Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes (SP6, P4, 15 pts): 7.5/10
Even before George Russell lucked into their first sin since Brazil in 2022, this was a really encouraging weekend for Mercedes which outscored all their rivals in the constructors championship by a considerable amount, thanks to both Russell and Lewis Hamilton delivering on the day. The surprise is that with the exception of first practice, Russell was consistently quicker than Hamilton in every session. They were P4 and P6 in both qualifying sessions, although they got a one place bump for the Grand Prix grid when Oscar Piastri's key lap time was deleted for track limits. Hamilton gained another place at the start of the Grand Prix with a move on Sainz, but ran wide in the process and was told by the team to hand the place back before the stewards made him. Floor damage rather took the wind out of Hamilton's sails for the rest of the race and he never made an impression on the Ferrari again, and also lost a place to Oscar Piastri just before it became clear that it would have been for a podium. Hamilton will have been kicking himself for coming so close and just missing out like that.
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari (SP5, P3, 19 pts): 8/10
Carlos Sainz had been off the boil in recent races, but he was back with a bang in Spielberg and very much the best of the two Ferrari drivers this weekend while Charles Leclerc toiled to overcome a series of setbacks. For Sainz, things proved relatively calm and straightforward. He qualified for the Sprint in fifth place between the two Mercedes, initially got past George Russell at the start but ended up ceding the position back on lap 8 and finishing where he started. He was one place up the grid on Sunday (thanks to Oscar Piastri's Q3 lap time being deleted) and this time he was the one to lose out at the start when Lewis Hamilton swept past. He got the place back then it was deemed that Hamilton had gained an advantage by going off track to do it. After that it was about managing the gap to Russell ahead and stopping Hamilton having another go from behind, but just before the Virtual Safety Car was scrambled after the Verstappen/Norris clash there was a flash of papaya as the out-of-place Piastri darted past him. It still left Sainz on the podium, but P2 would have been even nicer.
