Formula 1 driver ratings: Max Verstappen endures worst race of the season at Singapore Grand Prix 2022

NationalWorld puts Mercedes at the bottom after chaotic Singapore Grand Prix saw a win for Sergio Perez
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The return of the Singapore Grand Prix after the Covid-19 pandemic did not disappoint.

The chaos of the weekend culminated in Sergio Perez winning his fourth career Grand Prix and Max Verstappen left with more questions than answers as his first shot at capturing the 2022 Drivers’ Championship ended in disaster.

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The wet conditions of the weekend made for exceptional entertainment as the number of DNFs were almost as high as the number of drivers in the points.

It felt very much a race of extremes as the 20 drivers either had one of their best races to date or one of their more disappointing outings, without too much in between.

Here are NationalWorld’s driver ratings for the Singapore Grand Prix…

Sergio Perez - 10/10

One of the Mexican’s best ever races to date. He quickly took advantage of Charles Leclec’s poor start and led from the front from the get go, eventually winning by a total of seven seconds.

Charles Leclerc - 8/10

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A ninth podium finish but once again the Monegasque had to settle for second. A poor start cost him the race but, unlike what we have become so accustomed to seeing, no further mistakes ensured he didn’t drop down the grid, and a well deserved second place was secured.

The two Ferraris both enjoyed podium positions despite mistakes and poor paceThe two Ferraris both enjoyed podium positions despite mistakes and poor pace
The two Ferraris both enjoyed podium positions despite mistakes and poor pace

Carlos Sainz - 7/10

A decent rating must be given due to the Spaniard enjoying yet another podium, but Sainz’s pace was off all weekend. He fended off both Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris but this was not something that should have been a worry in his faster Ferrari.

Lando Norris - 9/10

One of Lando Norris’s best results of the year. He kept it cool, calm and collected as he kept Max Verstappen at bay for over 10 laps.

Daniel Ricciardo - 7/10

This was by far Daniel Ricciardo’s best race of the year as he enjoyed his highest finishing position of 2022. Fortune came his way as his poor pace was covered up by the emergence of the Safety Car.

Lance Stroll - 8/10

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The Canadian enjoyed his best result of the year. Stroll may also have the Safety Car to thank for his sixth place finish, but this should still not take away from a strong race for the Aston Martin driver.

Max Verstappen - 3/10

Poor strategies in qualifying led to an even worse race. Despite starting in seventh, it looked as though a podium could still be on the cards, but when the reigning champion locked up heavily attempting an overtake, any chance of lifting a trophy quickly slipped away.

Sebastian Vettel - 8.5/10

The ‘King of Singapore’ should have finished higher in his final race at Marina Bay but lost out to his teammate Stroll and Ricciardo during the Safety Car phase.

However, eighth place is still far from disappointing for the Aston Martin driver.

Lewis Hamilton - 2.5/10

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Quite the shocker from Hamilton who had enjoyed a strong qualifying session.

After locking up on lap 33, causing wing damage, Hamilton then made another mistake in the closing laps that saw eighth place quickly drop out his hands.

Pierre Gasly - 7.5/10

A solid weekend overall for the Frenchman who enjoyed another top 10 finish. AlphaTauri are not what they were last season, but it was an important result for a team attempting to beat Aston Martin and Haas in the Constructors’ Championship.

Valtteri Bottas - 5/10

A rather nondescript race for the Finnish driver, who enjoyed neither a particularly strong qualifying session or race. Retirements and general chaos gave him a push up the order but as he lacked pace Bottas was unable to reach the points.

Kevin Magnussen - 6/10

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Kudos must be given to the Haas driver for achieving his second Q3 appearance this weekend but he picked up damage on the opening lap and was subsequently unable to enjoy his heroics in qualifying.

Mick Schumacher 6.5/10

Schumacher suffered at the hands of George Russell who collided with him in Turn 1. He was never going to match his teammate Magnussen’s pace but could definitely have had a decent crack if he hadn’t endured a knock with the Mercedes driver.

George Russell - 2/10

Another calamity for Mercedes as Russell was knocked out in Q2. He was then given a new power unit sending him to the back of the grid; he took to the escape road while attempting an overtake and the clumsy clash with Schumacher gave him a puncture.

Tsunoda should have been in points but for poor condition-induced mistakeTsunoda should have been in points but for poor condition-induced mistake
Tsunoda should have been in points but for poor condition-induced mistake

Yuki Tsunoda - 3/10

The Japanese AlphaTauri driver could and should have been in the points but a poor mistake as a result of the wet conditions meant he was one of five not to finish in Singapore.

Esteban Ocon - 4/10

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Neither of the two issues in qualifying or the race were Ocon’s fault, as his car suffered from brake-related problems on the Saturday and a puff of smoke confirmed engine issues on the Sunday. The frustrated Frenchman was forced out on lap 28 ending any chance of points for Alpine.

Fernando Alonso - 7/10

Again, it was not really his fault for missing out on what could have been another top-six finish due to mechanical issues with his car. Nevertheless, Alonso and Alpine’s weekend was one of pure disappointment.

Nicholas Latifi - 1/10

Another catastrophe for the departing Williams driver, who once again failed to match the pace of his teammate and then collided with Zhou Guanyu early on in a very avoidable incident.

Zhou Guanyu - 6/10

Points must be given for the Chinese driver’s out-qualifying of his teammate for the sixth time this year. His race was forced to end early after the collision with Latifi, in which Zhou was completely blameless.

Alex Albon - 4/10

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It seemed surprising Albon was racing at all given his recent illness but his pace in qualifying looked promising.

However, what could have been a strong race was soon cut short by what the Thai driver revealed were brake issues in lap 2, when he hit the wall and damaged his front wing.

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