Bahrain Grand Prix - Driver ratings
The eagerly-anticipated first race of 2021 produced a surprise winner and plenty of stellar performances throughout the field. But only one driver took a maximum score in our driver ratings under the Bahrain floodlights.
Lewis Hamilton – 9
If Motorsport.com was allowed the luxury of decimal place ratings, this would be a 9.9. Mercedes now has F1’s second fastest car and Hamilton started second and beat the fastest car, so a maximum score must be considered. But Hamilton’s lap 51 slip off the road handed Verstappen 0.6s and allowed him to close in and make the pass that would have won the race had it stuck.
Max Verstappen – 9
A single error costs Verstappen full marks. He swept practice and aced qualifying, but the botched late pass is the difference. Any move would have been tough, but Verstappen had time and tyre life that he wasted trying the Turn 4 move with Giovinazzi occupying the inside. Had he been able to check up before running wide it would have worked, but he couldn’t and never got another chance.
Share Or Save This Story
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.