was offered the seat in the first place. It is fair to say he lucked into a strategy that made the win possible, but a great pass on Lance Stroll during the race restart and his pace management to keep Carlos Sainz behind earns him a deserved high score.

Carlos Sainz – 9

One more lap. That’s all Carlos Sainz needed to claim what would have been his first race victory. His highest ever race result (P2) should not be ignored though, it shows just how far McLaren have come since the dark days of the early hybrid era. Out pacing his teammate all weekend and great moves on the Alfa Romeo’s and Lance Stroll earn him the joint-highest score for the weekend.

Lance Stroll – 7

I struggled to think of a score for Stroll. A podium for the team (and his second ever) should be celebrated, but he was in the best position out of all the drivers to win the race, only to be let down by a poor start (something we’re not used to) and a silly mistake into turn 4.

Lando Norris – 7

A solid race for Norris and the team as a whole. He may be frustrated that he couldn’t get on the podium, but getting P4 while holding off Bottas in the Mercedes is really impressive.

Valtteri Bottas – 4

A missed opportunity. The Finn should have closed the gap up on Lewis Hamilton but couldn’t capitalise on a rare mistake from the championship leader. A messy start, an even messier opening lap and then being unable to follow other cars in dirty air meant P5 was the best he could do.

Daniel Ricciardo – 6

The hype from Spa didn’t quite match up to the results we saw from Renault. As a team, they underperformed, but Ricciardo did what he could from the middle of the pack to grab a solid P6, ahead of Hamilton and his team mate.

Lewis Hamilton – 8

Hamilton was flying before the safety car and looked certain to win a routine race for the Brit. But a blunder from both driver and team meant he dropped way back and had to fight his way to P7, while picking up fastest lap in the process. He’s done the bare minimum though, maintain the gap in the championship.

Esteban Ocon – 5

I’ve said this a couple of times, but we’re still waiting for Ocon to have his ‘breakout’ moment in the Renault car. A frustrating race where he was unable to match his teammate lead to an awkward conversation over the radio – are cracks beginning to show? Only time will tell.

Daniil Kvyat – 5

Apart from Ocon, Kvyat will be the only driver unhappy to see Pierre Gasly pick up his first victory. Despite having a solid race and picking up P9, his team mate is wiping the floor with him and lets me honest, 43 points to 4 is not great. Still can’t see him racing for Alpha Tauri next season.

Sergio Perez – 4

A race that could have been so much more for Sergio Perez. While his teammate picked up a podium, all the Mexican could manage was P10 after damaging his car after the red flag restart. He’s not got a seat for next season so his focus will shift to proving his worth to other teams for the remainder of 2020.

Nicholas Latifi – 7

Latifi might well have benefitted from pitting before the Safety Car madness but he did a very good job of keeping cars behind regardless.

On what was a very tough weekend for Williams given the circumstances, Latifi finished P11 for the second time this season and arguably gave his best performance to date.

Romain Grosjean – 7

A fairly decent outing for the Haas car and with Grosjean behind the wheel we got to see an entertaining battle with George Russell for a number of laps. You do wonder if Haas will stick with the Frenchman for another season though.

Kimi Raikkonen – 7

There was a point in the race where Kimi Raikkonen found himself in a podium position. Unfortunately the engine and lack of tyre options for the red flag restart meant he quickly dropped down the order. Again it felt like Kimi was having to instruct the team on basic decisions, something has to change at Alfa Romeo if they want to be taken seriously.

George Russell – 5

It was odd not seeing George Russell clawing his Williams into Q2, but some poor decisions from the team and the inability to capitalise on the calamity of the red flag meant he finished down in P14.

Alex Albon – 4

A silly move on the first lap cost him around a second per lap, and oh boy it was obvious that his Red Bull was struggling. I really feel for Albon, but he needs to put in some solid races (and get a bit of luck) to ensure he definitely has a drive for next season.

Antonio Giovinazzi – 5

Giovinazzi also made the mistake of entering the pit lane when it was closed and that stopped his chance of making any progress in the race. I will say that his rocket start is worth a watch but I’m not sure how safe his seat is next season.

Did not finish

Max Verstappen – 4

On paper Monza is not a track that suits the Red Bull, but Max Verstappen has proved time and time again that he can produce something out of nothing. So it was very disappointing to see a rough race from the Dutchman before he retired with an engine issue. The fight for the championship may be over, but can Max split the Mercedes this season?

Charles Leclerc – 4

Last year was the highest of highs for Ferrari and Charles Leclerc. And oh boy, what a difference a year makes. Admittedly, his mistake at Parabolica did lead to an amazing race, but Ferrari will be grateful Gasly made the back pages instead of their dire performance.

Sebastian Vettel – 5

A Q1 exit on Saturday and a very dangerous early retirement. Bring on Aston Martin.

Kevin Magnussen – 5

Not much to say. An early retirement due to a Ferrari Engine (there’s a shock), but a nice surprise to see a Haas in Q2.