P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Crash.net F1 journalist Connor McDonagh runs through his driver ratings for the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix – the penultimate round of the season.
Verstappen had a challenging race but still managed to secure his 18th victory of the year, despite a time penalty and damage to his car.
Leclerc put up a strong fight in Las Vegas, performing well in qualifying and the race, but Ferrari’s decision not to pit him during the Safety Car period may have cost him the win.
Perez had a decent performance, despite sustaining damage early on, and was in contention for the victory. However, he lacked the necessary race craft to beat Leclerc.
Ocon had a solid race, defying team orders to finish fourth, after a disappointing qualifying session.
Stroll continued his strong form from Brazil, driving well and outperforming his teammate in the Aston Martin.
Sainz had a difficult race after spinning on his own, struggling to make up for lost time.
Hamilton had a disappointing race, with his poor qualifying and contact with Piastri resulting in a puncture.
Russell had a promising weekend until contact with Verstappen caused damage and a time penalty.
Alonso’s Lap 1 spin ruined Bottas’ race and he struggled to match the pace of his teammate.
Piastri put on an impressive performance, deserving a better result than tenth place, but contact with Hamilton and McLaren’s tyre strategy hindered his chances.
Gasly missed an opportunity for a better result, possibly due to the team’s decision to stay out under the Safety Car.
Williams had a strong qualifying but lacked race pace to score points.
Magnussen had a better weekend than his teammate, reaching Q3, and was the stronger driver in the Haas team.
AlphaTauri had a slow car compared to the competition, with Ricciardo having an edge over Tsunoda.
Zhou had a disappointing qualifying session, failing to progress from Q1, while Bottas secured a solid eighth place. Zhou’s race was decent but he struggled with tyre degradation and couldn’t challenge for points.
Sargeant achieved a career-best qualifying position but Williams struggled with tyre wear, causing him to drop down the order.
Bottas performed well in qualifying but his race was ruined by Alonso’s spin and subsequent contact with Perez.
Tsunoda had a tough race but showed some promise after starting on soft tyres.
