Nico Hulkenberg, Haas (P8): 8/10
Last winter, after a change of leadership, Haas could have scarcely imagined challenging for sixth in F1’s Constructors’ standings. And yet, the US outfit was in with a shot to do just that in Yas Marina, if it could outperform Alpine. That was too big of an ‘if’ however, as Nico Hulkenberg who had qualified fourth but was dropped to seventh for overtaking on the pit exit, faced a challenging race. Trapped behind Gasly, who effectively controlled the pace, the German was unable to gain the upper hand, which sealed his team’s P7 position in the championship.
Pierre Gasly, Alpine (P7): 9/10
Once again, Pierre Gasly didn’t put a foot wrong all weekend in Abu Dhabi. On Saturday, the Frenchman qualified sixth, just 0.389s off poleman Lando Norris, and executed a spirited and combative drive on Sunday that saw him run among the top three early on before strategies took hold. He ultimately finished seventh which helped Alpine seal its P6 position in the championship. Give this man a good car and he’ll be fighting at the front on a regular basis.