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The 2023 Australian GP was a rollercoaster ride and a true test for drivers. With as many as three red flags, the race kept drivers on the edge for the most part, but many overcame the obstacles to score good points.
In a test of attrition where one could not afford to make many mistakes or get involved in other driver's mistakes, how did everyone fare at the 2023 Australian GP? Let's find out in our driver ratings:
2023 F1 Australian GP: Rating the drivers
Red Bull
Max Verstappen (Started: 1st, Finished: 1st)
Rating: 9
Verstappen did what he needed to do to win the 2023 Australian GP. The driver secured pole position, pulling out a lap from a car that wasn't working perfectly in slippery conditions.
On Sunday, except for the gardening expedition that would have cost him in a closer fight, Verstappen kept his nose clean, nailed the restarts and decisively overtook Lewis Hamilton too - perfect execution in a race he could have easily lost.
Sergio Perez (Started: Pitlane, Finished: 5th)
Rating: 6
You're not a bad driver if you finish in the top five after starting the race from the pitlane but if you look at the weekend in its entirety, Perez should be disappointed.
At worst, the Mexican should have been P2 at the 2023 Australian GP but conceded seven points. Because of his mistake in qualifying, he'conceded a lot more points than that,
Ferrari
Charles Leclerc (Started: 7th, Finished: DNF)
Rating: 3
Just a horrible weekend for Charles Leclerc. A miscommunication between teammates meant he was compromised in qualifying.
Then, what followed was a shambolic race where he beached in the gravel on the first lap after a needless collision with Lance Stroll. It was a weekend to forget for the Ferrari driver.
Carlos Sainz (Started: 5th, Finished: 12th)
Rating: 5
Sainz did most of the things right in the 2023 Australian GP, but the restart ruined things for him.
Irrespective of his claim that he did not deserve a penalty, it was an open-and-shut case. The argument that the lap 'did not happen' does not hold ground in any which way.
More importantly, the argument that Fernando Alonso was back in the race does not work either, as penalties are given primarily for actions, not consequences.
Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton (Started: 3rd, Finished: 2nd)
Rating: 8.5
A very well-executed 2023 Australian GP for Lewis Hamilton. He kept his nose clean and did well on all the restarts.
He could probably have been more robust against Verstappen in his defence, but it's safe to say that it wouldn't have made any difference. Nevertheless, it was a strong weekend for Hamilton, although he might not have been the fastest Mercedes driver.
George Russell (Started: 2nd, Finished: DNF)
Rating: 9
The only luck Russell had in the 2023 Australian GP is bad. The Mercedes driver's stunning lap in qualifying handed him a front-row start. His start in the race gave him the lead. It was from that point onwards that things started to go wrong.
After being told to manage his pace, Russell had Hamilton surprisingly attacking him. Then the strategic option of pitting for hard tyres during the safety car ruined his race, as there was the red flag soon after.
To cap it all off, the Mercedes PU cried enough and ended his race soon after. Russell was the faster Mercedes driver at the 2023 Australian GP. He does not have anything to show for it, though.
Alpine
Pierre Gasly (Started: 9th, Finished: DNF)
Rating: 6
Gasly's race could be divided into two parts. The first featured him running top five and being competitive against the likes of Ferrari and Aston Martin.
The second part saw him completely mess up the red flag restart, rejoin the track irresponsibly, veer to his right and end his race and his teammate's. It was a step forward for Gasly this weekend, but that crash was costly in many ways.
Esteban Ocon (Started: 11th, Finished: DNF)
Rating: 7
Esteban Ocon's 2023 Australian GP weekend was one where small things went against him and turned his weekend into a disaster. In Q2, it was traffic that cost him a spot in the top ten. In the race, it was the red flag at the worst possible time that ruined his race.
Even when the Alpine driver had recovered from that, he was destined to clatter into his teammate's car at the restart. It was a weekend of 'what could have been' for the French driver.
McLaren
Lando Norris (Started: 13th, Finished: 6th)
Rating: 10
That's what you call a comeback from a young superstar. Lando Norris was under the pump after a poor showing in Jeddah.
The Norris that turned up at the 2023 Australian GP was determined to not let it happen to him again. The McLaren driver extracted whatever performance was available from the car as he secured his first points of the season. A P6 makes him the lead midfield driver, and it's tough to say that he's not one.
Oscar Piastri (Started: 16th, Finished: 8th)
Rating: 7
First points of his career for Oscar Piastri at the 2023 Australian GP.
In his first home race, the Australian was decently impressive throughout. There is, however, a noticeable gulf between what Norris can do in the car and Piastri.
Alfa Romeo
Valtteri Bottas (Started: 19th, Finished: 11th)
Rating: 3
Something's not going right for Valtteri Bottas after what was another poor showing by the Finnish driver. Bottas is getting outperformed by his young Chinese teammate, and questions are being raised over the motivation of the Finn when it comes to getting the best out of the car.
Guanyu Zhou (Started: 17th, Finished: 9th)
Rating: 6.5
Zhou scored his first points of the season at the 2023 Australian GP (arguably a consequence of the Alpines dropping off). The bigger debate is, however, around his relative performance to Bottas. The Chinese driver is doing all he can to keep his seat beyond the 2023 season.
Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso (Started: 4th, Finished: 3rd)
Rating: 8
One can't help but feel that Alonso left something on the table at the 2023 Australian GP. He could have possibly done a better job in qualifying where both Mercedes drivers got the better of him.
He could have probably challenged Hamilton a bit more in the race, as Aston Martin were quite strong. It was a solid weekend for the Spaniard, but there was arguably a bit more that he could have done.
Lance Stroll (Started: 6th, Finished: 4th)
Rating: 6.5
We're probably reaching closer to the point where Lance Stroll's results are starting to be viewed in a different light. The "Lance is being very brave" narrative is starting to slowly change to "Stroll is being a liability".
It's all good to say that Alonso is driving at a very high level, but if the second driver is trailing the Ferraris and Alpines, it's not a good look.
P4 might be Stroll's best result, but one should not forget that the Canadian was also one of the drivers who completely messed up the second red flag restart. The "Boss's son" might need to pull up his socks in the coming races.
Haas F1
Kevin Magnussen (Started: 14th, Finished: DNF)
Rating: 3
Magnussen is starting to get exposed at Haas with every race.
The Danish driver has not been a match to Nico Hulkenberg in qualifying in any of the races. Now, with Hulkenberg finally figuring out how to manage races, things might be changing for the worse. To top it all off, smashing the car in the wall would not have left Steiner impressed in any way.
Nico Hulkenberg (Started: 10th, Finished: 7th)
Rating: 10
Hulkenberg was the star of the 2023 Australian GP, as it became more and more clear that Haas just did not belong in the top ten. In a race that saw him tantalisingly close to a podium in the controversial restart, there could be a bittersweet feeling in the mouth of the German as he proved why Haas signed him in the first place.
AlphaTauri
Nyck de Vries (Started: 15th, Finished: DNF)
Rating: 3
Not much to say for the Dutch driver other than the fact that he's getting dominated by his teammate. The 2023 Australian GP was another example of that. The DNF didn't help his case either.
Yuki Tsunoda (Started: 12th, Finished: 10th)
Rating: 8
Much deserved, albeit a bit of a lucky first point for Yuki Tsunoda who has taken over the mantle from Pierre Gasly at AlphaTauri.
The Japanese driver is punching above his weight in the car, and with Ayomu Iwasa leading the F2 championship, AlphaTauri could have two Japanese drivers in 2024.
Williams
Alex Albon (Started: 8th, Finished: DNF)
Rating: 5
A race weekend of two halves for Albon. A stunning qualifying session helped him secure a top ten grid start, but then an unforced error ended his race. It was an opportunity missed by the Williams driver this weekend.
Logan Sargeant (Started: 18th, Finished: DNF)
Rating: 5
A bit of a listless 2023 Australian GP for Logan Sargeant, as he saw his teammate level up significantly in qualifying. The American is still getting used to life in F1, and there's certainly more that he will need to do to prove how good he is.
