In the thrilling Australian Grand Prix, which was filled with drama and excitement, Ferrari secured a 1-2 finish while Red Bull faced difficulties. The race also saw a Mercedes car ending up on its side on the final lap and a penalty for a double champion due to dangerous driving. This race has been the most eventful of the 2024 Formula 1 season so far.
Now, let’s assess the performances of the drivers and rank them from best to worst based on various criteria such as pace, racecraft, consistency, and avoiding key mistakes. It’s important to note that this ranking reflects their performance throughout the entire weekend, including qualifying, which sets the foundation for the race. It’s not a comprehensive ranking of their overall abilities as drivers. The ranking will vary significantly from weekend to weekend due to the different performance potential of each car and external factors beyond the drivers’ control.
Carlos Sainz demonstrated exceptional skill and composure in Australia, especially considering the fact that he had just recovered from an appendectomy. He outperformed his Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc, in qualifying by showing better adaptability to the challenging C5 Pirelli tires. Although a small mistake in Turn 9/10 during qualifying cost him pole position, his race performance was flawless.
Yuki Tsunoda showcased his talent by outperforming his Red Bull teammate, Daniel Ricciardo, throughout the weekend. Tsunoda qualified efficiently, reaching Q3 for the second time this season with impressive pace. He then drove a clean and consistent race, although he couldn’t catch up to Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin.
Lando Norris had a weekend of growth, overcoming balance issues during practice to secure a place on the second row in qualifying. He had a solid race drive, briefly losing third place to his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, but ultimately reclaiming it without team orders. This resulted in Norris achieving his first podium finish of the 2024 season.
Max Verstappen faced potential challenges due to the Red Bull’s difficulty in heating up the front tires and the unpredictable soft compound. However, he managed to secure pole position in Q3, which was unexpected. Unfortunately, his race was cut short by a brake caliper issue that was beyond his control.
Valtteri Bottas initially struggled with confidence in the rear end of the Sauber after a high-speed spin during FP1. However, he regained his form in qualifying and had an edge over his teammate. Bottas was on track for a points finish but encountered a wheelnut problem during his first pitstop, which cost him valuable time.
Charles Leclerc’s weekend started to unravel during final practice when he struggled to get the tires working for a single lap. He faced a quarter-of-a-second deficit to his Ferrari teammate, Sainz, in qualifying and also struggled with the tires during the race. As a result, he couldn’t match Sainz’s mastery of the tires and had to settle for second place.
Oscar Piastri showed good pace but made too many mistakes during qualifying when it mattered most. Although he managed to jump ahead of Norris with a well-timed pitstop, he would have fallen behind again even without team orders. Overall, it was a decent race drive for Piastri.
Nico Hulkenberg had a disappointing Saturday due to issues during qualifying. However, he capitalized on the Virtual Safety Car period during the race to gain positions and finished ninth with the help of his Haas teammate, Kevin Magnussen.
Esteban Ocon celebrated making it to Q2 as the slowest car on the grid, but his race was compromised by a brake duct issue that forced an early pitstop. Despite the limited potential of his car, he did his best to make up positions.
Kevin Magnussen put in a solid performance in qualifying, outpacing Ocon’s Alpine to secure a place in Q2. During the race, he drove well and finished in 10th place, benefiting from George Russell’s crash and also playing a team game by letting Hulkenberg pass.
Sergio Perez couldn’t capitalize on Verstappen’s retirement, partly due to a grid penalty for impeding Hulkenberg during qualifying. The Red Bull didn’t have the same race pace advantage as in previous races, making it a challenging weekend for Perez.
Lance Stroll had a consistent and efficient weekend in Australia, although he missed out on a higher qualifying position due to a moment in Turn 9/10. He executed a clean race and finished in a solid sixth place, which became fifth after Fernando Alonso’s penalty.
George Russell coped better than his Mercedes teammate, Lewis Hamilton, with the limitations of the car. He struggled with the soft tires during qualifying, but his race was going well until a collision with Alonso on the penultimate lap resulted in a heavy crash.
Lewis Hamilton had difficulties with the Mercedes car, describing it as being on a knife-edge in windy conditions. He narrowly missed out on reaching Q3 and retired from the race due to an oil pressure issue.
Fernando Alonso had a weekend filled with small errors, including floor damage during practice, a trip through the gravel during qualifying, and a penalty for impeding Russell during the race. It was an uncharacteristically messy weekend for Alonso.
Pierre Gasly struggled to find momentum throughout the weekend, fighting against the lack of pace in the Alpine. He couldn’t make it to Q2 and received a five-second penalty for crossing the white line at pit exit.
Zhou Guanyu’s weekend was marred by a small mistake during qualifying that resulted in damage to his front wing. He started from the back of the grid and faced further challenges during the race, including a lengthy pitstop due to a gearbox issue.
Daniel Ricciardo was puzzled by his lack of pace compared to his Red Bull teammate, Tsunoda. He failed to make it to Q2 and couldn’t make up positions during the race due to the car’s performance limitations.
Alex Albon did his best to extract performance from the Williams car but lacked the pace to secure a points finish. His FP1 crash had significant consequences, leading to his teammate, Logan Sargeant, being unable to race.
Logan Sargeant relinquished his car to Albon, resulting in him being unranked for this race. He showed promising pace during practice but damaged his tires during FP2, which limited his performance.
Overall, the Australian Grand Prix provided a thrilling and unpredictable race, with drivers showcasing their skills and battling various challenges.