Vettel hangs onto Autosport readers' driver ratings lead from Leclerc
Sebastian Vettel clings onto first place in Autosport readers' Formula 1 driver ratings by the smallest of margins over his potential future team-mate Charles Leclerc
The top two performers of the season so far were separated by just 0.02 points after the Austrian Grand Prix, and they were the two highest scorers next time out at Silverstone.
While Leclerc registered the highest score of the weekend with Autosport Plus members with 9.3/10, race winner Vettel's 9.2 score is enough for him to hang on at the top, but now by just 0.01.
Have your say
Who are your stars of the season? Submit your driver ratings after every grand prix today
Behind the top two, who have pulled away from the field slightly following the 10th race of the season, Fernando Alonso has reclaimed third place from Kevin Magnussen, with both drivers having strong weekends and registering scores of eight or higher with our readers.
Daniel Ricciardo's second consecutive score below 7/10 drops him another place to seventh behind Lewis Hamilton, while the other change in the top 10 for the season so far features Carlos Sainz Jr dropping two places.
Sainz's British GP weekend, which included his first Q1 elimination of the season and his first retirement after crashing with Romain Grosjean, earned him a score of just 5.6/10, matching his worst rating of the season from the Bahrain GP.
The Spaniard's slump allows his Renault team-mate Nico Hulkenberg and Force India's Esteban Ocon to move up a position each based on the season-long average scores.
Further down the field, Max Verstappen's recovery from his messy start to the season continues, with his 7.9 rating enabling him to move up a place to 14th at the expense of Marcus Ericsson.
Autosport readers' averages so far
| Driver | Rating | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sebastian Vettel | 8.0 | - |
| 2 | Charles Leclerc | 8.0 | - |
| 3 | Fernando Alonso | 7.8 | Up 1 |
| 4 | Kevin Magnussen | 7.8 | Down 1 |
| 5 | Valtteri Bottas | 7.6 | - |
| 6 | Lewis Hamilton | 7.6 | Up 1 |
| 7 | Daniel Ricciardo | 7.4 | Down 1 |
| 8 | Kimi Raikkonen | 7.4 | - |
| 9 | Nico Hulkenberg | 7.3 | Up 1 |
| 10 | Esteban Ocon | 7.2 | Up 1 |
| 11 | Carlos Sainz Jr | 7.1 | Down 2 |
| 12 | Pierre Gasly | 7.0 | - |
| 13 | Sergio Perez | 6.6 | - |
| 14 | Max Verstappen | 6.3 | Up 1 |
| 15 | Marcus Ericsson | 6.1 | Down 1 |
| 16 | Stoffel Vandoorne | 5.7 | - |
| 17 | Brendon Hartley | 5.7 | - |
| 18 | Romain Grosjean | 5.4 | - |
| 19 | Sergey Sirotkin | 5.2 | - |
| 20 | Lance Stroll | 5.0 | - |
Previous article
Why F1's 'commuter' focus is risky
Next article
Toro Rosso yet to 'understand' Honda's latest F1 engine upgrade
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Drivers | Sebastian Vettel , Charles Leclerc |
| Author | Glenn Freeman |
Albert Park Circuit Modifications Project
Mercedes-AMG F1 Team: Bahrain GP Race Debrief
Why the demise of F1's hypocritical spending habit is cause for celebration
For too long, F1's richest teams have justified being able to spend as much as they want because that's the way they've always conducted their business. STUART CODLING says that's no reason not to kick a bad habit
The double whammy that is defining Vettel’s F1 fate
It's been a tough start to Sebastian Vettel's Aston Martin F1 career, with a lack of pre-season testing mileage followed by an incident-packed Bahrain GP. But two key underlying factors mean a turnaround is no guarantee
The diva that stole a march on F1’s wide-bodied opposition
In 2017 new F1 technical regulations were supposed to add drama - and peg Mercedes back. STUART CODLING looks at the car which, while troubled, set the stage for the wide-bodied Formula 1 era
The themes to watch in F1’s Imola return
Three weeks is a long time in Formula 1, but in the reshaped start to the 2021 season the teams head to Imola to pick things up after the frenetic Bahrain opener. Here's what to look out for and the developments to follow at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
The 'new' F1 drivers who need to improve at Imola
After a pandemic-hit winter of seat-swapping, F1 kicked off its season with several new faces in town, other drivers adapting to new environments, and one making a much-anticipated comeback. BEN ANDERSON looks at who made the most of their opportunity and who needs to try harder…
The delay that quashed Aston Martin’s last F1 venture
Aston Martin’s only previous foray into Formula 1 in the late 1950s was a short-lived and unsuccessful affair. But it could have been so different, says NIGEL ROEBUCK
Verstappen exclusive: Why lack of car-racing titles won't hurt Red Bull's ace
Max Verstappen’s star quality in Formula 1 is clear. Now equipped with a Red Bull car that is, right now, the world title favourite and the experience to support his talent, could 2021 be the Dutchman’s year to topple the dominant force of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes?
Are we at peak F1 right now?
For many, many years Formula 1 has strived to do and to be better on all fronts. With close competition, a growing fanbase, a stable political landscape and rules in place to encourage sustainability, 2021 is on course to provide an unexpected peak
