Assessment of Grid Including Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and Other Drivers' Ratings for F1 2023 (Part 2)

 

Esteban Ocon - Alpine

Championship position: 10th

Rating: 7/10

Ocon has demonstrated moments of impressive pace and skill, notably delivering a splendid performance in Monaco to secure his first podium since his victory at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix.

Amidst the abundance of emerging young talent in Formula 1, it's understandable that Ocon's achievements might be overshadowed. However, his commendable performances should not be underestimated, especially given the limitations of the Alpine car this season.

Furthermore, Ocon has been plagued by a series of unfortunate incidents, such as collisions or technical issues, which deprived him of points at events like the Australian, British, and Hungarian Grand Prix races.

Pierre Gasly - Alpine

Championship position: 12th

Rating: 6.5/10

Gasly's debut season with Alpine has been relatively uneventful, lacking any standout moments. However, he isn't significantly trailing behind Ocon either.

Interestingly, there hasn't been a notably intense rivalry between the two Alpine drivers, and assessing whether both of them are fully exploiting the car's potential remains a challenging task.

Alex Albon - Williams

Championship position: 13th

Rating: 7.5/10

Albon's noteworthy performances persist at Williams, contributing to the team's achievement of three points finishes in 2023.

He has adeptly managed the car's low-drag characteristics, skillfully maneuvering through corners and adapting his driving technique to hold off pursuing competitors. His seventh-place finish in Canada serves as a prime illustration of this approach, along with his eighth-place result at the British Grand Prix.

In contrast to his 18-month stint at Red Bull spanning 2019 and 2020, Albon now exudes confidence and is evidently the primary driver leading the charge at Williams.

Logan Sargeant - Williams

Championship position: 19th

Rating: 5/10

Sargeant stands as the sole driver who has yet to outperform their teammate in qualifying, and he has also made a couple of pivotal errors, including incidents in Azerbaijan, Miami, and Spain.

This presents a sharp contrast to Albon's current trajectory, and for a rookie, rectifying such circumstances can prove to be an arduous task. Yuki Tsunoda's debut season in 2021 serves as a prime example of the challenges rookies often encounter.

One must consider that Sargeant needs to secure victories over Albon based on performance to secure his spot on next year's grid.

>>> Read more: https://bquickly.blogspot.com/2023/08/assessment-of-grid-including-max.html

Nico Hulkenberg - Haas

Championship position: 14th

Rating: 7.5/10

Hulkenberg's understated excellence at Haas has been particularly evident during qualifying sessions, where he has executed remarkable laps to secure Q3 placements.

During the Canadian race, he achieved a remarkable second-place qualification under wet conditions, although a subsequent three-grid penalty for a red flag violation dampened the achievement. Regardless, his performance was quite impressive.

His seventh-place qualification in Australia remains his solitary points finish, primarily attributed to Haas' challenges with tire wear on a full fuel load.

Kevin Magnussen - Haas

Championship position: 18th

Rating: 5.5/10

Hulkenberg has consistently outperformed Magnussen, leaving little to highlight. We caught a glimpse of Magnussen's impressive race skills during a captivating battle with Leclerc at the Miami Grand Prix, culminating in his 10th-place finish.

Nonetheless, instances of such prowess have been somewhat scarce, and it's not entirely evident whether this is predominantly due to his performance or the car's limitations - potentially a combination of both.

Valtteri Bottas - Alfa Romeo

Championship position: 15th

Rating: 5.5/10

Alfa Romeo's performance in 2023 has been relatively subdued, grappling with race pace, and Bottas no longer possesses the same distinct edge he enjoyed over Zhou last year.

Bottas displayed potential with an eighth-place finish at the opening race in Bahrain, yet he has seldom found himself leading the charge in the intense midfield competition.

This situation bears a resemblance to Kimi Raikkonen's tenure at Alfa Romeo from 2019 to 2021, during which the Finn seemed to lose some of his innate one-lap speed needed to produce extraordinary results.

Zhou Guanyu - Alfa Romeo

Championship position: 16th

Rating: 6/10

The statistics might not reflect Zhou's advancements compared to his debut season last year, and his ability to match Bottas is pivotal to secure his spot at Alfa Romeo for the 2024 season.

One notable aspect missing from the Chinese driver's performance was a standout moment, which changed during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Zhou secured an impressive fifth-place qualification. However, the following day took a downturn as he suffered a poor start and collided with Daniel Ricciardo at Turn One.

In the remaining 10 rounds, Zhou must steer clear of errors like the one mentioned above. He might soon feel the weight of driving for his Formula 1 career, especially in a car that is proving challenging to score points with.

Yuki Tsunoda - AlphaTauri

Championship position: 17th

Rating: 7/10

Tsunoda is now fulfilling the potential he displayed during his earlier racing years, showcasing impressive showings that secured three 10th-place finishes this season.

He demonstrated absolute control over Nyck de Vries and remained undeterred even with Daniel Ricciardo's entrance into the team during the Hungarian and Belgian races.

Accumulating points in a less competitive AlphaTauri is a commendable feat, and the true measure of Tsunoda's season will become clear if he can consistently rival or outperform Ricciardo.

Nyck de Vries - AlphaTauri

Championship position: 20th

Rating: 4.5/10

Even if one believes Red Bull's decision to replace De Vries was severe, it's evident that the Dutch driver was significantly trailing in terms of pace and was plagued by a notable number of errors.

De Vries' age, at 28, placed additional pressure on him to deliver immediate results given his extensive background in various motorsport disciplines.

A positive phase in May, during which he outperformed Tsunoda in Miami and Spain, along with a commendable 12th-place finish in Monaco, appeared to signify an upward trajectory for De Vries. Regrettably, the subsequent three events proved underwhelming, leading to his swift departure from Formula 1 after the British Grand Prix.

Daniel Ricciardo - Alpha Tauri

Championship position: 21st

Rating: 6.5/10

Evaluating Ricciardo based on only two races presents a challenge. His performance in Hungary was commendable, as he outperformed Tsunoda in qualifying and displayed strong pace, resulting in a 13th-place finish.

However, a qualifying error due to track limits in Belgium led to a back-row starting position, and he was unable to keep up with Tsunoda's pace during the race.