Alexander Albon (P4, 12 pts): 9/10
Red Bull has been desperately looking for a second driver who is aggressive, consistent, and who can be a reliable backstop in case any misfortune hits Max Verstappen. This weekend, Alexander Albon ticked all those boxes and more: not only did he shadow his team mate throughout practice and qualifying and finish sixth in each session, in Q3 the rookie did the unimaginable and equalled Verstappen's time to the thousandths of a second - to the gasps of many who were watching. When it came to the race, Albon did what Verstappen was unable to do and stayed out of trouble on the opening lap, although too much wheel spin off the line did drop him behind the two McLarens. He soon bullied his way past Norris and was up to fifth place by the end of lap 4, but Sainz took a good deal longer to dispatch. The delay meant that the leaders were now a long way down the road and couldn't be caught without a safety car that never presented itself, so Albon found himself a lonely spot in no man's land, making sure that cars behind were kept at a safe distance while not taxing the car any more than necessary. He did the perfect job and picked up fourth place, his best result in his 17 Grand Prix starts to date.
