United States Grand Prix: Driver Ratings

United States GP

United States Grand Prix: Driver Ratings

Who got top marks?

Matthew Scott

Monday 4 November 2019 08:00

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United States GP Driver Ratings Part 3

Alexander Albon (Qual: 6th - Race: 5th) 8/10

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Stopped three times and was 20th early in the race after tangling with Sainz, but Albon showed remarkable perseverance to pass a few cars multiple times as Red Bull opted for fresh rubber over track position. Albon is now sixth in the drivers' championship, just seven races after replacing Gasly, and his chances of remaining in the Red Bull seat surely grow week on week.

Charles Leclerc (Qual: 4th - Race: 4th) 6/10

In Charles' own words, a "shit" race saw him struggle for initial pace like team-mate Vettel and he was rarely within 50 seconds of the leading cars as Ferrari's performance dramatically wilted in COTA, raising questions about how their previous strength had been achieved, at least with Max Verstappen .

Max Verstappen (Qual: 3rd - Race: 3rd) 7/10

Verstappen got off the line smartly, easing past Vettel and putting pressure on Bottas, although contact caused front wing damage, while Verstappen later reported that he was missing a chunk of floor from early on. Max did not quite have the pace to truly push Bottas for the win, but he perhaps ought to have been second, something that an extra lap, or a lack of yellow flags on the last lap might have enabled.

Lewis Hamilton (Qual: 5th - Race: 2nd) 9/10

Hamilton has previously shown that his mind can stray from conventional tactics when the title is on the line – Abu Dhabi 2016, anyone? And although a gentle cruise behind the rest of his fellow front-runners and ahead of the 'B Class' would have seen him crowned champion all the same, perhaps Hamilton wouldn't now be a six-time title-winner were he not the kind of person that would go all out for the win anyway, getting his elbows out in late combat with Bottas, despite it being destined for on-track defeat.

Valtteri Bottas (Qual: 1st - Race: 1st) 10/10

A flawless performance from the Finn, who has enough strong performances from 2019 to build upon for 2020. Consistency will naturally be key against the metronomic brutality of a title fight with Hamilton, but victories at Suzuka and now COTA, tracks where the driver makes a bigger difference than most show that Bottas is approaching the peak of his own powers. Bottas' visible frustration at seeing the championship officially taken out of his hands suggests the fire is there to go again in 2020.