Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac (P18) – 5/10
The Finn made a bright start and picked up early positions, but the car’s limitations quickly caught up with him. Saddled with low downforce, Bottas slid through every corner, cooking his tyres and lifting constantly to keep brake temperatures under control. He wrestled the machine to the line, but fighting in the backwaters was the absolute ceiling today.
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin (P17) – 6/10
Alonso’s Madrid homecoming never truly got off the runway. Starting 19th after penalties, he picked up early wing damage that ruined any real assessment of Aston's pace, then spent the afternoon battling power unit glitches while letting leaders through under blue flags. A deeply frustrating day, though largely out of his hands.
