British GP driver ratings: A rare Piastri mistake as rivals shone through the rain

Sam Cooper 07 Jul 2025 7:30 AM

There was impressive, and some not so impressive, performances up and down the grid.

The British Grand Prix showed Formula 1 at its chaotic best, with Lando Norris left smiling the most after his first home win.

Away from the McLaren driver, a first F1 podium has earned a certain German a very high score in our driver ratings…

Driver ratings for the British Grand Prix

Lando Norris – 9

It was a gift from his team-mate that handed Lando Norris his maiden British GP win but the McLaren driver still performed well on the slippery surface.

Having navigated the difficult start, Norris got past a struggling Verstappen and when he learnt of his team-mate’s incoming penalty, the Briton did what he had to do to secure his first home win.

Oscar Piastri – 6

Judging a 52-lap race by one moment can seem harsh but for Oscar Piastri it was a race-defining decision.

For a driver who has not really put a foot wrong in his career to date, it was a moment of unnecessary recklessness that cost him the win.

With a cool head, he would have realised he had the pace and the track advantage that he didn’t need to resort to erratic braking but it is different within the cockpit and the Australian risked a lot with little to gain.

Watching his team-mate lift that famous gold trophy should serve as a reminder in the future.

Nico Hulkenberg – 10

239 races and Nico Hulkenberg produced one of the finest drives of his F1 career.

No one would say Sauber have the second quickest car on the grid so the fact that the German made the podium shows how well he performed in challenging circumstances, especially given where he started from [P19].

In the past two races alone, Hulkenberg has risen 27 places, proving just how good he is come race day. It’s a positive sign for Audi in the future.

Lewis Hamilton – 8.5

Not a comfortable ride by any means but Lewis Hamilton again showed why he is so good at this circuit.

It may not have been the win like it was last year but the seven-time World Champion fought well to secure fourth, although he should perhaps have done more to attack Hulkenberg at the end and make it onto the podium.

Max Verstappen – 8.5

You need only watch Max Verstappen’s onboard for a few laps to see how difficult the RB21 was to control and indeed, it even caught the reigning champion out.

Cold tyres sent him spinning down the order during one of the safety car periods but Verstappen fought well to claw his way back up the order and limit the damage.

Pierre Gasly – 9

He may have slipped down the order as the race went on but take nothing away from Pierre Gasly, who produced an excellent quali then followed it up with some great defensive racing.

The Alpine is clearly not a great car but the Frenchman managed to keep it in the top 10 and was deserving of the eight points he scored.

Lance Stroll – 8

Not quite the podium it at one point looked like it could be, but Aston Martin and Lance Stroll should be praised for their bold decision-making.

A stint on the softs just before switching back to the inters proved crucial in pushing the Canadian up the track who has always been good in changeable conditions.

The second stint of softs was less wise and Stroll was a bit of a sitting duck as the race wore on.

Alex Albon – 7.5

In races like this, it is often just about keeping it on track and Albon did just that.

As others around him struggled, the Williams driver had a relatively quiet race and brought the car home in eighth, overtaking Alonso late on.

Fernando Alonso – 7

Having spent the first part of the race fuming that he was not given as bold a strategy as his team-mate was, Fernando Alonso produced some excellent moments of control to be one of the first to switch to slicks but crucially keep it on track.

That ability kept his point-scoring streak alive with the Spaniard now having been in the top 10 in the last four races.

George Russell – 6.5

George Russell was one of the drivers to pit immediately after the formation lap but it proved to be the wrong call with the track never really drying.

From there, Russell and Mercedes were playing catch-up and having been strong here last season, the Briton could only manage P10.

Oliver Bearman – 6

Considering how much time he spent off the track, we are not quite sure how Oliver Bearman ended 11th but he was the last rookie standing in difficult conditions.

He beat his team-mate but his pointless run continues.

Carlos Sainz – 6.5

Not a great race for Carlos Sainz, who slipped from P9 to P12.

The Spaniard blamed his old friend Charles Leclerc for a late incident that the Williams driver thought was an overly aggressive overtake. Regardless of their opinions, it left Sainz with a number of lost positions and damage to his car.

Esteban Ocon – 5.5

An unlucky afternoon for Esteban Ocon, who was the unwanted meat in a Tsunoda-Lawson sandwich in Lap One.

After that, Haas chose to go long and did not pit for fresh inters when everyone else did, meaning Ocon sunk down the order.

He then collided with his team-mate after a safety car restart but the stewards took no action.

Charles Leclerc – 5

Just a miserable afternoon for Charles Leclerc who made the mistake of pitting after the formation lap then was perhaps guilty of overdriving the car in an effort to make up for lost ground.

The Ferrari driver went off on more than one occasion, including one of the most egregious corner cuttings in recent F1 history, and finished outside of the top 10 for the first time since this race last year.

Yuki Tsunoda – 4.5

Another dreadful race for Yuki Tsunoda who did not have the skill of Verstappen to keep the unstable RB21 on the track.

To make matters worse, he picked up a 10-second penalty for hitting Oliver Bearman and was the only car to cross the line lapped.

More reaction from the British Grand Prix

Winners and losers from the 2025 British Grand Prix

Max Verstappen highlights ‘strange’ George Russell inconsistency in stewards’ Oscar Piastri verdict

Did not finish

Kimi Antonelli – 6.5

A difficult race for the rookies but Kimi Antonelli was navigating it well until he got rear-ended by Isack Hadjar.

The Italian tried to continue but damage to his floor meant this race was run.

Isack Hadjar – 5.5

Difficult conditions caught Hadjar out when he went careering into the back of Kimi Antonelli.

Both drivers admitted the visibility was poor but considering it was Hadjar who hit Antonelli, the Racing Bulls driver was perhaps a little lucky to avoid a penalty.