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The 2023 Bahrain GP featured the same familiar face at the top, as Max Verstappen dominated the race from start to finish.
There were quite a few standout performances from other drivers, as they placed their cars in impressive positions. Meanwhile, some had a forgettable start to the season at the 2023 Bahrain GP.
Having said that, in a way to put a bow on the Bahrain GP weekend, let's take a look at how each driver fared this weekend.
2023 F1 Bahrain GP: Rating the drivers
Red Bull
Max Verstappen (Started: 1st, Finished: 1st)
Rating: 10
Sure, he has got the best car on the grid, but imagine if Max Verstappen had messed up his qualifying lap and Charles Leclerc had pipped him for pole position. The race could have looked a lot different if you don't have the lead from the very first corner.
Verstappen had to work his way through gremlins on Friday, but come Saturday and Sunday, he was in top form. Tough to find faults in what he was able to achieve at the 2023 Bahrain GP.
Sergio Perez (Started: 3rd, Finished: 2th)
Rating: 8
Perez did the role of a No. 2 driver to the best of his ability. Having said that, if his aspirations involve winning the title, he might need to bridge the gap he has on Verstappen.
Ferrari
Charles Leclerc (Started: 2nd, Finished: DNF)
Rating: 10
It was a heartbreaking end to the race weekend for Charles Leclerc, but you cannot fault the Ferrari driver at any point this race weekend. Qualifying was as good as he could have done. He maximised the race result as well before the power unit cried enough.
Carlos Sainz (Started: 4th, Finished: 4th)
Rating: 7
A solid race for Sainz, as he starts the season in almost the same position he started the 2022 season in.
There's a gulf in the performance of the two Ferrari drivers, and it's safe to say it's not closing down soon. Losing the podium to Alonso would have been even more disappointing for the Spaniard.
Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton (Started: 7th, Finished: 5th)
Rating: 8.5
That P5 was the best Mercedes could have achieved at the 2023 Bahrain GP. A slight slip in qualifying where George Russell got the jump on him was the only place where Hamilton faltered a bit as he once again showed his class.
George Russell (Started: 6th, Finished: 7th)
Rating: 7
Not a good race for Russell, as he basically experienced what Valtteri Bottas would have felt all these years in Mercedes: outqualified Hamilton but lost the position at the start.
Russell was further compromised at the first pitstop, as he was forced to do two more laps, as Mercedes opted to service Hamilton first. If you don't want that to happen, Russell needs to be ahead of Hamilton, not behind his compatriot on the track. A rather average race for the bright Mercedes driver.
Alpine
Pierre Gasly (Started: 20th, Finished: 9th)
Rating: 7
Qualifying was a horror experience for Gasly, as he was eliminated in Q1. The race was remarkable, though, as he steadily made his way through the field and scored points. A good positive start to the season for the Frenchman.
Esteban Ocon (Started: 9th, Finished: DNF)
Rating: 6
Excellence in qualifying meant Ocon was able to finish Q3 for the team. The race proved to be a disaster, though, where everything that could go wrong went wrong.
The grid slot infringement was weird, as it didn't look that big. The pitlane overspeeding was bad, and so was Alpine being unable to do a 5-sec time penalty properly. A day to forget for the French driver.
McLaren
Lando Norris (Started: 11th, Finished: 17th)
Rating: 7
There was a certain level of anger and frustration in the eyes of Lando Norris when he faced the media after the 2023 Bahrain GP. Qualifying P11 was stunning, but being turned into a test driver in a race where McLaren had no pace is not ideal for any driver.
Oscar Piastri (Started: 18th, Finished: DNF)
Rating: 5.5
A quiet start to life in F1 for Piastri. The 2023 Bahrain GP would not be remembered with much fondness by the Australian, as he was eliminated in Q1 on Saturday, and the race didn't last long enough for him to make an impact.
Alfa Romeo
Valtteri Bottas (Started: 12th, Finished: 8th)
Rating: 8
Credit where it's due, as Bottas was sensational in the Alfa Romeo. It's clear as day that there are limitations to the cars in midfield, but Bottas appears to have nailed the setup for the race. Once he went unscathed at the start, there was never much of a challenge from behind. A good weekend for the Finnish driver.
Guanyu Zhou (Started: 13th, Finished: 16th)
Rating: 5
It's just the same criticism that has stuck with Zhou since his junior racing days. He's fast but sporadically.
Worryingly, there's never been an explanation for that either. The 2023 Bahrain GP was nothing different. He was right on his teammate's pace in qualifying, but when the race came, Zhou just did not make any impression. A disappointing start to the season for the Chinese driver.
Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso (Started: 5th, Finished: 3rd)
Rating: 9
Alonso did what he tends to do often: place the car where it belongs, sometimes even a step or two better.
If it wasn't for the slight tap to the back by Stroll at the start of the race, Alonso might have had a more impressive race fighting the Ferraris. Nevertheless, a season with unfathomable possibilities awaits the Spaniard in 2023.
Lance Stroll (Started: 8th, Finished: 6th)
Rating: 8
Stroll deserves all the credit in the world for putting together such a great show at the 2023 Bahrain GP. He was in pain all weekend but still stayed within touching distance of his teammate by the time the chequered flag fell, and not to forget, he finished ahead of a Mercedes. Loads of respect for the Canadian.
Haas F1
Kevin Magnussen (Started: 17th, Finished: 13th)
Rating: 6
A bit of a nothing weekend for the Haas driver, as a poor qualifying was exacerbated by having a car with poor tyre management. Starting P17 and finishing P13 is not what Magnussen would have hoped for at the 2023 Bahrain GP.
Nico Hulkenberg (Started: 10th, Finished: 17th)
Rating: 6
It all did come down crashing for Hulkeneberg at the 2023 Bahrain GP. The German's qualifying was very impressive, and a Q3 entry was a surprise. The race did, however, expose a level of rustiness that comes from not having done a full race season in three years.
AlphaTauri
Nyck de Vries (Started: 19th, Finished: 14th)
Rating: 6.5
A decent start to life at AlphaTauri for De Vries. The driver was outqualified and outraced by his Japanese teammate, but that was expected. The gap is not too big between the two drivers for now, but the 2023 Bahrain GP did show that ther's some work that needs to be done by the Dutch driver.
Yuki Tsunoda (Started: 14th, Finished: 11th)
Rating: 7.5
A decent start to the 2023 Bahrain GP race weekend for Tsunoda. He did a good job in qualifying, as he took the car to Q2. He almost scored a point as well but was pipped by Albon in the end.
Williams
Alex Albon (Started: 15th, Finished: 10th)
Rating: 8
Excellent showing at the 2023 Bahrain GP for Albon. He qualified well and dragged his car to a points finish. A good day's work in the Williams.
Logan Sargeant (Started: 16th, Finished: 12th)
Rating: 7
An impressive debut from Sargeant, as he showed signs of having strong one-lap speed. Keep an eye on the American as he might challenge Albon this season in that Williams.
