Max's dominance continued in Monza (F1.com)
Well, this is getting repetitive, isn't it?
Max Verstappen's first ever Monza podium finish was also his fifth consecutive win and his 11th win of 16 races this season. Though I am admittedly a new fan, this is the most dominant stretch that I have ever seen from a Formula 1 driver. Verstappen is simply on another level and (surprise, surprise) is once again at the top of the Sincere Sports power rankings.
As usual, I added all the drivers' scores together to find the top 10 drivers for this particular race and on a season-long basis.
If you've forgotten, we take machinery entirely out of the equation and simply judge the drivers based on how well they did with the equipment they possessed.
Let's begin!
T1. Max Verstappen, Red Bull
Race Position: 1st
Score: 9.3
I'm running out of words to describe Max Verstappen. After an impressive performance in 2021 to hold off one of the best drivers of all time, the Dutchman has reached a completely different level. He will likely break the record for most wins in a season and at the rate at which he is going, he could shatter the record for most consecutive race wins as well.
Martin Brundle mentioned on the broadcast that there seems to be a feeling that no matter what gets thrown at Max and Red Bull, they will find a way to deal with it. This has been a historic season by a driver with a legitimate claim to being one of the top drivers of the 2000s.
T1. Nyck de Vries, Williams
Race Position: 9th
Score: 9.3
Verstappen wasn't the only Dutchman to star at the Temple of Speed. After a series of strange circumstances forced former F2 champion de Vries into his first ever F1 Grand Prix, the Dutch driver took the most of his opportunity.
de Vries comfortably outperformed Nicholas Latifi, a veteran of F1 at this point. It was a stunningly mature performance from a driver who just gave a good representation of what he could do when given an opportunity at the pinnacle of motorsport.
T1. Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
Race Position: 4th
Score: 9.3
Yet another driver with the exact same score at the top. Sainz knew he was going to take a back of the grid penalty, so all he really needed to do was outqualify Lewis Hamilton, which he managed with relative ease.
During the race, Sainz had incredible pace on the mediums to allow him to make incredible progress from P18. After his incredibly successful first stint, Sainz carried the result home on soft tires for a well-deserved 4th place.
4. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Race Position: 2nd
Score: 8.7
As I posted on my Twitter, I felt that Leclerc deserved the victory in Monza. It's been a lot of work to keep the championship battle still going and a victory in front of the adoring Tifosi would have been a worthy reward for the Monegasque.
Despite the engine penalties of others, Leclerc took pole position on his own terms, becoming the first Ferrari driver to seal 8 poles in a single season since Michael Schumacher. Leclerc didn't do anything specifically wrong during the race; he was simply outpaced by Verstappen, in which he wasn't alone.
5. George Russell, Mercedes
Race Position: 3rd
Score: 8.5
The fact that George Russell is still technically alive in the championship battle is a testament to how impressive his performances have been in a Mercedes that sometimes refuses to comply with the driver. The consistency of his results has been utterly incredible. Only Verstappen has more podiums than Russell this season.
Yet again, Russell took advantage of the circumstances surrounding Sainz and Perez to sneak into third place.
6. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
Race Position: 5th
Score: 8.2
Starting from 19th, Hamilton pulled off a Sainz-esque drive back into the points, although it wasn't quite as dynamic of a performance for some reason. He didn't slice his way through the pack like the Spaniard did, but he made his way back into P5 with a sort of cold inevitability.
The Briton resisted the urge to pit under the Safety Car period in the latter stages. Mercedes seem to be putting more emphasis on their strategy calls after Hamilton's frustration at Zandvoort, so if he can package some solid performances with better strategy, he could still win a race this season.
7. Lando Norris, McLaren
Race Position: 7
Score: 7.9
McLaren did everything they could to dent Alpine's advantage in the Constructor's Standings, but since Ricciardo suffered an unfortunate DNF, Norris had to carry the load from a points perspective. After starting from 3rd, he might have been expecting a bit more from the GP. Nevertheless, he knocked 6 points off the deficit to Alpine.
Norris suffered from anti-stall and he was stuck in a DRS train for a significant portion of the race, so perhaps he got a bit unlucky. Still, I feel that this rating is fair.
8. Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri
Race Position: 8th
Score: 7.6
Gasly really looked strong at AlphaTauri's home race. Monza is really close to the Faenza team's base, so Gasly was likely motivated to perform. Still, nobody could have expected starting P5 on the grid and holding onto that position even as the drivers with grid penalties made their way back up.
Gasly has been driving much better as of late, which is really nice to see. He'd been a bit disappointing up to this point, but now, it looks as if the Frenchman is putting it all together.
T9. Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren
Race Position: DNF
Score: 7.1
Ricciardo was so close to making his way back into the points. Starting P4 must have given him a glimmer of hope that he could replicate his magic from Monza in 2021. Danny Ric got a better start than his teammate, which led him to run in the podium positions for a few laps.
However, the McLaren driver couldn't keep up the flashes of pace that he had shown and he dropped down the grid until an engine problem knocked him out of the top 10 as a whole.
T9. Zhou Guanyu, Alfa Romeo
Race Position: 10th
Score: 7.1
Zhou continues to drive in a very consistent manner in the unreliable Alfa Romeo. It's been a very efficient and effective rookie season from the first ever full-time Chinese driver. Though Zhou could never rein in de Vries, after the Safety Car period, a bunch of pit stops thrust Zhou into the points positions. Since the SC period never ended, Zhou could easily bring it home for a well-deserved point.
JUST MISSED
Sergio Perez certainly didn't have a bad race, especially when you consider the overheated brakes that forced him to pit on Lap 7. However, every time I watch Max Verstappen use his Red Bull to cut through the field like butter, I'm always disappointed that Checo isn't capable to do the same. The Mexican driver should be fighting for regular podiums, but he isn't managing it.
Alpine weren't able to pick up any points at a disappointing performance in Monza, but it wasn't for a lack of trying, particularly from Fernando Alonso. A P6 grid slot on Sunday was pretty impressive and the Spaniard looked to be able to hold onto the points. Unfortunately, a water pressure system issue forced him to retire.
THE OVERALL STANDINGS
Despite not racing in Monza due to an appendicitis diagnosis, Alex Albon has jumped into the overall top 10, following an average performance from Valtteri Bottas. Other than that, Carlos Sainz separated himself from a group of other drivers.
1. Max Verstappen, Red Bull
Last GP: 1st
Season Average: 8.9
2. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Last GP: 2nd
Season Average: 8.5
3. George Russell, Mercedes
Last GP: 3rd
Season Average: 7.9
4. Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
Last GP: T-4th
Season Average: 7.8
T5. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
Last GP: T-4th
Season Average: 7.7
T5. Fernando Alonso, Alpine
Last GP: T-4th
Season Average: 7.7
7. Sergio Perez, Red Bull
Last GP: 7th
Season Average: 7.5
8. Lando Norris, McLaren
Last GP: T-8th
Season Average: 7.4
9. Esteban Ocon, Alpine
Last GP: T-8th
Season Average: 7.3
T10. Alex Albon, Williams
Last GP: NR
Season Average: 6.8
T10. Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo
Last GP: 10th
Season Average: 6.8
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