2026 F1 Japanese Grand Prix - driver ratings

The third round of the 2026 F1 season took place at the iconic Suzuka Circuit, host of the Japanese Grand Prix.

It was a record-breaking weekend that saw Kimi Antonelli become the youngest driver to lead the championship and the first to win multiple races as a teenager.

But the records did not tell the whole story of an eventful race in Japan. Who dazzled, and who left the grand prix full of frustration?

See our driver rankings from the Japanese Grand Prix below!

The top five

Oscar Piastri – 9.5

Despite not winning the Japanese GP, Oscar Piastri deserves the highest rating from the event. The Australian qualified in third and actually made the start properly for the first time this season. He led the opening stages brilliantly and would likely have won, rather than finished second, if a mid-race safety car had not been required.

Kimi Antonelli – 9

As for Antonelli, it was a weekend that will be remembered for the latest records he broke, rather than the mistake that nearly cost him big points. The Italian had a shocking start from pole and tumbled to sixth, only to take the lead following a cheap pit stop during the safety car. A lucky win? Yes. But some luck is needed to become a world champion.

Pierre Gasly – 9

One of the real standouts was Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, who was in a different league compared to his team-mate. Gasly converted seventh on the grid into seventh in the race, with the Frenchman coming out on top in a fight with Max Verstappen.

Charles Leclerc – 8.5

Charles Leclerc was another who put in a classy display in Japan, converting fourth on the grid into a podium finish in third. He capitalised on George Russell encountering some difficulties and comfortably had the better of Lewis Hamilton.

Lando Norris – 8

Some might be surprised to see Lando Norris’ name in the top five, considering he started and finished fifth, but it was actually a really good result given the circumstances. Yet again, the reigning world champion’s weekend was full of car issues, severely impacting his running time.

The bottom five

Lewis Hamilton – 5

What could have been for Lewis Hamilton… The seven-time world champion struggled in qualifying and had to settle for sixth, before finding himself in third after pitting during the safety car. However, he fell back to sixth at a rate of knots, reporting issues with his battery. Regardless, Leclerc clearly had the upper hand.

Lance Stroll – 4

For Lance Stroll, it was another weekend of being unable to match Fernando Alonso, despite the Spaniard missing first practice following the birth of his child. In the end, Stroll was forced to retire due to further Aston Martin issues.

Alex Albon – 4

Alex Albon also had a massively disappointing weekend. The Williams driver was outqualified by Carlos Sainz, who made Q2, and offered little in the race before switching focus to testing for the Miami Grand Prix.

Oliver Bearman – 3.5

Oliver Bearman’s Japanese GP came to a terrifying end in a 50G crash, although his rating has nothing to do with that. Instead, it is based on him being no match for Esteban Ocon. The Briton suffered a shock Q1 exit and was nowhere near the points when he crashed.

Franco Colapinto – 3.5

Like Bearman, Franco Colapinto’s rating has nothing to do with his involvement in the serious accident, but rather with how much slower he was than his team-mate. While Gasly was fighting Verstappen for seventh, Colapinto was down in 16th, behind Sainz.

See the full ratings below!