Max Verstappen – 10
At several points in 2020, Verstappen hasn’t delivered when it really mattered despite this being another overall excellent season. But that didn’t happen last weekend as he trumped the Mercedes duo at the end of qualifying. That set up his race win, but he still had to pull out a masterful race drive, which he did. Essentially faultless – besides briefly trapping his hand in his cockpit in Q1.
Valtteri Bottas – 8
Tricky to score the Mercedes duo given the Red Bull was clearly much faster in the race, but it all might have been different if Bottas had beaten Verstappen in qualifying given how hard it is to pass at Yas Marina. But the Finn came up 0.025s short and, despite clearly giving his all in the race, there was little he could do to stop Verstappen’s march to victory.
Lewis Hamilton – 8
Although Hamilton was clearly the slower Mercedes driver across the weekend in Abu Dhabi, we’re using our discretion to give him a mark back considering he raced still grappling with the effects of the cursed coronavirus. Said his body was “not feeling great’ after the race, which is saying something considering his normal fitness levels. Looked like he might beat Bottas in qualifying but was undone in Q3.
Alex Albon – 7
A good weekend overall, right when he needed to deliver one considering Red Bull is now set to decide on his F1 future. But he still got outqualified by Norris’s slower McLaren, which meant he started a place behind where he should have done, even if he got back there with a neat DRS-assisted move early in the race. Closed on Hamilton late on but was never really a threat.
Lando Norris – 10
A simply excellent way to end his second F1 season. He produced what he felt was his best qualifying lap so far in his short F1 career to start a fine fourth and then executed the race as he needed to from there. He ran adrift of Ricciardo for much of his second stint, but was never going to have to make a pass anyway.
Carlos Sainz – 9
Felt getting through to Q3 on the mediums compromised his qualifying as he took sixth, which is why he loses a mark to Norris. In the race he felt the mediums he’d done so well to qualify on grained quickly and, after passing the Ferraris that hadn’t stopped under the VSC, he simply “brought it home”, pushing hard late on just in case to stay clear of Ricciardo.
Daniel Ricciardo – 9
A driver gaining four places overall at Yas Marina against top 10 runners deserves a high score, but Ricciardo misses out on a maximum for his Q2 exit. But he was excellent in the race after being allowed past Ocon. Kept his pace high when running ahead of Norris and was rewarded with seventh once he’d come in to take the mediums for the closing stages.
Daniil Kvyat, AlphaTauri AT01, Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri AT01, and Daniel Ricciardo, Renault F1 Team R.S.20
Photo by: Charles Coates / Motorsport Images
Pierre Gasly – 8
Ahead of the race, Gasly had looked to be the slower of the two AlphaTauri drivers as he trailed Kvyat by two places in qualifying. But after bravely battling back by Ocon, close to the wall on the inside of the run to Turn 8 early on, he dispatched the late-stopping Leclerc and Vettel either side of his firm pass on Stroll to seal eighth.
Esteban Ocon – 7
Ocon’s score versus Ricciardo comes down to his relative lack of progress from his grid spot after also being dump out in Q2, as Renault’s one-lap pace disappeared with a lack of rear grip. He struggled in the first stint, but Ocon at least railed from there, stealing ninth from Stroll on the last lap with a charging run up the inside of the ‘straight’ to Turn 11.
Lance Stroll – 6
After the highs of the Sakhir GP, this was a tough weekend for Racing Point and Stroll. Couldn’t get near the McLarens in qualifying and was then beaten by Ricciardo’s Renault in the race, as well as losing out in battle to Gasly. Felt a loss of tyre temperature contributed to falling behind Ocon on the last lap as he also rued inconsistent pace overall.
Daniil Kvyat – 8
We’re being generous and giving Kvyat a mark back for his excellent qualifying performance, which gave him his second-best grid spot of the year one event after claiming his best. His race started to unravel just before the VSC as he slipped back with fading front softs. After that he was rather stuck in a train behind Vettel’s Ferrari, coming home the leading lapped car behind Ocon and Stroll.
Kimi Raikkonen – 8
After losing his qualifying head-to-head with Giovainzzi by failing to get out of Q1, Raikkonen produced an excellent race drive. Alfa again split its strategy – this time under the VSC when Raikkonen was brought in to take the hards while his teammate stayed out. He produced good pace on the standard one-stopper doing well to stay out of range of Leclerc’s Ferrari for the last 19 laps.
Charles Leclerc – 7
Not a lot he could do with the Ferrari still being poor and his grid penalty. Finished Q1 in a remarkable P3, but his laps got slower as the session wore on – although he did well to get through Q2 on the mediums. Slipped back in the race after not stopping under the VSC and wore out his hards early in stint two.
Sebastian Vettel – 6
Loses a mark compared to Leclerc for being knocked out in Q2 for the 14th time in 2020, which heralded another low-key result as his Ferrari exit loomed. Tried to hang in there after being boosted up the order by not stopping under the VSC and, although that worked for a while, he didn’t have the pace to gain when he finally stopped.
George Russell – 7
A “half-decent way to end the season” was Russell’s assessment of his run to 15th in the race, after he’d qualified in 18th, struggling with tyre temperatures on his final lap in Q1. Couldn’t live with Raikkonen but did well to beat the other Alfa and the Haas cars, despite dealing with overheating brakes. Sensibly didn’t fight the Ferraris when they attacked in the second half.
Antonio Giovinazzi – 7
Earns an extra mark for escaping Q1 and winning his intra-team qualifying battle, but the race was a disappointment. For a change he lost a place at the start – to his teammate – and then was left out on the mediums under the VSC hoping there would be another race interruption, which never came, and he therefore finished behind Russell, albeit not far from the back of the Williams.
Nicholas Latifi – 6
Gets a six by the definition of our rules as he beat the Haas cars home in the race – enjoying pushing on a second set of mediums after making a late second stop. But his score can’t go higher because of his Q1 spin, which cost him the chance to do better than last in qualifying. Felt that was down to poor grip from low tyre temperature.
Kevin Magnussen – 6
Failed to get out of Q1 (knowing he’d start last with the grid penalty) and didn’t have a very eventful race. He did gain three places on the first lap – including a great double pass on the outside of Turn 8 – but was always going to lose time on a two-stopper. Didn’t have the pace to compete with the rest of ‘Class C’.
Pietro Fittipaldi – 6
He avoided qualifying last for the second race in a row – helped by Latifi’s spin. Drove well in the race, which he felt had a “crazy start” as he enjoyed getting stuck in after gaining confidence from his qualifying result. Ended up the last of the finishers as he had to make an extra stop to address an engine overheating problem.
Sergio Perez – 7
Really tough to score this given he didn’t really participate in qualifying to save tyres and engine mileage, knowing he’d start from the back thanks to his engine penalty. He was rising nicely in the race, albeit against much slower cars at the rear of the pack, when the Mercedes MGU-K problem thwarted his hopes for a good farewell result at the team he helped save.
Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-20, battles with George Russell, Williams FW43
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images