Edd Straw's 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix F1 Driver Rankings

The 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix will be remembered for its dramatic disqualifications, but before the chaos, drivers delivered a range of performances. Edd Straw provides his best-to-worst ranking of all 20 drivers, evaluating their pace, racecraft, consistency, and how close they came to maximizing their car's potential across the entire weekend.

Why it matters:

• Driver performance is often obscured by car capabilities and race incidents. This ranking offers a critical look at individual skill and execution, independent of the final results or external factors like disqualifications.
• Understanding individual performance helps in evaluating driver potential and consistency, which are crucial for team strategies and future driver market movements.
• The specific challenges of the Las Vegas street circuit, particularly in wet conditions, put drivers' adaptability and precision to the ultimate test.

The Details:

• Max Verstappen (Red Bull): Started 2nd, finished 1st. Controlled the race superbly despite wet qualifying and pressure from Russell. "Another first-rate weekend."
• Carlos Sainz (Williams): Started 3rd, finished 5th. A superb qualifying performance in the full-wet conditions, putting the fifth-best car into third. Managed a strong seventh on the road in dry conditions. "An excellent weekend."
• George Russell (Mercedes): Started 4th, finished 2nd. Despite power steering issues, kept Verstappen under pressure. Third on the road became second after McLaren disqualifications. "A strong weekend's work."
• Charles Leclerc (Ferrari): Started 9th, finished 4th. Reached Q3 despite Ferrari's wet-tyre struggles. Recovered from a Turn 1 incident but a flat-footed strategy cost him a potential podium. "Quick but beating Antonelli to what became third was possible."
• Isack Hadjar (RB): Started 8th, finished 6th. A well-executed weekend, managing a strong eighth on the road given the car's pace. "A well-executed weekend."
• Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin): Started 7th, finished 11th. Maximized wet qualifying conditions for Q3. Struggled for pace in the dry race with a weaker car. "Did what he could with limited machinery."
• Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber): Started 11th, finished 7th. Strong performance in a car rated as only the seventh-fastest. Held firm in the race, finishing ninth on the road. "Save for his untidy final Q2 lap, a strong weekend."
• Pierre Gasly (Alpine): Started 10th, finished 13th. Excellent qualifying performance but his race was ruined by a Turn 1 incident and diffuser damage. "Quick but unfortunate."
• Lando Norris (McLaren): Started 1st, finished DSQ. Took pole position but with untidy driving in Q3 and an error at Turn 1 in the race. Exclusion was out of his control, but minor imperfections cost him in the rankings. "Rough edges took the shine off weekend."
• Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes): Started 17th, finished 3rd. Poor qualifying due to inexperience in wet conditions. Executed a strong race, managing tires well and securing third place despite a jump-start penalty. "Qualifying was the weak point."
• Esteban Ocon (Haas): Started 13th, finished 9th. Shaded his teammate in qualifying. Unlucky at Turn 1, but recovered to finish 11th, gaining points from McLaren's exclusion. "Good performance but the Haas wasn't at its best."
• Ollie Bearman (Haas): Started 14th, finished 10th. Recovered from a Q1 incident. Strong start but the Haas's natural pace saw him drop back. "Only Q1 off really counts against him."
• Oscar Piastri (McLaren): Started 5th, finished DSQ. Unfortunate with yellow flags in Q3 and a Turn 1 incident with Lawson. Solid but unspectacular race, relying on Antonelli's penalty for fourth on the road before exclusion. "Solid but unspectacular."
• Yuki Tsunoda (RB): Started 20th, finished 12th. Suffered from team error in Q1 with high tire pressures, which ruined his qualifying. Race was a frustrating battle from the back. "Genuinely unlucky."
• Lance Stroll (Aston Martin): Started 12th, finished DNF. Had pace in wet qualifying but made a poor strategy call on intermediate tires. Race ended early due to Bortoleto's Turn 1 collision. "Unfortunate but also drove the Q2 inters call."
• Franco Colapinto (Alpine): Started 15th, finished 15th. Not at Gasly's level in qualifying and sustained diffuser damage in a Turn 1 collision. "Not at Gasly's level in qualifying."
• Liam Lawson (RB): Started 6th, finished 14th. Strong qualifying ruined by a Turn 1 error, albeit with mitigating circumstances. "Good weekend ruined by Turn 1 error."
• Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari): Started 19th, finished 8th. Messy Q1 due to lack of attention to timing and perceived pace issues. Moribund race performance, unable to challenge. "Not close to the potential of the car."
• Alex Albon (Williams): Started 16th, finished DNF. Pace was not an issue, but multiple errors including hitting the wall in Q1 and a collision with Hamilton ruined his weekend. "Simply too many errors."
• Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber): Started 18th, finished DNF. Struggled in wet qualifying due to inexperience. Caused a collision at Turn 1 with Stroll, earning a grid penalty for the next race. "Turn 1 blunder was simply too big."

The big picture:

The Las Vegas Grand Prix delivered a chaotic but compelling race, with the wet conditions and a challenging street circuit exposing both the strengths and weaknesses of the drivers. While the McLaren disqualifications altered the final results, the individual performances highlighted the relentless pressure of Formula 1. Verstappen continued his dominant form, while drivers like Sainz and Russell maximized their machinery, even under adverse conditions. Rookie Antonelli showed impressive racecraft after a difficult qualifying, indicating significant potential for the future.

What's next:

The varying performances from Las Vegas will undoubtedly influence team dynamics and driver confidence heading into the next race. Teams will be analyzing both car setup for street circuits and driver adaptability in changing conditions. The incidents and penalties will also set the stage for upcoming races, particularly for drivers like Bortoleto facing grid penalties. The battle for championship points and individual reputations continues to intensify, making every race a critical proving ground.