{"id":275790,"date":"2025-11-10T16:50:22","date_gmt":"2025-11-10T16:50:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/275790\/"},"modified":"2025-11-10T16:50:22","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T16:50:22","slug":"f1-driver-ratings-2025-brazilian-grand-prix","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/275790\/","title":{"rendered":"F1 Driver Ratings: 2025 Brazilian Grand Prix"},"content":{"rendered":"

One driver swept all the big prizes during the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend but there were several great performances behind him \u2013 plus a few notable blunders.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s RaceFans\u2019 verdict on the full field.<\/p>\n

Lando Norris<\/p>\n

\"Lando<\/a><\/p>\n

Sprint race start: 1st
Sprint race finish: 1st
Qualified: 1st (3 places ahead of team mate, -0.375s)
Grid: 1st (3 places ahead of team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: Two-stop (M-S-M)
Finished: 1st (4 places ahead of team mate)\n<\/p>\n

\u25b2 Consistently quick in sprint race qualifying to take pole position
\u25b2 Withstood pressure from Antonelli as soft tyres faded to win sprint race
\u25b6 Rebounded from error on first Q3 lap to claim another pole<\/a>
\u25b6 Kept lead from Antonelli despite starting on harder tyres
\u25b6 Comfortably quicker than team mate during race and kept pursuers at bay<\/p>\n

9\/10: Q3 wobble would have undone him earlier in the year but he kept his cool<\/p>\n

Oscar Piastri<\/p>\n

Sprint race start: 3rd
Sprint race finish: Not classified
Qualified: 4th (3 places behind team mate, +0.375s)
Grid: 4th (3 places behind team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: Two-stop (M-S-M)
Finished: 5th (4 places behind team mate)\n<\/p>\n

\u25bc Could have beaten Antonelli to second on grid for sprint race without small mistake
\u25bc Crashed on sixth lap of sprint race<\/a>
\u25bc Quickest after first runs in Q3 but fell to fourth place
\u25b6 Made a great restart and did not deserve penalty for Antonelli collision<\/a>
\u25b6 Caught Russell too late to attack the Mercedes<\/p>\n

4\/10: Victim of an incorrect penalty call but also slipped up on Saturday<\/p>\n

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Charles Leclerc<\/p>\n

\"Charles<\/a><\/p>\n

Sprint race start: 8th
Sprint race finish: 5th
Qualified: 3rd (10 places ahead of team mate, -0.299s)
Grid: 3rd (10 places ahead of team mate)
Start: Held position
Finished: Not classified\n<\/p>\n

\u25bc Spun in SQ2, inadvertently compromising drivers who could have beaten him
\u25b6 Passed Alonso for fifth place in sprint race
\u25b2 Qualified 10 places ahead of Hamilton for grand prix
\u25b6 Was running third when he was taken out of the race by Piastri-Antonelli collision<\/p>\n

7\/10: Lucky on Friday, great on Saturday, blameless on Sunday<\/p>\n

Lewis Hamilton<\/p>\n

Sprint race start: 11th
Sprint race finish: 7th
Qualified: 13th (10 places behind team mate, +0.299s)
Grid: 13th (10 places behind team mate)
Start: -4 places
Strategy: Three-stop (S-H-M-M)
Finished: Not classified\n<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Fortunate to avoid a penalty for failing to slow in response to warning flags again in sprint race qualifying<\/a>
\u25b6 Leclerc\u2019s spin probably cost him a chance to reach SQ3
\u25b2 Excellent start in sprint race lifted him into points positions
\u25bc Blamed lack of rear grip after dropping out in Q2
\u25b6 Knocked wide at turn one by Sainz
\u25bc Broke front wing trying to pass Colapinto, sustained floor damage and received five-second penalty<\/a><\/p>\n

4\/10: Made a bad situation worse with misjudged move on Colapinto<\/p>\n

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Max Verstappen<\/p>\n

\"Max<\/a><\/p>\n

Sprint race start: 6th
Sprint race finish: 4th
Qualified: 16th (3 places ahead of team mate, -0.308s)
Grid: 19th (2 places behind team mate)
Start: +1 place
Strategy: Three-stop (H-M-M-S)
Finished: 3rd (14 places ahead of team mate)\n<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Said car lacked grip and rode poorly after qualifying sixth for sprint race<\/a>
\u25b6 Used softer tyres to get ahead of Alonso at start of sprint race for fourth place
\u25bc Still unhappy with car in Q1, big moment at Pinheirinho put him on course for shock early exit<\/a>
\u25b6 Started from the pit lane with set-up changes and a fresh power unit
\u25b6 Pitted under the VSC due to a puncture
\u25b2 Much quicker than the leaders in clear air and passed midfielders with ease<\/a>
\u25b6 Left final pit stop call up to team who opted to switch to soft tyres
\u25b6 Passed Russell but couldn\u2019t repeat the move on Antonelli before the flag<\/p>\n

8\/10: Lost his way in qualifying but found it spectacularly in the grand prix<\/p>\n

Yuki Tsunoda<\/p>\n

Sprint race start: 19th
Sprint race finish: 13th
Qualified: 19th (3 places behind team mate, +0.308s)
Grid: 17th (2 places ahead of team mate)
Start: +3 places
Strategy: Three-stop (H-M-M-M)
Finished: 17th (14 places behind team mate)\n<\/p>\n

\u25bc Crashed early on in only practice session, losing vital running<\/a>
\u25bc Was mystified by lack of pace after qualifying 18th for sprint race
\u25b6 Rose to 13th in the sprint race after starting from the pit lane
\u25b6 Went out in Q1, but so did his team mate
\u25b6 Handed a 10-second time penalty after diving past Colapinto and knocking Stroll into a spin<\/a>
\u25b6 Had to serve the penalty again after team\u2019s mistake
\u25b6 Finished last<\/p>\n

3\/10: A familiar story but clumsy lunge into Stroll was a notable low point<\/p>\n

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Andrea Kimi Antonelli<\/p>\n

\"Andrea<\/a><\/p>\n

Sprint race start: 2nd
Sprint race finish: 2nd
Qualified: 2nd (4 places ahead of team mate, -0.257s)
Grid: 2nd (4 places ahead of team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: Two-stop (S-M-M)
Finished: 2nd (2 places ahead of team mate)\n<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Felt he could have got more out of his soft tyre run but still took second ahead of Russell
\u25b6 Chased Norris all the way for second in the sprint race
\u25b2 Consistently the quickest Mercedes in qualifying for the grand prix and took another front row spot
\u25bc Poor restart left him under attack, should have given Piastri more space
\u25b2 Showed a cool head when Verstappen caught him late in the race<\/a><\/p>\n

8\/10: His strongest weekend yet in terms of pace but benefited from a crash he did most to cause<\/p>\n

George Russell<\/p>\n

Sprint race start: 4th
Sprint race finish: 3rd
Qualified: 6th (4 places behind team mate, +0.257s)
Grid: 6th (4 places behind team mate)
Start: -1 place
Strategy: Two-stop (M-S-M)
Finished: 4th (2 places behind team mate)\n<\/p>\n

\u25bc Slight error at Ferradura cost him chance to qualify higher up the grid for sprint race
\u25b6 Collected third in sprint race after Piastri crashed ahead of him
\u25bc Mystified by lack of pace on soft tyres and resorted to mediums but could only manage sixth
\u25b6 Quick enough to capitalise on Piastri\u2019s penalty but not to out-run Verstappen<\/p>\n

7\/10: His usual pace was nowhere to be seen, even when the track cooled<\/p>\n

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Lance Stroll<\/p>\n

Sprint race start: 7th
Sprint race finish: 9th
Qualified: 14th (3 places behind team mate, +0.16s)
Grid: 14th (3 places behind team mate)
Start: -1 place
Strategy: Two-stop (H-M-M)
Finished: 16th (2 places behind team mate)\n<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Joined Alonso in SQ3 and took seventh on sprint race grid
\u25bc Made it too easy for Hamilton in turn one then lost final sprint race point to Gasly
\u25b6 Not far off Alonso in qualifying for grand prix
\u25b6 Blameless in incident which caused Bortoleto\u2019s crash
\u25b6 Knocked into a spin by Tsunoda which left him last with little opportunity to recover
\u25b6 Tried to extend his middle stint but succumbed to pressure from behind<\/p>\n

6\/10: A better weekend in terms of pace but rotten luck in the grand prix<\/p>\n

Fernando Alonso<\/p>\n

\"Fernando<\/a><\/p>\n

Sprint race start: 5th
Sprint race finish: 6th
Qualified: 11th (3 places ahead of team mate, -0.16s)
Grid: 11th (3 places ahead of team mate)
Start: +1 place
Strategy: Two-stop (H-M-M)
Finished: 14th (2 places ahead of team mate)\n<\/p>\n

\u25b2 Beat Verstappen to fifth on grid for sprint race
\u25b6 Clung on as long as he could against Leclerc but out-ran Hamilton for sixth in sprint race
\u25b6 Missed the cut for Q3 by a hundredth of a second
\u25b2 Gained a place at the start despite being on hard tyres
\u25b6 Williams drivers passed him in the first stint
\u25bc Second stint went awry after Hulkenberg passed him<\/p>\n

7\/10: Did well to salvage a point on Saturday<\/p>\n

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Franco Colapinto<\/p>\n

Sprint race start: 16th
Sprint race finish: Not classified
Qualified: 18th (9 places behind team mate, +0.747s)
Grid: 16th (7 places behind team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: Two-stop (M-S-M)
Finished: 15th (5 places behind team mate)\n<\/p>\n

\u25bc Three-tenths of a second off Gasly as he dropped out in first stage of sprint race qualifying
\u25bc Crashed out of sprint race under yellow flags, though stewards took no action
\u25b6 Said his car didn\u2019t feel the same after it was rebuilt on Saturday
\u25bc Seven-tenths of a second slower than Gasly in Q1
\u25b6 Dropped off the rear of the \u2018Lawson queue\u2019 over the final laps<\/p>\n

4\/10: Couldn\u2019t make fresher rubber count in midfield slog<\/p>\n

Pierre Gasly<\/p>\n

\"Pierre<\/a><\/p>\n

Sprint race start: 13th
Sprint race finish: 8th
Qualified: 9th (9 places ahead of team mate, -0.747s)
Grid: 9th (7 places ahead of team mate)
Start: +1 place
Strategy: Two-stop (S-M-M)
Finished: 10th (5 places ahead of team mate)\n<\/p>\n

\u25b2 Unlucky to miss chance to qualify in top 10 for sprint race qualifying due to yellow flags
\u25b2 Great start in sprint race gained him two places, then passed Stroll despite fading softs for final point
\u25b2 Delivered on Alpine\u2019s potential by qualifying ninth
\u25b6 Ran a conventional strategy to collect final point after dropping behind Hulkenberg<\/p>\n

9\/10: Taking points in both races in an Alpine was a fine achievement<\/p>\n

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Esteban Ocon<\/p>\n

Sprint race start: 18th
Sprint race finish: 11th
Qualified: 17th (9 places behind team mate, +0.547s)
Grid: 20th (12 places behind team mate)
Start: +1 place
Strategy: Two-stop (H-M-M)
Finished: 12th (6 places behind team mate)\n<\/p>\n

\u25bc Scruffy first run and lots of traffic on second meant he was nowhere near reaching SQ2
\u25b6 Stayed out of trouble and climbed to 11th in sprint race
\u25bc Eliminated in the first round of qualifying again for the grand prix
\u25b6 Like Verstappen, had to pit due to a puncture under VSC
\u25b2 Ran a long middle stint on mediums which got him ahead of Alonso
\u25b2 Passed Sainz then got stuck in a DRS train<\/p>\n

6\/10: Race pace was good but qualifying performances remain a concern<\/p>\n

Oliver Bearman<\/p>\n

\"Nico<\/a><\/p>\n

Sprint race start: 15th
Sprint race finish: 12th
Qualified: 8th (9 places ahead of team mate, -0.547s)
Grid: 8th (12 places ahead of team mate)
Start: -1 place
Strategy: Two-stop (S-M-M)
Finished: 6th (6 places ahead of team mate)\n<\/p>\n

\u25bc Mistakes on both his runs in SQ2 left him 15th on the sprint race grid
\u25bc Deserved a harsher penalty than he got for forcing Lawson off, then knocked into a spin by the Racing Bulls<\/a>
\u25b2 Qualified far higher than Ocon but looked on course for an even better result before Q3
\u25b6 Passed Gasly at the start of lap two
\u25b2 Put a vital pass on Lawson which ensured he came home sixth ahead of the train behind him<\/p>\n

8\/10: Strong in qualifying and the grand prix but sprint race move on Lawson was careless<\/p>\n

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Isack Hadjar<\/p>\n

Sprint race start: 9th
Sprint race finish: 10th
Qualified: 5th (2 places ahead of team mate, -0.031s)
Grid: 5th (2 places ahead of team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: Two-stop (S-M-M)
Finished: 8th (1 place behind team mate)\n<\/p>\n

\u25b2 Said there was little left in the car after reaching SQ3
\u25bc Lost four places at the start of the sprint race
\u25b6 Regained two places as Bortoleto crashed on final lap
\u25b2 Excellent qualifying performance netted fifth on grid
\u25b6 Pitted once more than his team mate
\u25b2 Passed one-stopping Hulkenberg for eighth
\u25bc Fortunate not to take himself and Lawson out on the last lap<\/a><\/p>\n

8\/10: Plenty to like about his performance until the final lap of the grand prix<\/p>\n

Liam Lawson<\/p>\n

\"Oliver<\/a><\/p>\n

Sprint race start: 17th
Sprint race finish: 16th
Qualified: 7th (2 places behind team mate, +0.031s)
Grid: 7th (2 places behind team mate)
Start: +1 place
Strategy: One-stop (S-M)
Finished: 7th (1 place ahead of team mate)\n<\/p>\n

\u25b6 In a repeat of Austin, he was unable to start his final sprint race qualifying lap in time
\u25b6 Forced off by Bearman on the first lap, then questionably penalised for knocking him into a spin<\/a>
\u25b2 Qualified just three hundredths off Hadjar but pair were separated by Russell
\u25b2 Came home first of the drivers who one-stopped despite sustained pressure<\/p>\n

8\/10: Pulled off an unorthodox strategy with aplomb<\/p>\n

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Alexander Albon<\/p>\n

\"Alexander<\/a><\/p>\n

Sprint race start: 12th
Sprint race finish: 17th
Qualified: 12th (3 places ahead of team mate, -0.419s)
Grid: 12th (3 places ahead of team mate)
Start: +1 place
Strategy: Two-stop (M-S-M)
Finished: 11th (2 places ahead of team mate)\n<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Uneventful weekend until Bortoleto\u2019s crash showered him with debris and he fell seven places on final lap of sprint race
\u25b6 Repeated his 12th on the grid in qualifying for the grand prix
\u25b6 Long opening stint left him with too much catching up to do later on
\u25b6 Easily passed Colapinto and Alonso, then was waved by Sainz
\u25b2 Passed Ocon for 11th but narrowly missed the final point<\/p>\n

7\/10: Needed a different strategy to get a point in the Williams<\/p>\n

Carlos Sainz Jnr<\/p>\n

Sprint race start: 20th
Sprint race finish: 14th
Qualified: 15th (3 places behind team mate, +0.419s)
Grid: 15th (3 places behind team mate)
Start: +2 places
Strategy: Two-stop (S-M-M)
Finished: 13th (2 places behind team mate)\n<\/p>\n

\u25bc Poor tyre preparation and lock-up at turn one saw him qualify last for sprint race
\u25bc Qualifying for the grand prix went little better: he was four tenths off Albon
\u25b6 First-corner contact with Hamilton was a racing incident
\u25b6 Spent second stint stuck in queue after switching from softs to mediums
\u25b6 Let Albon through when requested<\/p>\n

5\/10: Williams were less competitive at Interlagos but Albon did more with the car<\/p>\n

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Nico Hulkenberg<\/p>\n

\"Nico<\/a><\/p>\n

Sprint race start: 10th
Sprint race finish: 15th
Qualified: 10th (10 places ahead of team mate)
Grid: 10th (8 places ahead of team mate)
Start: -2 places
Strategy: One-stop (M-S)
Finished: 9th\n<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Reached SQ3 but was one of several drivers to lap slower on the unfamiliar soft tyres
\u25bc Fortunate to continue in sprint race after crashing at Curva do Sol
\u25b2 Made it two top 10 starts in qualifying for grand prix
\u25b2 Eked out a set of used soft tyres for half the race to take an excellent ninth<\/p>\n

8\/10: Made up for sprint race error with excellent grand prix performance<\/p>\n

Gabriel Bortoleto<\/p>\n

Sprint race start: 14th
Sprint race finish: 18th
Qualified: 20th (10 places behind team mate)
Grid: 18th (8 places behind team mate)
Finished: Not classified\n<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Respectably close to Hulkenberg in SQ2
\u25bc Suffered enormous crash while trying to pass Albon which resulted in him missing qualifying<\/a>
\u25bc Ran too wide at Bico de Pato on lap one and crashed out<\/a><\/p>\n

2\/10: Crashing out of both races made for an uncharacteristically poor weekend at home<\/p>\n

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Over to you<\/p>\n

Vote for the driver who impressed you most last weekend and find out whether other RaceFans share your view here:<\/p>\n

2025 Brazilian Grand Prix
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