POWER RANKINGS: Which drivers shined under the neon lights of Las Vegas? | Formula 1®
It was an unforgettable weekend on the streets of Las Vegas as Max Verstappen overcame a penalty from the stewards and a tough challenge from Charles Leclerc to secure his 18th win of the season. Both drivers make it into the top 10, but who else would the judges think deserves to join them?
How it works
• Our five-member jury evaluates each driver after each Grand Prix and gives them a maximum of 10 points based on their performance over the weekend – without any machines
• Our experts’ results are then averaged to determine a race result. These results are then added together throughout the season in our overall Power Rankings (at the bottom of the page).
Leclerc was in truly outstanding form this weekend, with the Ferrari driver showing irresistible pace from the minute the lights turned green. He then went one step further and drove some impressive laps to secure pole position.
Unfortunately, the timing of the late safety car on race day dashed his hopes of victory, but his overtaking of Sergio Perez on the final lap for second place will long be remembered. It was a victory-worthy drive from Leclerc, who will be hoping to achieve the feat in Abu Dhabi.
READ MORE: Leclerc ‘disappointed’ to miss out on win in Las Vegas but insists P2 ‘was the best’ Ferrari could achieve
No matter what Verstappen is thrown at these days, he always seems to find a way to ensure he is the first driver to cross the checkered flag. Las Vegas was no different as he was forced to fight for his 18th win of the year.
He didn’t have the strength to get Leclerc onto pole and was subsequently given a five-second penalty for pushing his Ferrari rival off the track at the start. He overcame this – and the damage to his front wing from the collision with George Russell – and won the race, expertly pushing his way through the field in the closing stages.
READ MORE: Verstappen says it was “a lot of fun” fighting his way through the field to Las Vegas GP victory.
Friday night may not have gone according to plan, but in the early hours of Sunday morning, there may have been no one happier than Ocon. The French rider once again found a way to get the most out of his Alpine and score a good number of points.
He was outstanding from the start of the race as he jumped from 16th to eighth on lap 1 and made steady progress as the race progressed. He crossed the finish line in fifth but, thanks to Russell’s penalty, achieved his best result since his podium finish in Monaco.
READ MORE: Ocon delights in ‘amazing feeling’ after jumping from P16 to P4 in Las Vegas, while Gasly complains of ‘pretty messy’ issues
We were so used to McLaren fighting at the front of the field, so it was a shock to many to see both drivers retire in the first quarter. Piastri started 18th, but a quick start quickly took him to the top of the top 10.
He was great and often went off the racing line and managed some breathtaking overtaking maneuvers. It would have been interesting to see how his race would have gone without contact with Hamilton, but a few points for his efforts were well deserved as he also managed to set the fastest lap.
READ MORE: Piastri hopes for a strong result in Abu Dhabi after setting ‘better than expected’ pace at the Las Vegas GP
The Red Bull driver has enjoyed a welcome return to form in recent races and this continued in Las Vegas as he came from the back of the field to the podium – his first top-three Grand Prix finish since Monza in September.
It wasn’t easy as he retired in the second qualifying session before becoming involved in a scuffle on the first lap which forced him to pit for a new front wing. He recovered and appeared to be on his way to another win on the street circuit in one stage, but he simply didn’t have enough straight-line speed to keep Leclerc and Verstappen behind him.
READ MORE: Perez reflects on ‘difficult race’ in Las Vegas after helping Red Bull to its first one-two finish in the Drivers’ Championship
It was a frustrating weekend for the Spaniard, who showed outstanding pace and qualified second behind Leclerc. However, an unfortunate drop of ten places on the grid put him behind, and his race was also marred by him hitting Hamilton at the start in Turn 1.
This contact forced him to pit for a new front wing and dropped to the back of the field. But the Ferrari racer got his elbows out and made it back into the points before finishing sixth – a result he can be proud of, even if he felt it could have been better.
READ MORE: Sainz wants to ‘forget’ Las Vegas GP weekend after surviving first lap collision to finish sixth
In the last two races, Stroll was able to return to the form he showed at the beginning of the season. It’s already two fifth-place finishes in a row, but given everything he had to overcome over the weekend, the result in Las Vegas could mean more than the one in Brazil.
The Aston Martin driver was dropped five places on the grid, starting 19th, but was in ninth place at the end of the first lap. Even more impressive was the speed with which he broke away from the chasing group in the final stages and finished fifth.
READ MORE: Stroll hails ‘great recovery’ after moving from P19 to P5 in Las Vegas as Alonso celebrates double points haul for Aston Martin
It was an example of what could have happened for Gasly, who at one point was battling with Russell for a place on the podium, but those hopes were quickly dashed as he suffered huge tire degradation.
But it was another excellent weekend for the Frenchman as he qualified fourth and looked to be on his way to a big points haul. But in the end it just slipped his mind because after moving up to third place he ended up just outside the points.
THE STRATEGIST: How did Ocon manage to jump from P16 to P4 in Las Vegas – and why did Gasly’s race go the other way?
Albon led the race for Williams again this weekend, but unfortunately there were no points in Las Vegas. He was outstanding in qualifying and when he started fifth many would have expected him to deliver another strong top 10 run.
However, these hopes were dashed by the safety car as he finished the race with aging tires. He did his best to keep ahead of the faster riders, but it wasn’t enough as he finished twelfth despite a typically difficult ride.
READ MORE: Williams drivers reveal key factor that ‘ruined’ their chances of scoring points in Las Vegas
The rookie has been under a lot of pressure this year after a few costly mistakes, but in recent races he has struggled for points and had quieter weekends, and he continued that at his home race in Las Vegas.
He drove extremely well and had had hopes of scoring points when he made it into Q3 and joined Albon in the race. But unfortunately he was also hampered by the same tire problems and brought the car to the finish in 16th place.
HINCH’S HEROES: Who’s on James Hinchcliffe’s list after the Las Vegas thriller?
Miss
The two Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell narrowly missed out on a place in this week’s top 10 despite their efforts to score points. Hamilton was very unlucky in the race, recovering from a few collisions and finishing seventh.
Russell was brilliant in qualifying and finished third on Saturday night, but a costly contact with Verstappen put him behind – especially after he was handed a five-second penalty for his troubles. In the end it was P8 for the Brit, but it could have been more.