Charles Leclerc (P4, 12 pts): 8.5/10
Charles Leclerc made a clear declaration that he and Ferrari were the leading threat to Red Bull this weekend, even though overheating brakes begged to differ. Although he claimed a front row slot in qualifying and gave Max Verstappen a determined going over into the first corner of the race when the lights went out, he was soon struggling and locking up all over the place. At the time it was unclear whether this was uncharacteristic driver error or a technical problem on the SF-24. The post-race debrief made it clear that it was the latter, and moreover that Leclerc had performed some serious heroics in getting on top of the problem and recovering to fourth by the chequered flag, with a pass on George Russell who was having issues of his own. Even though his thunder was stolen by some daredevil antics from his team mate Carlos Sainz, this was still a good start for Leclerc.
Carlos Sainz (P3, 15 pts): 9.5/10
The official F1 Driver of the Day vote went to Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, and it's clear to say why as the Spaniard went all-in on pulling off some wild overtaking moves, all of them executed with a high degree of skill. Honestly, what is Ferrari thinking letting a talent like Sainz slip through their fingers in 2025? Even before the race itself, Sainz had proved he was in good shape by taking the top spot in final practice, and fourth on the grid was a solid outcome although it meant he was quickly picked off on the first lap by Sergio Perez in the clearly superior Red Bull. He pushed his way past his struggling team mate Charles Leclerc not once but twice (on one occasion, cutting it so fine that an almighty accident looked inevitable yet somehow avoided) and then got the better of George Russell as well. He was clearly laying out a shop window crammed full of evidence of his talents for future employers, and on this evidence there should be plenty of interest.
