Spanish Grand Prix Power Rankings: Who Stood Out in Madrid?
Kimi Antonelli clinched victory at the Spanish Grand Prix, but who truly impressed over the weekend? Our judges weigh in on the top performers at the new Madring circuit.
Kimi Antonelli's victory at the Spanish Grand Prix may have been helped by a well-timed Virtual Safety Car, but his performance throughout the weekend earned him top marks from our Power Rankings judges. Meanwhile, Lando Norris, despite a stellar pole position and early race lead, found himself outmaneuvered by the timing of the VSC, ultimately finishing third. Still, his efforts were not lost on our panel, who recognized his skillful recovery from technical setbacks in practice.
The rankings are determined by a five-judge panel that scores each driver out of 10 based on their performance, ignoring the advantages or disadvantages of their equipment. These scores are averaged for each race and accumulated over the season, providing a comprehensive leaderboard.
Antonelli's strategic pitting under the VSC not only secured him the lead but also extended his championship lead over teammate George Russell to 81 points. Max Verstappen, meanwhile, turned a modest start in practice into a solid qualifying session, landing third on the grid. He capitalized on Norris's misfortune to finish second, marking his fifth podium in seven races.
Franco Colapinto continued his upward trajectory with Alpine, turning a ninth-place start into a seventh-place finish, declaring it his best race weekend yet. Arvid Lindblad, despite a crash in practice, showed resilience by making it to Q3 and scoring points for the ninth time in ten weekends.
Nico Hulkenberg battled with Lindblad and managed to claw his way into the points, finishing tenth for the third time in four events. Charles Leclerc tried his luck with a longer stint, hoping for a Safety Car that never arrived, and had to settle for fourth, the best Ferrari could muster with Lewis Hamilton retiring early.
Esteban Ocon found some redemption after a tough mid-season, finishing just outside the points in 11th, while his teammate Ollie Bearman struggled from a pit lane start. Liam Lawson, filling in for an injured Isack Hadjar, recorded his best result with Red Bull by finishing sixth.
George Russell, despite starting strong in practice, couldn't maintain the momentum in qualifying or the race, narrowly missing out on a spot in the Power Rankings top ten.