F1 Driver Ratings: 2024 Qatar Grand Prix

The penultimate grand prix weekend of the 2024 season was also the final sprint round of the championship.

The Qatar weekend was another where the stewards and their decisions were a major talking point. With a change in pole sitter and a rare stop-go penalty handed out that transformed the race.

As surprising as it seems, some of the most experienced and successful drivers in the field made the most mistakes around the Losail International Circuit. Here are RaceFans’ driver ratings for the Qatar Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen – 7/10

Sprint race start: 6th
Sprint race finish: 8th
Qualified: 1st (+8 places ahead of team mate, -0.905s)
Grid: 2nd (+7 places ahead of team mate)
Start: +1 place
Strategy: One-stop (M-H)
Finished: Winner

▶ Secured top six start for sprint race behind Ferraris
▼ Fell to ninth on opening lap of sprint, then passed Gasly to finish eighth
▲ Took provisional pole position after extensive set-up changes
▶ Demoted to second after one-place grid drop for ‘driving unnecessarily slowly
▲ Jumped into the lead at the start to lead opening stint
▶ Held off Norris at second restart after Safety Car confusion
▲ Led every lap to take ninth win of the season

It has been a while since Max Verstappen enjoyed a classically Max Verstappen-style victory in a dry grand prix, but that was exactly what he had on Sunday in Losail. Although he lost pole position because of a highly contentious penalty, he stormed back to take the lead at the start and only looked in danger of losing it once in the race, fending off Norris in the process. Although he controlled proceedings on Sunday, his slightly underwhelming performance in the sprint sessions prevents him from earning a higher score.

Sergio Perez – 2/10

Sprint race start: 19th
Sprint race finish: 20th
Qualified: 9th (-8 places behind team mate, +0.905s)
Start: +2 places
Strategy: One-stop (M-H)
Finished: 17th (-16 places behind team mate)

▼ Knocked out of SQ1 to start 16th
▶ Reprimanded for not respecting maximum lap time in sprint qualifying
▶ Started sprint from pit lane but passed by Colapinto and pitted for new front wing
▼ Reached Q3 but was eight tenths slower than team mate
▲ Picked up two places at start of grand prix, then ran seventh
▼ Spun out of Safety Car queue at second restart due to “overdelivery” from power unit
▶ Suffered clutch failure when attempting to rejoin, leading to retirement

What else is there to say at this stage that has not already been said before?

Lewis Hamilton – 4/10

Sprint race start: 7th
Sprint race finish: 6th
Qualified: 6th (-4 places behind team mate, +0.436s)
Grid: 6th (5 places behind team mate)
Start: -3 places
Strategy: Four-stop (M-H)
Finished: 12th (-8 places behind team mate)

▶ Qualified seventh for sprint race, four tenths slower than team mate
▶ Gained two places at the start of sprint but overtaken by Leclerc to finish sixth
▼ Lost multiple places with a jump start
▼ Hit with five second time penalty for false start
▼ Suffered puncture, then hit with 10s penalty for speeding in pit lane
▶ Caught and passed both RB drivers to finish 12th

Hamilton has enjoyed more success with Mercedes than any driver has had with any team in the history of the sport. But his penultimate grand prix for the Silver Arrows was one of his worst. A jump start and a second penalty for speeding in the pit lane are hard to excuse for F1’s most successful driver in history. But aside from that, Hamilton endured another weekend where he was never happy with the car and was not on his team mate’s level. Hopefully for him, Abu Dhabi will be a more fitting send-off.

George Russell – 7/10

Sprint race start: 2nd
Sprint race finish: 3rd
Qualified: 2nd (+4 places ahead of team mate, -0.436s)
Grid: Pole (+5 places ahead of team mate)
Start: -2 places
Strategy: Two-stop (M-H-H)
Finished: 4th (+8 places ahead of team mate)

▲ Just missed out on sprint race pole by less than a tenth
▶ Lost a place to Piastri at the start, then spent sprint race third
▲ Secured front row start alongside Verstappen for grand prix
▶ Inherited pole position after penalty for Verstappen
▼ Lost lead and second at start to run third early on
▶ Pitted first for hard tyres but lost seven seconds with slow stop
▶ Overtook Alonso, then pitted again for hards under Safety Car
▶ Restarted fifth then gained fourth when Norris served penalty

Until his unfortunate first pit stop during the grand prix, Russell was always involved at the front in some capacity during the Qatar weekend. He pushed Piastri throughout the entire sprint race and almost got the McLaren on a couple of occasions. Although his start could have been better, there was not much he could have done about the poor pit stop that compromised his grand prix. Although he was awarded pole position with the help of the stewards, his rating only takes his second place into account.

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Charles Leclerc – 6/10

Sprint race start: 5th
Sprint race finish: 5th
Qualified: 5th (+2 places ahead of team mate, -0.189s)
Start: +1 place
Strategy: One-stop (M-H)
Finished: 2nd (+4 places ahead of team mate)

▶ Just out-qualified by team mate in sprint qualifying to line up fifth
▶ Lost a place at start of sprint to Hamilton, then reclaimed it to finish fifth
▶ Secured fifth on the grid ahead of team mate and Hamilton
▶ Passed Piastri at the start, then lost the place at the restart
▶ Got ahead of Piastri thanks to pitting under Safety Car, then restarted third
▶ Gained second when Norris served penalty and finished there

Although Leclerc had a very strong result, it’s hard not to feel like he might not have fully earned it on merit. He only gained a single position on track, when he passed Piastri at the start, but he lost that almost immediately at the restart. He got ahead of the two McLarens thanks to misfortune and malpractice, but did not offer an opportunity for Piastri to take his second place off him at the finish.

Carlos Sainz Jnr – 6/10

Sprint race start: 4th
Sprint race finish: 4th
Qualified: 7th (-2 places behind team mate, +0.189s)
Start: +1 place
Strategy: One-stop (M-H)
Finished: 6th (-4 places behind team mate)

▶ Beat team mate in sprint qualifying to start fourth
▲ Ran fourth throughout the entire sprint race to finish just outside top three
▶ Qualified seventh for grand prix behind Hamilton and team mate
▶ Picked up sixth at the start from Hamilton, then ran behind team mate
▶ Gained fifth when Russell pitted, then hit with left-front puncture
▶ Picked up seventh when Perez spun, then sixth with Norris’s penalty
▶ Ran within DRS range of Gasly for several laps but could not pass

Sainz should have finished higher than he did in Losail, but likely lost a top five finish thanks to a puncture that developed just before he passed by the debris field of Albon’s shattered wing mirror for the first time. He fell behind Gasly as a result but was unable to get by the Alpine despite the advantage of DRS for several laps, although his car was potentially damaged from his long lap into the pit lane on punctured tyres.

Lando Norris – 5/10

Sprint race start: Pole
Sprint race finish: 2nd
Qualified: 3rd (+1 place ahead of team mate, -0.057s)
Grid: 3rd (1 place ahead of team mate)
Start: +1 place
Strategy: One-stop (M-H)
Finished: 10th (-7 places behind team mate)

▲ Secured pole for sprint race with first SQ3 lap
▲ Led every corner of the sprint race, then let Piastri through to win
▶ Secured top three grid position for grand prix
▲ Passed Russell at start to claim second place, then kept pace with Verstappen
▼ Failed to lift under double yellow flags, earning a 10s stop-go penalty
▶ Unable to pass Verstappen despite challenging at restart
▶ Fell to last after serving penalty
▲ Passed Lawson, Tsunoda, Albon and Bottas to claim final point in tenth

Norris was one of the better performers of the Qatar weekend, effectively winning the sprint race from pole and then being the only driver strong enough to challenge Verstappen in the grand prix. However, that single moment when Norris demonstrated a critical lack of awareness threw away his grand prix. Although the penalty was heavy, there was simply no excuse with marshals clearly waving double yellow flags. At the pinnacle of motorsport, the punishment for such an infraction must be severe.

Oscar Piastri – 6/10

Sprint race start: 3rd
Sprint race finish: Winner
Qualified: 4th (-1 place behind team mate, +0.057s)
Start: -1 place
Strategy: One-stop (M-H)
Finished: 3rd (+7 places ahead of team mate)

▶ Beaten by Russell in sprint qualifying to line up third
▲ Passed Russell at start of sprint, then handed win by team mate
▶ Qualified fourth for grand prix, right behind team mate
▶ Lost one place to Leclerc at the start but gained it back after restart
▶ Ran behind Russell until he pitted, then pitted himself just before Safety Car
▶ Lost place to Leclerc thanks to Safety Car then restarted behind him
▶ Ran behind Leclerc in third where he would finish

Piastri seems to enjoy the Losail circuit. Even if he was not the faster of the two McLaren drivers over the weekend this year, he still performed stronger than he has in many recent rounds. Although he was never in the fight for victory on Sunday, he was unlucky to lose ground due to the Safety Car but could not track down Leclerc in the final phase of the race. His rating reflects that while he won the sprint race, he was actually second on merit.

Fernando Alonso – 7/10

Sprint race start: 11th
Sprint race finish: 11th
Qualified: 8th (+7 places ahead of team mate, -0.703s)
Start: Held position
Strategy: Two-stop (M-H-M)
Finished: 7th (+11 places ahead of team mate)

▶ Just missed out on SQ3 to line up 11th on sprint grid
▶ Overtook Lawson at start of sprint race, then lost a place to Magnussen
▲ Reached Q3 to take eighth on the grid for grand prix
▼ Ran eighth at the start but lost three places at SC restart
▲ Pitted for hard tyres under SC, then passed Zhou for eighth
▶ Gained seventh from Norris’s penalty to score first points since Singapore

At the end of a frustrating season, Alonso and his team were in desperate need of some kind of boost to help take them through the winter into next season. Although it was only seventh place, points have been so hard to come by recently that both team and driver happily took that result. Although his race was far from perfect, Alonso showed how valuable experience can be in a race where several others are making mistakes and took advantage of the opportunities presented to him.

Lance Stroll – 4/10

Sprint race start: 14th
Sprint race finish: 13th
Qualified: 15th (-7 places behind team mate, +0.703s)
Start: -2 places
Strategy: Two-stop (M-H-H)
Finished: Retired (Damage – L8)

▶ Reached SQ2 but knocked out in 14th
▶ Passed Albon on opening lap of sprint, then ran 13th for entire race
▶ Knocked out of Q2 after “big snap” of oversteer on final push lap
▼ Hit with 10s penalty for collision with Albon on opening lap
▶ Pulled into pit lane to retire on eighth lap with damage

Once again, the Aston Martin did not look like a stable or fun car to race at Losail compared to many of its peers. However, while his team mate still drove it to a top ten finish, Stroll did not look comfortable at most points. His race effectively ended at turn four when he bumped Albon. While he was clearly trying to avoid the clash, he still could have done a better job than he did.

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Pierre Gasly – 8/10

Sprint race start: 8th
Sprint race finish: 9th
Qualified: 11th (+9 places ahead of team mate, -0.871s)
Start: -1 place
Strategy: One-stop (M-H)
Finished: 5th (+15 places ahead of team mate)

▲ Secured top ten start for sprint race in eighth
▶ Ran eighth in sprint but fell out of points when passed by Verstappen
▶ Frustrated to just miss out on Q3 to start grand prix 11th
▶ Passed by Tsunoda on opening lap, then overtook Alonso after restart
▲ Passed Tsunoda then pitted under Safety Car to restart sixth
▶ Picked up fifth when Norris served penalty to finish there

Is there a driver who has been in better form over the last two months than Gasly? Other than just missing out on Q3, it’s hard to think of what more Alpine could have asked of him in Qatar. He only missed out on a point in the sprint race because he was passed by Verstappen, then made progress up the order in the main event. Yes, he was helped by the Safety Car timing and problems for rivals in faster cars ahead, but once again, Gasly never looked like losing his promising position in the later laps of the grand prix.

Esteban Ocon – 5/10

Sprint race start: 17th
Sprint race finish: 14th
Qualified: 20th (-9 places behind team mate, +0.871s)
Finished: Retired (Crash – L1)

▼ Knocked out 18th in first phase of sprint qualifying
▲ Picked up three places at the start of sprint to finish 14th
▼ Eliminated slowest of all in Q1
▶ Retired after caught up in first corner clash

An unceremonious end to his tenure at Renault’s factory Formula 1 team. Ocon was again well off the pace of his team mate across the weekend, but it is hard to tell at this stage whether Gasly is getting prioritised due to Ocon’s departure. Either way, there was little Ocon could do about the accident that ended his weekend on lap one – he will be eager to show more of the speed he has demonstrated in recent years at his new team next season.

Alexander Albon – 4/10

Sprint race start: 12th
Sprint race finish: 15th
Qualified: 16th (+3 places ahead of team mate, -0.204s)
Start: Held position
Strategy: Two-stop (M-S-S)
Finished: 15th

▶ Reached SQ2 but knocked out in 12th
▼ Dropped three places on first lap of sprint then ran 15th
▼ Knocked out of Q1 after mistake in final corner
▶ Hit by Stroll on opening lap, then ran 15th behind Bottas
▶ Pitted under Safety Car for hard tyres, then gained a place with Perez’s spin
▼ Passed Magnussen for tenth but handed 10s penalty for causing a collision
▼ Fell down the order then pitted to serve penalty and finished last

As the season has progressed, Albon appears to have started to struggle more. Much was the case in Qatar, where a solid start to the weekend on Friday gave way to an underwhelming sprint race and qualifying on Saturday. He fought hard in the grand prix, but a little too hard when it came to Magnussen which ended any prospects of fighting for a slim chance at points. As the more experienced Williams driver, he needs to be more consistent than he was last weekend.

Franco Colapinto – 5/10

Sprint race start: 20th
Sprint race finish: 18th
Qualified: 19th (-3 places behind team mate, +0.204s)
Finished: Retired (Crash – L1)

▶ Forced to run old-specification suspension over weekend
▶ Knocked slowest in SQ1, then started sprint from pit lane
▶ Passed Perez out of pit lane then gained place when Zhou pitted
▼ Eliminated from Q1, slower than team mate
▶ Retired from first corner melee

It’s tough to judge the merits of Colapinto’s weekend when the odds seemed to be against him. He did not have the same car as his team mate due to lack of available parts and that naturally limited his potential pace. He needed a Safety Car to help catch the pack in the sprint race, but that never came. Then his grand prix lasted a total of 700m before coming to an abrupt end.

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Yuki Tsunoda – 5/10

Sprint race start: 16th
Sprint race finish: 17th
Qualified: 14th (+3 places ahead of team mate, -0.047s)
Start: +4 places
Strategy: Two-stop (M-H-S)
Finished: 13th (+1 place ahead of team mate)

▼ Failed to follow team mate out of SQ1
▶ Reprimanded for not respecting maximum lap time in sprint qualifying
▶ Reached Q2 but knocked out in 14th
▲ Picked up four places at grand prix start, then passed Alonso at restart
▼ Lost five places over opening stint
▶ Traded places with Hamilton, then passed by Norris and Hamilton in final laps
▶ Finished 13th, one place ahead of team mate

RB were not at their best in Qatar, but it was hard not to feel that even so, Tsunoda was not getting the best out of his car. He got an excellent start in the grand prix but despite there only being one practical overtaking zone on the track, he was passed five times over his opening stint. From there, points were always going to be difficult. At least he made fewer mistakes than his team mate.

Liam Lawson – 4/10

Sprint race start: 10th
Sprint race finish: 16th
Qualified: 17th (-3 places behind team mate, +0.047s)
Start: +3 places
Strategy: Two-stop (M-H-S)
Finished: 14th (-1 place behind team mate)

▲ Reached SQ3 to start sprint race from tenth
▼ Dropped to 16th on opening lap of sprint where he would finish
▼ Failed to follow team mate into Q2
▲ Gained three places at start of grand prix
▼ Lost multiple places with spin at restart after clash with Bottas
▼ Hit with 10s time penalty for causing collision with Bottas
▶ Pitted under Safety Car twice
▶ Took final restart last and picked up single place when Albon pitted late

It might be a little harsh, but with his team needing to score points in the fight against Haas and Alpine in the constructors’ championship, Lawson did not deliver when he needed to most during the weekend’s two races. He cost Bottas with his mistake at turn one, damaging the Sauber’s floor and ran behind his team mate all race. A sub-par performance that earns a sub-par grade.

Valtteri Bottas – 7/10

Sprint race start: 13th
Sprint race finish: 12th
Qualified: 13th (-1 place behind team mate, +0.23s)
Start: Held position
Strategy: Two-stop (M-H-M)
Finished: 11th (-3 places behind team mate)

▲ Reached SQ2 to start sprint from 13th
▲ Overtook Lawson on opening lap of sprint race, then held 12th all race
▶ Reached Q2 but knocked out one place behind team mate
▲ Ran behind team mate at start, then passed Tsunoda for 13th
▶ Suffered floor damage when hit by Lawson at restart
▶ Pitted for hard tyres early, then struck loose mirror on pit straight
▶ Pitted again under Safety Car, then passed Hamilton at restart
▶ Gained 11th when Hamilton pitted, then lost place to Norris
▶ Finished just outside points in 11th, 25s behind team mate

Although his team mate took all the plaudits with an excellent points finish, Bottas also had one of his best weekends of the season in Qatar. He had a stronger sprint side to the weekend than his team mate, then complimented Zhou’s performance in qualifying by lining up alongside him on the grid. He probably would have scored his first points of the season too, if it were not for the damage he sustained when hit by Lawson early on in the grand prix.

Zhou Guanyu – 7/10

Sprint race start: 18th
Sprint race finish: 19th
Qualified: 12th (+1 place ahead of team mate, -0.23s)
Start: -3 places
Strategy: One-stop (M-H)
Finished: 8th (+3 places ahead of team mate)

▶ Knocked out of sprint qualifying at first hurdle to start 18th
▶ Started sprint on softs but pitted for mediums, finishing 19th
▲ Reached Q2 then out-qualified team mate in 12th
▲ Ran behind Alonso early, then passed Tsunoda for 12th
▶ Pitted under Safety Car for hard tyres, then passed by Alonso at restart
▲ Kept out of reach of Albon, then Magnussen to score first points in eighth

Just as it seemed all hope had been lost, Zhou delivered his team’s first points of the season in Qatar. After being so comprehensively beaten by his team mate for much of the year, Zhou was in excellent form in Losail, never buckling under the pressure of the moment and showing strong pace to score by far his best result of the season.

Nico Hulkenberg – 5/10

Sprint race start: 9th
Sprint race finish: 7th
Qualified: 18th (-8 places behind team mate, +0.551s)
Start: Held position
Strategy: One-stop (H-M)
Finished: 16th (-7 places behind team mate)

▲ Reached SQ3 to secure ninth on sprint race grid
▲ Gained two places to score points in seventh in sprint race
▶ Knocked out in Q1 after team left him in slow engine mode
▼ Started on hards and spun at the first corner, falling to the rear
▶ Passed Stroll at restart, then ran behind Albon
▼ Spun out of the race at turn nine at second restart

Hulkenberg’s had two different sides to his weekend. Everything on the sprint side of the weekend was very strong and it was not his fault he started so far down the grid for the grand prix. However, he had no excuses for his terrible grand prix with multiple spins a rarity for such an experienced driver.

Kevin Magnussen – 7/10

Sprint race start: 15th
Sprint race finish: 10th
Qualified: 10th (+8 places ahead of team mate, -0.551s)
Start: -1 place
Strategy: One-stop (M-H)
Finished: 9th (+7 places ahead of team mate)

▶ Could not follow team mate through into SQ3, knocked out 15th
▲ Gained four places at start of sprint, then passed Alonso to take tenth
▲ Reached Q3 to line up tenth on grand prix grid
▶ Dropped behind Tsunoda at the start
▲ Passed Alonso and Tsunoda to run in ninth
▶ Pitted early for hard tyres, losing out to rivals due to Safety Car
▲ Battled with Albon and passed him for ninth where he would finish

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu said Magnussen was “still struggling at this track” after his underwhelming Friday. But whatever happened on Friday night, he was one of the best performers on the circuit over the next two days. He could have finished even higher if the timing of the Safety Car not set him back. A great sprint race, strong grand prix qualifying and very good grand prix showed that although his F1 career seems to be ending, he still knows how to drive.

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