Alexander Albon (Accident Damage, Lap 27): 6.5/10
Alex Albon has been enjoying a strong run this season, but after narrowly missing out on extending his points run in Singapore he seemed a little subdued in Japan. Although he made it through to the second round of qualifying, he never looked in contention for a place in the final top ten pole shootout and admitted himself that 14th on the grid was less than he'd been hoping for: "I expected more when I arrived here, but ultimately I am satisfied with my performance" he insisted. Unfortunately his race was effectively over on the first lap when he was involved in the three-way accident with Valtteri Bottas and Esteban Ocon. Although he initially continued, the damage was too great and Williams called it a day at mid-race distance. What he did he did well enough, but Albon simply didn't get a chance to shine in Suzuka.
Kevin Magnussen (P15): 5.5/10
Kevin Magnussen has been rather in the shadow of his Haas team mate Nico Hulkenberg of late, but on this occasion he was able to outperform the German in qualifying and make it through to the second round while Hulkenberg missed the cut entirely for once. Realistically, though, Suzuka was always likely to be a terrible circuit for the VF-23. Magnussen did manage to avoid getting caught up in any of the opening lap incidents, and was still minding his own business after the safety car restart when suddenly Sergio Perez' Red Bull decided to tip him into a spin. "It was a pretty desperate move on his part, and I'm the one paying the price," the Dane complained. He did manage to carry on after repairs and completed the race, but there was no prospect of getting anywhere close to the top ten in such circumstances.
