After 13 rounds of the 2023 Season, it’s time for my Midseason Driver Rankings. I’ve given every driver a rating of between 1-to-10 throughout every important Session this season and put them into 3 categories; Qualifying, Sprint Saturday, and Race. Every driver then gets their combined total divided by the amount of sessions they’ve taken part in (maximum of 30) and their overall average will determine where they slot in on my Midseason Driver Ratings/Rankings Grid. My favourite part about doing these articles is because even though I rate everyone after every key session, I’m still surprised when I see the results for some of these drivers. Also, it’s worth mentioning that I’m not including Daniel Ricciardo in the Overall Position Table as it feels like 14th (where he would’ve been) is too high for someone that’s only done 2 rounds. I have however included his points for the individual categories as I find it to be quite interesting.
P20: Logan Sargeant
It’s fair to say that Logan Sargeant has had a tough start to his Formula 1 career, but I really didn’t expect him to be last, and more importantly, for his average rating to be so low. I’ve given out nine 1’s for Logan so far this season (which is a lot) and no 10’s. Logan’s worst weekends came in Miami and Spain where he only got 2 points (the lowest possible weekend grade) whilst Sargeant’s best weekend of the season so far came in Bahrain where I gave him 13 points. Considering that was his first weekend in Formula 1, arguably 12 points in Silverstone was the better achievement. Whilst I don’t believe Logan Sargeant deserves to lose his seat, he does need to improve in the second half of the season.
Total Qualifying Points: 28 (P19)
Total Sprint Saturday Points: 12 (P20)
Total Race Points: 33 (P19)
Overall Total: 73 (P19)
Average: 2.61
P19: Nyck de Vries
Whilst Nyck de Vries is currently 19th in my Midseason Driver Rankings, I don’t expect him to still be there by the end of the season now that the Dutchman has lost his seat. I’ve given out eight 1’s for Nyck de Vries (so far) this season and not a single 10. Nyck’s worst weekend of the season came in Silverstone where he only scored 2 points, but 6 points out of a possible 40 in Baku is also pretty bad. In terms of his best weekend, de Vries scored 13 points in Monaco which is pretty decent. Looking at my ratings for Nyck de Vries over the course of the season so far is very much putting me in a position where I understand both arguments as to whether Nyck deserved to keep his Alpha Tauri seat or not.
Total Qualifying Points: 26 (P20)
Total Sprint Saturday Points: 11 (P21)
Total Race Points: 32 (P20)
Overall Total: 69 (P20)
Average: 2.88
P18: Kevin Magnussen
I’m honestly not at all surprised that Kevin Magnussen is this far down in my Midseason Driver Rankings. I’ve given Kevin nine 1’s so far this season and one 10 (Miami Qualifying). Kevin’s worst weekends of the season so far have come in Spain and Hungary where he’s had the lowest possible score (2) whilst K-Mag’s best weekend came in Miami where he scored a massive 18 points! Whilst Kevin is a long way ahead of the Drivers behind him, Magnussen really needs to step it up in the second half of the season because he should be doing a lot better.
Total Qualifying Points: 36 (P18)
Total Sprint Saturday Points: 26 (P15)
Total Race Points: 41 (P18)
Overall Total: 103 (P18)
Average: 3.68
P17: Zhou Guanyu
Whilst I was surprised to see Zhou Guanyu this low, it’s fair to say that the Chinese Driver hasn’t been as good as he was last year. Zhou’s received a total of five 1’s so far this season and only one 10 (Hungary Qualifying). The craziest thing about this is I only gave Zhou two 1’s in the entirety of last season and the main reason for that is probably because I expect a lot more from him now than I did in his Rookie season. Zhou Guanyu’s worst weekend of the season so far came in Canada where he only scored 3 points whilst his best weekend of the season so far came in Spain where he scored 14 points. It might be crazy to say this, but Zhou will probably need to step up a bit more in the second half of the season to guarantee himself a spot at Sauber next year, especially now that Theo Pourchaire currently leads the Formula 2 Championship.
Total Qualifying Points: 43 (P17)
Total Sprint Saturday Points: 17 (P16)
Total Race Points: 55 (P16)
Overall Total: 115 (17)
Average: 3.83
P16: Valtteri Bottas
To highlight just how far Valtteri Bottas and Alfa Romeo have dropped off in the last year, Valtteri was P6 in my Midseason Driver Rankings last year. I’ve given Valtteri a total of six 1’s so far this season and only one 10 (Bahrain Race). Bottas’ worst weekend of the season came in Spain where he only scored 3 points whilst his best weekend technically came in Belgium where he scored 18 points, but I would comfortably say that 17 points in Bahrain is far better. I find it really interesting to see that Valtteri is pretty terrible on a Sprint Saturday. Considering his experience and his single-lap pace, Valtteri Bottas should be a lot higher than 16th.
Total Qualifying Points: 58 (P14)
Total Sprint Saturday Points: 13 (P19)
Total Race Points: 61 (P14)
Overall Total: 132 (P16)
Average: 4.40
P15: Yuki Tsunoda
Whilst Yuki Tsunoda has stepped it up this year, it feels like he needs to improve even more in the second half of the season. Yuki’s received three 1’s in the first half of this season and no 10’s which I find interesting. Yuki’s worst weekend of the season came in Silverstone where he only scored 4 points whilst he’s had a few contenders for his best weekend of the season so far. Whilst Tsunoda scored 20 points in both Baku and Spa, 15 points in both Bahrain and particularly Australia are better average-wise. The thing I found most interesting when it came to Yuki Tsunoda in the first half of this season is how well he’s been performing in the races and I’m very intrigued to see if he can keep it up in the remaining 10 rounds.
Total Qualifying Points: 56 (P15)
Total Sprint Saturday Points: 16 (P17)
Total Race Points: 68 (P10)
Overall Total: 140 (P15)
Average: 4.67
P14: Lance Stroll
It’s been a very mixed year for Lance Stroll and clearly on going off this, there’s been more negatives than positives. I’ve only given Lance two 1’s so far this season, but I’ve also only given him one 10 (Bahrain Race). Lance’s worst weekend of the season came in Monaco where he only scored 3 points whilst his best weekend came in Austria where he scored 25 points. However, I do think that his 18 points in Bahrain were pretty impressive, especially as he was driving with injured wrists. It’s also worth mentioning that whilst he’s improved in Qualifying this year, he’s arguably lost a bit of race pace and Aston Martin will need him to be on the pace for the second half of the season.
Total Qualifying Points: 55 (P16)
Total Sprint Saturday Points: 30 (P13)
Total Race Points: 65 (P12)
Overall Total: 150 (P13)
Average: 5.00
P13: Nico Hulkenberg
After 12 races into his Formula 1 return, I can safely say that Nico Hulkenberg is doing a pretty decent job. Funnily enough, Nico’s received the same amount of 1’s as he has 10’s (four each). Hulkenberg’s worst weekend of the season came in both Monaco and Belgium where he only scored 3 points and that Spa weekend was particularly bad. In terms of his best weekend so far, The Hulk scored a massive 30 points in Austria which is pretty incredible considering I wasn’t able to grade him in the race. The standout thing for me is how brilliant Nico Hulkenberg is at Qualifying, but the same cannot at all be said for the race.
Total Qualifying Points: 74 (P8)
Total Sprint Saturday Points: 30 (P12)
Total Race Points: 43 (P17)
Overall Total: 147 (P14)
Average: 5.25
P12: Oscar Piastri
After a slightly difficult start to his Formula 1 career, Oscar Piastri is now well on the rise. So far in 2023, Oscar has received three 1’s and four 10’s which is fairly balanced. Oscar’s worst weekend of the season so far came in Miami where he received the lowest possible score due to finishing 19th in both sessions. In terms of his best weekend so far, Piastri scored 27 points in Belgium, but his overall best weekend came in Silverstone where he scored maximum points. The thing I find amazing with Oscar Piastri so far in 2023 is he is absolutely brilliant on a Sprint Saturday, but has struggled on a Sunday. The Australian is also a long way clear of P13.
Total Qualifying Points: 66 (P11)
Total Sprint Saturday Points: 50 (P2)
Total Race Points: 56 (P15)
Overall Total: 172 (P11)
Average: 5.93
P11: Pierre Gasly
I feel like P11 sums up Pierre Gasly’s first half of the season quite well; decent, but not at all spectacular. Pierre’s received a total of two 1’s and three 10’s so far this season. Gasly’s worst weekend of the season so far came in Hungary where he only scored 2 points, but in fairness, I wasn’t able to grade the Gasman in the race. In terms of his best weekend so far, Pierre scored 29 points in Belgium, but his 18 points in Miami are more impressive. It’s worth mentioning that Pierre’s been pretty good on a Sunday in the first half of the 2023 Season.
Total Qualifying Points: 61 (P12)
Total Sprint Saturday Points: 30 (P11)
Total Race Points: 70 (P8)
Overall Total: 161 (P12)
Average: 5.96
P10: Alex Albon
I’ve been really impressed with Alex Albon so far in 2023 and he fully merits a place in the top 10. So far in 2023, Alex has only received one 1 (Australia Race) and six 10’s which is pretty damn good. Alex’s worst weekend of the season so far came in Canada where he scored 5 points which isn’t a terrible worst weekend. In terms of his best weekend so far, Albon scored 29 points in Baku, but he also had a perfect weekend in Silverstone. Alex has also been incredible on a Sprint Saturday and only four other drivers are in the top 10 in every single stat which is very impressive going from the Williams Driver.
Total Qualifying Points: 70 (P9)
Total Sprint Saturday Points: 43 (P4)
Total Race Points: 69 (P9)
Overall Total: 182 (P8)
Average: 6.07
P9: Esteban Ocon
After being 9th in both my 2022 Midseason and Full Season Driver Rankings, Esteban remains 9th in my 2023 Midseason Driver Rankings! In total, I’ve given out two 1’s and three 10’s for Esteban so far this season which I find intriguing given that’s exactly the same as his teammate. Esteban’s worst weekend of the season so far came in Silverstone where he only scored 3 points, but that was mainly down to the fact that I couldn’t grade him in the race. In terms of his best weekend so far, Ocon did score 23 in both Austria and Spa, but his perfect weekend in Monaco was far better. Whilst Esteban’s had a sort of positive 2023 so far, his race results have let him down slightly.
Total Qualifying Points: 76 (P7)
Total Sprint Saturday Points: 34 (P8)
Total Race Points: 62 (P13)
Overall Total: 172 (P10)
Average: 6.14
P8: George Russell
After a fantastic first season with Mercedes, George Russell hasn’t performed as well as expected. So far in 2023, George has only received the worst possible grade once (Hungary Qualifying), but he’s also only received the best possible grade twice. George’s worst weekends of the season so far came in both Canada and Hungary where he received a total of 9 points which really isn’t that bad. In terms of his best weekend so far, Russell scored 26 points in Baku, but I definitely feel like his 19 points in Australia were more impressive. It’s unfair to say that George’s season has been bad because it hasn’t and he’s been pretty strong on a Sunday. However, Russell’s struggled a lot more in Qualifying than I would expect.
Total Qualifying Points: 66 (P10)
Total Sprint Saturday Points: 32 (P9)
Total Race Points: 83 (P5)
Overall Total: 181 (P9)
Average: 6.24
P7: Sergio Perez
Sergio, Sergio Perez! What a mixed season it has been. Sergio’s received a total of four 1’s and five 10’s so far in 2023 and that doesn’t feel like the greatest ratio. Checo’s worst weekend of the season so far came in Monaco where he rightly got the lowest possible score whilst his best weekend points-wise came in Baku where he scored a huge 37 points! However, it’s also worth mentioning that he got a perfect 20 in Jeddah. I’m honestly not surprised that Checo is this high because he’s had 2 Poles, 2 Race Wins, and a bunch of Podiums which is always going to give him a high grade. I think the main reason why I’m alright with Perez in P7 is because the gap between him and his teammate is ginormous and that’s exactly what it should be. Sergio needs to step it up in the second half of the season and that starts with Qualifying a lot better.
Total Qualifying Points: 58 (P13)
Total Sprint Saturday Points: 40 (P6)
Total Race Points: 90 (P4)
Overall Total: 188 (P7)
Average: 6.27
P6: Carlos Sainz
I tell you what, Carlos Sainz has to be the weirdest driver when it comes to my Driver Ratings. His average was a lot higher than this last year, yet I feel like he’s driven better in 2023 than in 2022! Anyway, Carlos hasn’t been given a single 1 so far in 2023 which is amazing, but he’s also only received one 10 (Canada Qualifying) which sort of highlights how his season’s gone. Carlos’ worst weekend of the season so far came in Hungary where he scored 8 points and this once again shows that Carlos hasn’t really been poor all season (so far). In terms of his best weekend so far, Sainz scored a really good 31 points in Austria. If I’m being totally honest, I feel pretty safe in predicting that Carlos will be P6 in my Rankings by the end of the season. It’s also worth mentioning that Sainz has been great in both Qualifying and on a Sprint Saturday, but has struggled a bit on a Sunday. The Driver in front also has exactly the same average as Carlos, and Sainz is only below him because he’s had fewer 10’s.
Total Qualifying Points: 84 (P3)
Total Sprint Saturday Points: 45 (P3)
Total Race Points: 67 (P11)
Overall Total: 196 (P6)
Average: 6.53
P5: Lando Norris
Just like his teammate and McLaren, Lando Norris is very much on the rise in 2023 after a difficult start to the season. So far in 2023, I’ve given Lando three 1’s and a massive ten 10’s (the same amount of 10’s he had in the whole of the 2022 Season). Lando’s worst weekend of the season so far came in Jeddah where he got the lowest score possible (2)! In terms of his best weekend so far, Norris scored 36 points in Austria, but he’s also had two perfect weekends in both Silverstone and Hungary (he didn’t even achieve 1 Perfect Weekend last year). Whilst I do think Lando hasn’t been as good as maybe he was last year, that’s mainly down to the fact that his McLaren was pretty terrible for the first 7 or 8 races. I also find it funny that he’s got exactly the same average at this point in the season as his old teammate Carlos Sainz, particularly as Norris’ average was 0.01 better than Sainz’s at the end of the 2022 Season!
Total Qualifying Points: 83 (P4)
Total Sprint Saturday Points: 39 (P7)
Total Race Points: 74 (P7)
Overall Total: 196 (P5)
Average: 6.53
P4: Charles Leclerc
Charles Leclerc has had a decent 2023 campaign so far, but it maybe hasn’t gone as well as he or Ferrari were hoping for. So far in 2023, I’ve given Charles just one 1 (Spain Qualifying) and a total of five 10’s. Whilst Charles’ worst weekend so far this season points wise came in Australia where he only scored 5, I couldn’t rate him in the race so 6 points in Spain is probably his worst weekend so far. In terms of his best weekend so far, it has to be Baku where Leclerc scored a massive 38 points! Rather interestingly, Charles hasn’t nearly been as good in Qualifying as he was last year, but I will praise the fact that Leclerc has been pretty consistent. Charles also performs pretty well on a Sprint Weekend (four of his five 10’s have come over the Baku, Austria, and Spa weekends).
Total Qualifying Points: 83 (P5)
Total Sprint Saturday Points: 42 (P5)
Total Race Points: 76 (P6)
Overall Total: 201 (P4)
Average: 6.93
P3: Lewis Hamilton
After a difficult 2022 Season, Lewis Hamilton is back performing in a strong manner. I’ve given Lewis just one 1 (Austria Sprint Shootout) so far this season, but I’ve also only given him three 10’s which sort of surprised me until I really thought about it. Lewis’ worst weekend of the season so far came in Miami where he scored 11 points which is absolutely ridiculous. In terms of his best weekend so far, Hamilton scored 29 points in Belgium, but I feel like 19 points in Australia is definitely the standout. Lewis has been really strong on a Sunday so far this season, but what I’ve been most impressed with so far in 2023 is Hamilton’s consistency. However, it’s worth mentioning that he has struggled on a Sprint Saturday.
Total Qualifying Points: 83 (P6)
Total Sprint Saturday Points: 32 (P10)
Total Race Points: 94 (P3)
Overall Total: 209 (P3)
Average: 6.97
P2: Fernando Alonso
After a pretty positive first half of the season, Fernando Alonso fully deserves his spot on the front row of the grid in my Midseason Driver Rankings. So far in 2023, I’ve only given Fernando the lowest possible grade once (Belgium Sprint) whilst I’ve given him the highest possible grade four times. Fernando’s worst weekend of the season so far came in Silverstone where he “only” scored 9 points whilst his best weekend points-wise came in Baku (27). However, Alonso also scored 19 points in Bahrain, Miami, Monaco, and Canada which is very impressive. The only negatives towards Fernando’s season are his results have dropped off a bit (mainly down to Aston Martin’s lack of performance) and he’s struggled on a Sprint Saturday (he’s actually below his teammate).
Total Qualifying Points: 86 (P2)
Total Sprint Shootout Points: 30 (P14)
Total Race Points: 96 (P2)
Overall Total: 212 (P2)
Average: 7.07
P1: Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen has absolutely dominated Formula 1 in 2023, but he’s arguably dominated these rankings even more. So far in 2023, Max hasn’t received a single 1, whilst he’s received a ridiculous twenty-two 10’s. Max’s worst weekend of the season so far came in Jeddah where he “only” scored 9 points, but it’s really worth mentioning that I couldn’t even grade him for Qualifying! In terms of his best weekend so far, Max has had a perfect 20 six times, but he’s also had a perfect 40 in both Austria and Belgium! Max is simply sensational and I think the fact that he’s received 118 out of a possible 120 on a Sunday sums that up perfectly.
Total Qualifying Points: 103 (P1)
Total Sprint Saturday Points: 56 (P1)
Total Race Points: 118 (P1)
Overall Total: 277 (P1)
Average: 9.55
Team Rankings
Just for a bit of fun, I have added up the total amount of points between the two drivers in each team before I’ve divided it by the total number of participated sessions to see which team has the best-performing driver.
P1: Red Bull: 7.88
P2: Ferrari: 6.73
P3: Mercedes: 6.61
P4: McLaren: 6.24
P5: Alpine: 6.05
P6: Aston Martin: 6.03
P7: Haas: 4.64
P8: Williams: 4.40
P9: Alfa Romeo: 4.12
P10: Alpha Tauri: 4.00
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