Feature

F1i's Driver Ratings for the 2023 Japanese GP

Valtteri Bottas (Lap 8, Accident damage): 5/10
Alfa Romeo is still firmly stuck in the doldrums as the final weeks of its current incarnation run down, but there were some glimmers of hope in Japan with Valtteri Bottas making decent progress though the practice sessions on Friday and Saturday. Making the top ten might have been seemed a bit ambitious, but it wasn't totally out of the question. Failing to make the cut at the end of Q1 was therefore a big disappointment, and it left the Finn lining up on the grid in 16th place on Sunday. That's the sort of neighbourhood that can see you caught up in all sorts of trouble when the lights went out, and so it was here when he was disastrously squeezed between Esteban Ocon and Alexander Albon. After repairs, he was then taken out with extreme prejudice by Logan Sargeant. What Bottas has done to deserve this onslaught of bad luck is a mystery to us - and to him.

Sergio Perez (Lap 16, Accident damage): 3.5/10
Let's start with a look at all the good things that Sergio Perez managed this weekend at Suzuka. Go on, we'll wait. All done? We suppose that we should give him credit for making slow progress through the three practice sessions, but by FP3 he was still only fourth and 0.737s behind his Red Bull team mate Max Verstappen. He started the race from fifth place sandwiched between the two Ferraris, but in fact it was Lewis Hamilton with whom he clashed on the opening lap leaving him with a damaged front wing forcing an early stop. He then overtook Fernando Alonso behind the safety car to earn a penalty, and he seemed to lack composure when he speared Kevin Magnussen's Haas into a spin. Having retired due to the damage, there was then the surreal corollary when he came back out an track an hour later to serve an outstanding penalty so that it didn't carry over to Qatar, making a mockery of the FIA rules. The governing body was not laughing, and Perez was lucky to escape the fiasco with a mere four point penalty.

Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.

Recent Posts

Aston Martin says performance shortfall led to Fallows exit

Aston Martin performance director Tom McCullough has shed some light on why the team’s former…

1 hour ago

FIA clamps down on plank loophole after Red Bull complaint

The FIA has issued a pivotal Technical Directive to F1 teams ahead of this weekend’s…

3 hours ago

F1 drivers blindsided by race director Wittich’s sudden exit

The abrupt removal last week of FIA race director Niels Wittich with just three races…

4 hours ago

McLaren relaxes ‘papaya rules’: Norris and Piastri free to race

Oscar Piastri has confirmed that McLaren’s team orders—dubbed the "Papaya Rules"—have been largely relaxed, giving…

5 hours ago

Cheers to the forever young pure racer Jacques Laffite

The forever young Jacques Laffite turns 81 today, but the years haven't aged this pure…

7 hours ago

Las Vegas GP: Wednesday's build-up in pictures

The neon lights of Las Vegas are set to illuminate the Formula 1 world once…

7 hours ago