RacingNews365's F1 Austrian Grand Prix driver ratings

An exciting end to the Austrian Grand Prix saw George Russell take the race victory after a collision between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.

There were a number of star performances up and down the grid - while the Red Bull Ring event was a weekend to forget for some.

How did all of the drivers fare across the event? RacingNews365 has weighed in with our driver ratings.

The top five

George Russell - 9

He was in the right place at the right time, but someone had to be. Russell picked up the pieces from a dramatic collision between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris to secure his first win of the season, consolidating a strong weekend for the Briton who is hitting a strong stride of consistency of late.

Nico Hulkenberg - 9

It went slightly under the radar in the midst of the front-running drama, but Hulkenberg's run to sixth place marked Haas' strongest result in two years. Qualifying in ninth and ending the race three positions higher, Haas has now out-scored its 2023 points tally, (largely) thanks to another strong performance from the Audi-bound Hulkenberg.

Lando Norris - 8.5

Norris has long been Verstappen's closest challenger this year and while matters in Austria got too close, the general consensus is that the Briton was not to blame. While his overtake attempts on the build-up to the crash were questionable, Norris' front row qualifying position and his attack for the win maintains his spot as being Verstappen's most well-matched opponent on the current grid.

Carlos Sainz - 8

Ferrari need an answer to its woes, and soon. It could be argued that it is fourth best in the current pecking order but Sainz's consistent driving in Spielberg ensured it could capture a podium when its rivals faltered. Faster than team-mate Leclerc throughout the weekend, Sainz's performance could buy him more time in the driver market amid reports teams are getting tired of waiting for his decision.

Daniel Ricciardo - 8

Much has been said about Ricciardo's struggles during the 2024 F1 campaign, but there's no denying his outing in Austria was strong. The RB driver admitted it was a “tough” race as he was forced to go on the defensive to secure points, but he did it successfully at a critical moment when his F1 career is at a crossroads.

The bottom five

Lewis Hamilton - 5

“Pretty shocking” are the words Hamilton used to describe his Austrian Grand Prix. Hamilton was a bit lost throughout the race, held back by damage he picked up to his floor. But on a weekend where Mercedes had a reason to celebrate, there was little to cheer about from the seven-time world champion's side of the garage.

Zhou Guanyu - 5

Another anonymous race from Zhou at the wheel of the Stake F1 car saw him cross the line in 17th place, having opted to make set-up changes overnight and start from the pit lane. Unfortunately, the alterations did little to boost his pace, resulting in another disappointing outing for the Chinese driver.

Sergio Perez - 4

Perez sustained damage on the opening lap of the race which severely dented his pace following a poor showing in qualifying. However the clash with Piastri could have been avoided and it immediately placed him on the back foot. Despite a puncture and a 10-second time penalty for Verstappen, Perez still couldn't better his team-mate on the road.

Logan Sargeant - 4

A painful showing from Sargeant saw him occupy the spot at the back of the field for much of the race. Sargeant too picked up damage during the grand prix but the display was similar to those we've seen from the American driver of late: disappointing.

Fernando Alonso - 3

What has happened to Aston Martin and Alonso? The pace has completely evaporated from the car, and the Spaniard is not expecting any quick fixes. A lack of speed during the weekend in Austria and a clumsy shunt into Zhou rounded out a gruelling weekend for the two-time world champion.