After each Grand Prix, judges determine which driver drove with the most skill, power, and determination. This is the Formula One Power Ranking. There is an overall ranking system, and only one per Grand Prix. Therefore, the better you perform in each GP, the better you do overall. So far, 4 races have been complete.
So, let’s look at the top 10 in these races and the overall grid!
Australia Leader Board
The Melbourne venue bought about drama and chaos for many drivers. However, they certainly gave it their best out there in the pouring rain.
8. Stroll, Tsunoda, Gasly
All 3 racers finished in a joined 8th place in power rankings with a score of 7.0 after the judges saw their impressive skill and speed in the inaugural race to the 2025 season.
Stroll
Stroll finished 6th overall in the official Grand Prix race. Judges said that he handles the difficult conditions very well and his pit stop was well timed. Overall, he performed well.
Tsunoda
Finishing P12 overall and with a power rating of 7.0, Tsunoda impressed thee judges. Former VCARB racer and his team had some communication and execution errors yet his performance prior was remarkable. Maintaining his P5 position was not possible however he showed skill.
Gasly
Gasly finished with a P11 position for his team, Alpine. A late switch over mistake cost him chances of getting into the top 10 in the Grand Prix. He still impressed many.
7. Piastri
Piastri’s debut to the season started strong as he placed P9 with an appointed power rating score of 7.6. He slid off track and unfortunately missed out on a higher rank. However, prior to this his skill was strong and he made quite the start.
6. Hulkenburg
Thanks to Hulkenburg’s performance in the first race, Sauber has more points already than they did for the total of last year. With a P7 and score of 8.0, Kick Sauber has 6 points currently. It is safe to say he impressed the power ranking judges with his improved rank and skill.
5. Russell
Russell got his first podium of the season at the very first race. He utilised mistakes made from Piastri and pushed himself into P3, gaining Mercedes points. Judges set his points at 8.4. He set his goals as not causing issues and getting higher ranks- both of which he achieved.
4. Verstappen
In 4th place is 4- time world champion Max Verstappen. He ranked 2nd overall in the Grand Prix race and managed a score of 8.8 in the power rankings. Although he himself spoke against his performance, it was a solid start to the 2025 season.
2. Antonelli, Norris
Both Norris and rookie Antonelli earned a joined score of 9.0. Both impressed the judged lots with their high ranks in the overall rankings to the Grand Prix.
Antonelli
The rookie heavily impressed the judges. He gained a P4 position amongst the most experienced drivers in Formula 1 and gained more points for Mercedes along with his teammate George Russell (P2). He went from P16 straight to P4- impressing everyone.
Norris
Norris secured 1st place in the 1st race of the season. Despite challenges being thrown at him, he dominated the competition and earned himself a solid start and points for McLaren.
1. Albon
Albon pushed past everyone during the Australian Grand Prix. He successfully got P5 and a strong amount of points for Williams Racing. His determination stood out massively to the paddock and it was clear he came to win.
Overall Rankings
8th Stroll, Tsunoda + Gasly
- 7.0
7th Piastri
- 7.6
6th Hulkenburg
- 8.0
5th Russell
- 8.4
4th Verstappen
- 8.8
2nd Antonelli + Norris
- 9.0
1st Albon
- 9.4.
China Leader Board
Shanghai bought about a change in rankings and power rankings. Due to the double disqualification of the Ferrari team, many racers got boosted up in the ranks.
10. Stroll
Stroll managed to secure P9 after the disqualifications took place, gaining Aston Martin more points. Before this, he slightly missed out on top 10. Judges gave him a score of 7.2 due to his strategy during the first half of the race.
9. Hamilton
He performed exceptionally well in the sprint portion of the Chinese GP. He got his first victory at Ferrari by finishing 1st in this. However, he was disqualified from the official race due to technical errors that violated the FIA’s terms and rules. Despite this, he performed extremely well and garnered a 7.6.
8. Leclerc
Along with his Ferrari teammate Hamilton, Leclerc was hit with a disqualification due to technical issues that clashed with the FIA and their rules. Regardless of this, he finished 5th overall before and did it with sustained wing damage from a crash. This gained him a score of 7.8 overall.
6. Bearman, Norris
Both Bearman and Norris earned an overall power rating of 8.0 after the rookie and pro showcased their skill throughout race week.
Bearman
From P17 to P10, Bearman gave it his all in the Chinese GP. Due to the disqualification of 3 racers, he was pushed up to 8th place. This gained him even more points- adding to Haas’ tally.
Norris
Norris had an overall finish of 2nd to his teammate Oscar Piastri. After mistakes were made, he caught back up and secured the attention of the judges, who gave him a score of 8.0.
5. Verstappen
Verstappen had a rough weekend in Shanghai yet he still managed to secure P4 on the podium. In the sprint, he also secured P3.
2. Albon, Ocon, Russell
All three were rated a score of 8.8 after they worked hard to secure their positions on the grid. The disqualification of 3 teammates also helped them.
Albon
Albon continued to hold the Williams Racing points down as his teammate Sainz gets to grips with his new car and team. Overall, his finish was P7. He continues to impress and push past the competition to gain more points for him and his team.
Ocon
With a P5 finish slightly behind Verstappen, he started with a P7 but was pushed forward due to the double disqualification of both Ferraris.
Russell
Again, Russell shows consistency again as he finishes top 5 once more. With his impressive laps at Qualifying combined with his strong performance at each race week so far, the judges are impressed.
1. Piastri
He was awarded a near perfect score of 9.6 by the power ranking judges due to his P1 pole position finish and stellar performance all throughout the races in China. After a disappointing race in Australia, he was determined to bounce back- and he did.
Overall Rankings
9th Ocon + Tsunoda
- 7.0
7th Leclerc + Stroll
- 7.1 +1 place (Stroll)
6th Antonelli
- 7.8 -4 places
5th Norris
- 8.5 -3 places
2nd Piastri, Russell + Verstappen
- 8.6 +5 places (Piastri), +3 places (Russell), +2 places (Verstappen)
1st Albon
- 9.1.
Japan Leader Board
During the Japanese Grand Prix many racers gave it their all and made it into the top 10 of Suzuka, changing in the overall ranks as well.
10. Alonso
Alonso made up a position in this particular Grand Prix, which ultimately played in his favour. His place in P11 from 2 consecutive DNFs in Australia and China as well as his face off with Gasly from Alpine pushed his power rating upwards as he secured 11th place and a score of 6.8.
9. Russell
With a power score of 7.6 and a top 5 finish in the race, Russell ranked 9th overall. He held a strong performance and didn’t make any mistakes throughout the race. This did not go unnoticed and worked in his favour for the rankings.
8. Antonelli
Another Mercedes made it into the top 10 rankings for the Suzuka circuit whilst simultaneously breaking records. He became the youngest driver to lead an F1 Grand Prix, as well as the youngest driver to record the fastest lap. With a score of 7.8 and a P6 finish, Antonelli clearly impressed the judges.
7. Piastri
An impressive 3rd place finish combined with an 8.0 score was achieved by Piastri in Japan. He was a mere 0.44 seconds away from a pole position but couldn’t get past his teammate or World Champion, Max Verstappen. However, despite this, he showed great power and speed.
4. Albon, Leclerc, Norris
All three racers scored the same number of points in the Suzuka rankings- a solid 8.4. They all showed immense skill in the face of challenge on the track as well as their speed raising their rankings.
Albon
Whilst Sainz continues to adapt to William’s Racing, Albon impresses the judges every race. His ability to stay consistent as well as delivering skilfully works in his favour and earned him 4th place in the rankings. His
placements in top 10 each race also allowed him to gain more points in 3 races than Williams received last season overall. He has certainly impressed everyone.
Leclerc
With a 4th place finish as well as his immaculate defence, judges placed him 4th again in the Suzuka rankings. His collected demeanour whilst dealing with a previous disqualification also gained him credit with the judges.
Norris
Although a few minor mistakes cost Lando a higher position, he still placed 2nd with a score of 8.4. Also, even with damage from the race he did very well and this gained him significant points.
3. Bearman
Haas’ rookie left a strong impression on the judges during the Grand Prix. He was performing highly the whole weekend and gained his team even more points. Overall, this performance landed him with a score of 8.8 and a P10 position.
2. Hadjar
His comeback from a DNS in the first Grand Prix has been extraordinary. He managed to secure his first points in the Japanese Grand Prix when he finished P8 overall. He earned many praises from judges and this amazing performance secured him a near perfect score of 9.0.
1. Verstappen
In first place in the Suzuka rankings as well as in the race is unsurprisingly reigning World Champion, Max Verstappen. A seamless finish in the race as well as no mistakes made pushed his score to a perfect 10.
Overall Rankings
10th Hadjar
- 6.7 +6 places.
9th Gasly
- 6.8 +2 places.
8th Bearman
- 6.9 +6 places.
7th Leclerc
- 7.5
6th Antonelli
- 7.8
5th Russell
- 8.3 -2 places.
4th Piastri
- 8.4 -1 place.
3rd Norris
2nd Albon
- 8.9 -1 place.
1st Verstappen
- 9.1 +1 place.
Bahrain Leader Board
The podium has been settled after the official Grand Prix, now so have the power rankings. Like the last update, there are 10 places available with a maximum score of 10/10. The judges composed their list of top performers from this round of the 2026 season.
Lets look at the Bahrain leader board and the overall. Have there been any shifts?
10. Hamilton
After having a mixed weekend, Hamilton came out with a power ranking score of 6.6 and a P5 finishing position. Still adjusting to the Ferrari car and team, its been a rocky journey. However, 7-time world champion is slowly getting the hang of it.
Although teammate Leclerc out paced him and Hamilton expresses disappointment with his performance, he was confident and has certainly learned lessons of value in the long term.
9. Antonelli
Antonelli secured a P11 position in the Bahrain Grand Prix official race. It was a challenge for the rookie due to his rocky start and pit stops. However, his overtakes of his opponents caught the eyes of many judges, which overall scored him a 6.8 power rating.
8. Norris
Norris had a tough start to the race weekend when he fell behind in qualifying. Race day didn’t go as planned either when he got a 5 second penalty for his false start. Despite this, he had a strong performance and his recovery was excellent so he managed to maintain a P3 position. He impressed the judges and they gave him a score of 7.0.
7. Bearman
With another top 10 finish, Bearman is here to win and its clear. He matched Russell’s final stint whilst pushing into P10 and his recovery from finishing P20 in Q1 was perfect. He massively stood out and gained a 7.2 power ranking score. Many critics say he deserved the Driver Of The Day title due to his recovery and ranks.
6. Verstappen
Ranked 6 in the Grand Prix and the power rankings is Max Verstappen. Although his performance has clearly dipped he still showed skill and speed despite the issues in his RB21 car.
5. Ocon
Bearman’s teammate Ocon stood out to the judges also. He scored an 8.0 in the power rankings and finished P8. The recovery of the Haas teammates from Qualifying to the official Grand Prix race is truly excellent. Following a crash in Q1, his improvement is clear. Him and Bearman both got Haas more points, placing them at P5 in team rankings overall.
4. Leclerc
Leclerc managed a P4 finish overall with a score of 8.6. He leads the Ferrari scoring as his teammate still adjusts to his new car and team. He stands out due to his determination to get a high place on the leader board- anything less is unacceptable. Despite the speed of Norris’ McLaren, Leclerc gave it his all.#
3. Gasly
Gasly scored the very first points for Alpine after a rocky start to the 2025 season. His securing of P7 and a good comeback earns him a power ranking score of 8.8. He finished only slightly behind the 4-time world champion Verstappen- a great accomplishment.
2. Russell
Russell’s performance has been extremely consistent and impressive all throughout this season of F1. Despite multiple car issues, pressure from the McLarens and an issued penalty he secured P2 in the GP. This skill earned him a score of a near perfect 9.6.
1. Piastri
Piastri earned himself a perfect score of 10.0 and 1st place in the power rankings as well as the Grand Prix itself. He is after a world champion title and he is clearly doing his everything to ensure he gets it. With a large margin, he took the win and also the fastest lap.
Overall Rankings
10th Ocon
- 6.8 +4 places
9th Bearman
- 7.0 -1 placew
8th Gasly
- 7.3 +1 place
7th Antonelli
- 7.6 -1 place
6th Leclerc
- 7.8 +1 place
5th Norris
- 8.1 -2 places
4th Albon
- 8.3 -2 places
3rd Russell
- 8.6 +2 places
2nd Verstappen
- 8.7 -1 place
1st Piastri
- 8.8 +3 places.