Crash.net F1 journalist Connor McDonagh runs through his final driver ratings of the year for the season-ending 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen – 10
Another breathtaking weekend fromn Verstappen, who claimed his astonishing 19th victory of the year in Abu Dhabi.
Charles Leclerc – 9.5
Leclerc has ended F1 2023 as one of the most in-form drivers on the grid. After another impressive qualifying performance, Leclerc put together an incredible race to finish on the podium at the Yas Marina Circuit.
George Russell – 9.5
This weekend in Abu Dhabi was one of Russell’s finest of the year. Remarkably, it was only his second podium finish of the year.
Sergio Perez – 6.5
A sense of deja vu for Perez in Abu Dhabi as he qualified poorly once again after his lap was invalidated for track limits. He fought through the field well but picked up (a slightly harsh) penalty for contact with Norris.
Lando Norris – 7.5
Norris was gutted to miss out on pole position in Abu Dhabi after another error on his final Q3 effort. McLaren’s pace was surprisingly average as he was unable to challenge Leclerc or Russell.
Oscar Piastri – 7
Piastri was once again stronger in qualifying than in race trim as he continued to struggle with tyre wear. By the end of the race, his pace was stronger and he remained within touching distance of his teammate.
Fernando Alonso – 8.5
Alonso got the most out of the Aston Martin in Abu Dhabi as he secured fourth in the drivers’ championship ahead of Leclerc, Norris and Sainz.
Yuki Tsunoda – 10
The star of the weekend. Sixth in qualifying, backed up by a strong points finish. The one-stop strategy didn’t quite work out but he did manage to fend off Hamilton on the final lap.
Lewis Hamilton – 6
Hamilton was completely off the pace in Abu Dhabi as he struggled to match teammate Russell. Contact with Gasly handed him minor front wing damage, before failing to pass Tsunoda on the final lap.
Lance Stroll – 6
Not quite at his teammate’s level in Abu Dhabi, Stroll went long on the hards but it didn’t quite work out. He still picked up a point in tenth.
Daniel Ricciardo – 6.5
Ricciardo’s chance to score points was ruined by a loose tear-off stuck in his brakes. After that, he was on the backfoot. He did challenge Stroll late on for tenth.
Esteban Ocon – 6.5
Ocon appeared to be the weaker of the two Alpines in raw pace terms at least in Abu Dhabi. However, he got ahead of teammate Gasly through the pit stop phase before staying ahead as the other Alpine struggled with damage.
Pierre Gasly – 7
Gasly was once again impressive in qualifying but the race didn’t quite go to plan after sustaining damage following contact with Hamilton.
Alex Albon – 7
Albon was the quicker of the two Williams cars but they didn’t have the race pace to contend for points.
Nico Hulkenberg – 7
A step ahead of teammate Magnussen again but Haas disappointed again in the race.
Logan Sargeant – 5.5
Another poor qualifying display from Sargeant put him at the back of the grid. He put together a solid race.
Zhou Guanyu – 6
Alfa Romeo never had a chance of finishing in the points. Zhou was able to beat his teammate through strategy.
Carlos Sainz – 4
An awful weekend from Sainz. Even on a better strategy, he’d have finished 10th at best.
Valtteri Bottas – 6.5
Bottas’ was left out to dry on a slow one-stop strategy. It didn’t matter too much as Alfa Romeo struggled for pace.
Kevin Magnussen – 5.5
Given Magnussen was in the upgraded Haas, to be so far behind teammate Hulkenberg is very worrying for the team.
Keyword: Abu Dhabi driver ratings: Yuki Tsunoda shows why he shouldn't be overlooked by Red Bull for 2025