2024 F1 Singapore Grand Prix driver ratings

Lando Norris was exceptional en route to victory in the Singapore Grand Prix, and there was little Max Verstappen could have done to prevent it.

It was by no means a classic F1 race, and it was the first trip to Marina Bay that did not yield at least one safety car, but for McLaren to take back-to-back wins for the first time since 2012, it was undoubtedly significant.

It will be seen as a pivotal weekend in the 2024 championship fights, because although Norris continued to eat into Verstappen's lead, he likely would have hoped for more than just a seven-point swing.

But, more pertinently, how did they and their peers fare in the RacingNews365 Singapore Grand Prix driver ratings?

The top five

Lando Norris - 9.5

Sublime. Norris put on an absolute clinic in Singapore, on a near-faultless weekend for the 24-year-old. From the start of FP1 on Friday, to the chequered flag on Sunday, the McLaren driver was in a class of one.

It was undoubtedly a championship-level weekend. However, his two near misses during the race lose him half a point, as he was so very close to throwing away his third grand prix victory and his title driver along with it.

As with the Dutch Grand Prix, the amount of pace he had in hand was impressive. When asked to increase the gap, he did so swiftly and effectively, and when he needed to put in fastest lap times towards the end of a hard-tyre stint, he was still able to do so.

Max Verstappen - 9

There isn't much more anyone could have asked for from the Dutchman at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. Again, like at Zandvoort, he maximised on a weekend in which victory simply was not possible.

Whilst the margin of Norris' dominant win remains a concern, the fact Red Bull anticipated difficulties reaching Q3 and the lower reaches of the points, underlines the brilliance of Verstappen's performance.

I said during qualifying that he was "box office" and "blockbuster" and I challenge anyone to try and disagree with me.

To some, his off-track antics might over-shadow his weekend, but it underscored his strength of character, and importance to F1 - even if the initial F-bomb was perhaps unnecessary and inadvisable. Either way, you have to respect someone who stands by their principles.

Franco Colapinto - 8.5

Welcome back to the young Argentine. Three grand prix, three trips to the top five of the RacingNews365 driver ratings.

It's not the 9/10 he scored in Baku, on account of not scoring points. However, in many ways, it was a more impressive display from the 21-year-old.

Alexander Albon had upgrades on his FW46 that Colapinto did not, and yet the F2's newest graduate was right on his heels all the way up until the start of the race.

And then, the magic happened. His first corner move was sensational and should rightly be lauded, even if his increasingly racing-phobic team-mate was quick to whine about it (which he has since walked back, mind) to Williams.

Fernando Alonso - 8

There's speed left in the old guy still, eh! After his bizarre mid-season slump, the 43-year-old has been right back on it the past couple of rounds. Re-energised and re-vitalised by the Adrian Newey signing? Maybe. But that cannot take away from the form.

Whilst his team-mate has struggled of late, the Spaniard is right in the mix for points. Yes, it's not the string of podiums he was weaving together at the start of 2023, but you get the impression he's out-performing the Aston Martin.

Whilst he did fall back a position in the race in Singapore itself, you can't hold that against him, especially given two Ferraris were behind him on the grid.

Nico Hulkenberg - 8

Another strong weekend for the German. He's been exceptional in qualifying this season, and the trip to Marina Bay was no different.

The delta between the 37-year-old and team-mate Kevin Magnussen remains considerable, particularly over one lap and Hulkenberg's pace put him in the position to score points.

He'll likely be disappointed to have ended the race behind Alonso, who he started in front of, but fact of the matter is, he continued to eat into RB's advantage in the fight for sixth in the constructors' championship. That gap is now down to just three points. Game on.

the bottom five

Valtteri Bottas - 4

It might be harsh to include the Finnish driver on the bottom-half of this list, particularly as he out-qualified Zhou Guanyu by over half a second and the Stake is essentially consigned to the back row of the grid at the moment.

However, he did also get beaten by his team-mate in the race. It must be a frustrating situation for a driver looking to save his F1 career, as he is expected to have done so, but he'll need to show more than he has been.

It was an anonymous drive to P16 and he should be handily beating Zhou across the weekend.

Daniel Ricciardo - 3.5

There is much that can, and should, be said about about Red Bull's handling of its latest driver soap opera - but I won't do it here.

Instead, I'll focus on the Australian's performance throughout the Singapore Grand Prix weekend. Yes, having the axe hanging over his head is likely to have affected him, but what he produced on track simply was not up to standard.

A Q1 elimination all but sealed his fate, but he was hardly setting the race alight during the grand prix itself. Will we see the 35-year-old in F1 again? Only time will tell. But he was undeniably not up to the level of team-mate Yuki Tsunoda or his RB when it mattered in Marina Bay.

Pierre Gasly - 3.5

A quiet and disappointing weekend for the Alpine driver. Was unable to match his team-mate during qualifying and ended up behind slower cars (the Stakes) during the race itself.

The French team has the car to fight for points, but that seems to not be on a consistent basis. But nevertheless, it was an underwhelming drive, particularly given Esteban Ocon had enough in hand to essentially hold station further up the pack.

Lance Stroll - 3

Admittedly, the Canadian does not like the Marina Bay Street Circuit, but that isn't really much of an excuse.

P17 on the grid and another Q1 exit whilst his team-mate is up in Q3 en route scoring points isn't good enough. You get the impression that whilst Alonso is out-performing the Aston Martin at the moment, Stroll is under-performing in it in equal measure.

The team's package has unquestionably taken a relative step back, but there is no reason the 25-year-old can't be competing for points - and it's now five rounds without a top 10 finish.

Sergio Perez - 2.5

On a weekend when Red Bull really needed its second driver to carry over his Baku form to Singapore, he just didn't.

Another early qualifying elimination does not cut it, and given how surprisingly impressive the RB20 turned out to be in Marina Bay, a solitary point of the Mexican is a meagre return.

Evidently, Red Bull is comfortable with the idea of making changes and moving drivers around at this stage of the season. It might be time for Perez to elevate his game - and for good.