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The 2023 F1 Belgian GP is done, and the drivers will now be taking some time off during the summer break. The last race of the first half of the season threw up quite a few surprises and challenges.
Fortunately, no driver was caught out in the testing conditions, and while they did have varied levels of performance, no one committed a major error in the conditions.
With F1 heading for its summer break, how did the drivers fare in the 2023 F1 Belgian GP? Let's take a look.
Criteria for rating: When we rate the drivers, there are a few things that we take into consideration.
These are:
- Performance in both qualifying and race
- Results achieved compared to the potential of the car
- How many mistakes were made over the weekend
- Relative performance against their teammate
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2023 F1 Belgian GP: Rating the drivers
1) Red Bull
Max Verstappen
Sprint (Started: 1st, Finished: 1st)
GP (Started: 6th, Finished: 1st)
Rating: 10
A flawless weekend from Max Verstappen Pole in the sprint shootout, fastest lap in Friday qualifying, and a win in both the sprint and the grand prix as well. The driver is on a completely different level from everyone else.
Sergio Perez
Sprint (Started: 8th, Finished: DNF)
GP (Started: 2nd, Finished: 2nd)
Rating: 6
If you look at his result in the 2023 F1 Belgian GP, one might feel that the Mexican had a strong weekend. This could not be further from the truth.
If your teammate overtakes you like you do not even belong in the same car, then that has to sting. A podium for Perez in the main race is more a result of Red Bull dominance than the driver extracting everything from the car.
2) Ferrari
Charles Leclerc
Sprint (Started: 4th, Finished: 5th)
GP (Started: 1st, Finished: 3rd)
Rating: 8.5
The 2023 F1 Belgian GP was the one where Charles was able to extract everything perfectly.
The sprint was less than perfect, as Carlos did get the better of him. Overall, a positive weekend and another podium for Charles.
Carlos Sainz
Sprint (Started: 3rd, Finished: 4th)
GP (Started: 4th, Finished: DNF)
Rating: 6
Sainz did have a decent sprint on Saturday, but the 2023 F1 Belgian GP ended early for him on Sunday. The Spaniard did put out a post-race note blaming Piastri for the incident, but it's hard to see it that way.
The weekend promised a lot more than what it delivered for the Ferrari, and that should be a bit disappointing for him as well.
3) Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton
Sprint (Started: 7th, Finished: 7th)
GP (Started: 3rd, Finished: 4th)
Rating: 7.5
Lewis would have gotten a better score if the sprint part of his weekend was better. Unfortunately, it wasn't. The incident in qualifying with Russell was hard to understand, and he was probably a bit overzealous against Perez as well.
The overall performance from Lewis was there at the 2023 F1 Belgian GP, but the execution was not perfect.
George Russell
Sprint (Started: 10th, Finished: 8th)
GP (Started: 8th, Finished: 6th)
Rating: 6
George Russell has been going through a bad run of form recently as he continues to find it hard to keep up with teammate Lewis Hamilton.
The Mercedes driver had two poor qualifying sessions that ended up deciding how his 2023 F1 Belgian GP went. He's been struggling for form recently, and it will be interesting to see when he finds it.
4) Alpine
Pierre Gasly
Sprint (Started: 6th, Finished: 3rd)
GP (Started: 12th, Finished: 11th)
Rating: 8
That performance in the sprint truly deserves a top score because of how impressively the job was done for Alpine. The 2023 F1 Belgian GP was not the best, as he was unable to score any points.
Esteban Ocon
Sprint (Started: 9th, Finished: 9th)
GP (Started: 14th, Finished: 8th)
Rating: 7.5
Ocon had a somewhat compromised sprint after being forced to pit second for intermediate. The race was very impressive as he made his way through the field from P14 to P8. An impressive result from the driver.
5) McLaren
Lando Norris
Sprint (Started: 5th, Finished: 6th)
GP (Started: 7th, Finished: 7th)
Rating: 6.5
Not the best showcase from Norris here. The mistake in Friday's qualifying cost him floor damage. The sprint was not his best showing either.
His impressive stint on soft tires in the 2023 F1 Belgian GP somewhat salvaged his race, but it was nowhere close to the level he's used to performing at.
Oscar Piastri
Sprint (Started: 2nd, Finished: 2nd)
GP (Started: 5th, Finished: DNF)
Rating: 7
Oscar Piastri truly arrived this weekend. He was the faster McLaren driver and was ultimately better at execution in the sprint.
The incident at the start of the 2023 F1 Belgian GP was unfortunate, but he should be happy with how things panned out this weekend.
6) Alfa Romeo
Valtteri Bottas
Sprint (Started: 17th, Finished: 13th)
GP (Started: 13th, Finished: 12th)
Rating: 6
An underwhelming effort once again from Bottas, as one struggles to understand whether Alfa Romeo has lost its competitiveness or the drivers are unable to capture better results.
Guanyu Zhou
Sprint (Started: 19th, Finished: 15th)
GP (Started: 17th, Finished: 13th)
Rating: 5.5
Another weekend where Zhou was there and thereabouts with teammate Bottas throughout the 2023 F1 Belgian GP weekend Another weekend when the team had no points added to its current tally.
7) Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso
Sprint (Started: 15th, Finished: DNF)
GP (Started: 9th, Finished: 5th)
Rating: 7
A poor sprint on Saturday and a decent 2023 F1 Belgian GP on Sunday are how we can sum up Alonso's weekend. The Spaniard knows that the road ahead is tough and is trying to keep his composure for now.
Lance Stroll
Sprint (Started: 14th, Finished: 11th)
GP (Started: 10th, Finished: 9th)
Rating: 6.5
Stroll was overall a step behind Alonso throughout the weekend, and it showed in the race as well. He earned the point he scored in P9, but he will be hoping to do one better soon.
8) Haas F1
Kevin Magnussen
Sprint (Started: 18th, Finished: 14th)
GP (Started: 16th, Finished: 15th)
Rating: 5.5
There is not much to speak of for Magnussen other than the fact that the driver at least had a weekend without any issues compared to his teammate.
Nico Hulkenberg
Sprint (Started: 20th, Finished: 17th)
GP (Started: Pitlane, Finished: 18th)
Rating: 5
A complete write-off for Hulkenberg, as his strength in qualifying was completely nullified by a car issue on Friday and the team's strange strategy on Sunday. A weekend to forget and move on for the German.
9) AlphaTauri
Daniel Ricciardo
Sprint (Started: 11th, Finished: 10th)
GP (Started: 19th, Finished: 16th)
Rating: 5.5
A decent sprint for Ricciardo but a poor race. The driver has had a decent start to life in AlphaTauri and will be hoping to ramp things up after the summer break.
Yuki Tsunoda
Sprint (Started: 16th, Finished: 18th)
GP (Started: 11th, Finished: 10th)
Rating: 7
A tale of two halves for Yuki. A strong 2023 F1 Belgian GP but a poor sprint weekend, and that is what's going to hurt the driver's final rating. Scoring a point in the race is surely going to bring a smile to Tsunoda's face, that's for sure.
10) Williams
Alex Albon
Sprint (Started: 12th, Finished: 12th)
GP (Started: 15th, Finished: 14th)
Rating: 6.5
Not the best weekend for Albon. Sure, he was the fastest Williams driver, but one can't help but feel that the 2023 F1 Belgian GP was an opportunity for the team to score points.
Alex will be a bit disappointed with how the weekend went, but that's just how the cookie crumbles sometimes.
Logan Sargeant
Sprint (Started: 13th, Finished: 16th)
GP (Started: 18th, Finished: 17th)
Rating: 5
Another disappointing outing for Logan. With Alex Palou's name doing the rounds, it will be interesting to see if the American holds on to his seat for the next season.
