2026 F1 Chinese Grand Prix - driver ratings

The second round of the 2026 F1 season took place around the Shanghai International Circuit, host of the Chinese Grand Prix.

There was a first-time pole-sitter and grand prix winner, some star drives in the midfield pack and disappointing results for others.

But who starred and who left Shanghai frustrated after a lacklustre performance?

See our driver rankings from the Chinese Grand Prix below!

The top five

Kimi Antonelli - 9.5

It was a breakthrough weekend for Antonelli, who became the youngest pole-sitter in F1 history on Saturday before following it up with a major drive to his first grand prix win. Undoubtedly, his most mature drive in F1 to date as he looks to make an impression in the drivers' championship fight.

George Russell - 9

Having admirably navigated the sprints, Russell was compromised in qualifying with an issue that left him under pressure in Q3. After sticking his car on the front row, the extra metres lost to Antonelli proved decisive as he became embroiled in a battle with Ferrari. Although he came out on top, it scuppered any chance he had at victory.

Lewis Hamilton - 9

The Hamilton we are seeing this year is night and day compared to 2025. Full of confidence and optimism, Hamilton edged out team-mate Leclerc across the weekend, particularly in the race when he demonstrated his wheel-to-wheel abilities haven't wavered as he finally snatched his first podium in red.

Oliver Bearman - 9

Bearman followed up his strong outing in Australia with an admirable result in China. Granted, his top-five result was helped by the misfortune of others, but he did not put a foot wrong all weekend to secure the classification.

Liam Lawson - 8.5

After being beaten by debutant Arvid Lindblad in Australia, Lawson responded strongly at round two. Although he was once again challenged by his rookie team-mate, Lawson was consistent throughout the event and brought home a duo of seventh-place finishes in the sprint and the grand prix, respectively.

The bottom five

Isack Hadjar - 6

It was a miserable weekend for Red Bull. Hadjar's performance was nothing to issue fierce criticism over, but a high-speed spin on the opening lap of the race but a dent in his outing. He managed to rescue some points for the team, but it was a troubled event for the Frenchman.

Lance Stroll - 5.5

The problems continue to play out at Aston Martin. The team has little to fight for, other than itself and the AMR26 which is currently posing a risk to driver safety. Stroll couldn't match the pace of Fernando Alonso during the weekend when the car was running, marking another torrid weekend for the Canadian driver.

Alex Albon - 5

Albon failed to take part in Sunday's grand prix as an issue with his car ruled him out early. However, the Thai driver was lacking to team-mate Carlos Sainz. Not that he will be too worried, as the primary focus is on developing the car out of the struggles Williams currently finds itself in.

Sergio Perez - 5

Navigating lap one with 21 other cars around you is always a challenge, but the golden rule of F1 remains  - do not collide with your team-mate. Unfortunately, Perez struck a hole in the side of Valtteri Bottas' car and spun out. While both Cadillac entries managed to finish the race, it was a poor moment for the Mexican driver

Esteban Ocon - 4

Ocon was running as high as third during the grand prix, albeit on an alternative strategy after not pitting under the safety car. Later in the race however, he copped a 10-second time penalty for colliding with Franco Colapinto, destroying his race. What should have been a strong double haul for Haas instead saw Ocon walk away from the weekend with lessons to learn.