Franco Colapinto, Williams (SP12, P10, 1 pt): 8.5/10
This might be only his fourth Grand Prix start, but Franco Colapinto was nonetheless the star of the show for Williams in Austin as Alex Albon hit all sorts of problems. The Argentine made it through to the final round of sprint qualifying, although he dropped two places in the race and never looked likely to pick up points. But it was a much more battling performance on Sunday where he started from 15th on the grid with a long first stint before pitting on lap 39. It was a tactic that won him a place in the top ten by the chequered flag, and another shiny championship point for the trophy cabinet.
Liam Lawson, RB (SP16, P9, 2 pts): 8/10
While it's sad to see Daniel Ricciardo depart the ranks of F1, it's a welcome return for Liam Lawson who stood in for the injured Aussie for five races in 2023. A mediocre performance in the sprint and a pit lane spat with Fernando Alonso helped shake off the cobwebs, and on Sunday Lawson was saddled with a grid penalty because of his predecessor's consumption of engines to date. That he wrangled this into two points for P9 - more than Ricciardo managed in the previous seven races - is an impressive return to duty for the Kiwi.
