Monaco GP driver ratings

Is the Drivers' Championship now Sebastian Vettel's to lose? Whatever your views on Ferrari's controversial strategy call, the German was the fastest man in Monte Carlo on Sunday as he ended the Scuderia's 16-year wait for a victory in Monaco.

Vettel insisted there was no foul play at work and said he was "surprised" to have come out in front of team-mate Kimi Raikkonen. And would there have even been this furore but for Vettel's mistakes in qualifying? He only missed out on pole by 0.043 seconds having been "too greedy" on his runs in Q3.

It was almost the perfect weekend for the four-time world champion as he extended his lead over title rival Lewis Hamilton to 25 points. While Vettel continued to play down his title chances - "It's irrelevant to look at the points before August," he said - it is becoming increasingly apparent that Ferrari now have the car to beat after three years of Mercedes dominance. And he is also the last victor in Monaco to go on to win the championship.
Rating out of ten: 9

Talk about bittersweet for Kimi Raikkonen. A weekend which included his first pole position in almost a decade and his joint-best result in four years also amounted to a chastening, debilitating experience as Raikkonen's unequal status within Ferrari was made apparent in brutal fashion.

As detailed elsewhere, Raikkonen's strategy and Vettel's superior pace were equally responsible for Sebastian's victory and Kimi's defeat - and neither reflected especially well for the Iceman. It's an interesting thought: is Raikkonen more likely to be a Ferrari driver in 2018 because of events this weekend in Monaco or less?
Rating out of ten: 8.5

Yet another case of what might have been for Daniel Ricciardo in Monaco. The Australian was a much happier man on the podium than 12 months ago, but the "silly" and "stupid" strategy error he blasted after qualifying may have ultimately cost him the chance to challenge for victory.

Starting fifth, Red Bull's decision to run Ricciardo longer than team-mate Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas allowed him to 'overcut' both drivers and secure a second successive third-place finish. But in clear air, Ricciardo was matching the lap times set by race-winner Vettel, suggesting even more may have been possible with a higher grid spot.

Ricciardo was fortunate to escape with a brush of the wall after the Safety Car restart, but was ultimately content with his work.
Rating out of ten: 9

A difficult weekend to judge Valtteri Bottas upon. On the one hand, Valtteri was just 0.045 from pole and was far quicker from Thursday afternoon onwards than the struggling Lewis Hamilton. On the other, a driver who all-but touched pole on Saturday finished Sunday's race a modest and distant fourth - which is something of a shortfall at a circuit where overtaking is close to impossible.

As Bottas concluded, in glass half-empty rather than half-full mode, afterwards: "Missing out on a first Monaco podium is painful."
Rating out of ten: 8

The only consolation for Max Verstappen at the end of a tiring day in the Principality is that he isn't the first driver in F1 history to have finished the Monaco GP deeply frustrated and he won't be the last. If having to spend almost the entirety of the grand prix tucked up behind Valtteri Bottas' Mercedes wasn't bad enough, losing out to team-mate Daniel Ricciardo on strategy was enough to trigger a sweary outburst over team radio. "I think I did 77 laps in traffic today, that isn't much fun…"
Rating out of ten: 7.5

Carlos Sainz called it the "perfect weekend" as he secured the 'best of the rest' tag for Toro Rosso in Monaco. The Spaniard was faultless around the iconic street circuit, lapping in the top 10 in all three practice sessions before qualifying sixth as team-mate Daniil Kvyat was knocked out in Q2.

Sainz escaped damage on the first lap after contact from Sergio Perez and was able to convert his grid slot into finishing position, showing good craft to resist late pressure from Lewis Hamilton in the final laps. The Spaniard continues to catch the eye.
Rating out of ten: 9

"The war is not over. It's a marathon not a sprint," Lewis Hamilton declared after seeing himself fall 25 points behind Vettel in the world championship battle.

Hamilton exceeded his expectations on Sunday having been told by his team that a points finish would be near on impossible and he should hope for 10th at best. It was a fine recovery drive from the three-time world champion after his qualifying woes with the decision to run a long first stint ensuring the damage to his title ambitions was limited.

But the fact is Hamilton no longer has the dominant, near bullet-proof car that has propelled his title bids the last three years. And more worryingly yet for the Briton, team-mate Bottas appears able to extract more from the W08 even when it is struggling with set-up and tyre temperature issues.

He cannot afford many more off weekends. He probably cannot afford any.
Rating out of ten: 6

Eighth at the start, eighth at the finish, the Monaco GP was a modest affair for Romain Grosjean. Saturday's result was significant in as much as it levelled the score at Haas this season in qualifying but the impression remains that Grosjean isn't currently on top form - and if he is to join Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez in being touted as a candidate for Ferrari in 2018, he needs something eye-catching soon.
Rating out of ten: 7

Monaco hasn't been a happy hunting ground for Williams for many a year and the two points Felipe Massa collected this Sunday arguably amounted to two more than they were expecting.

Ultimately, Massa's progression into the top ten was dependent on the race-ruining crashing between Sergio Perez and Daniil Kvyat but the Brazilian can take credit for making his experience count.
Rating out of ten: 7

You need some luck when you head to Monaco and Kevin Magnussen felt the F1 gods were not smiling on him this weekend. Comfortably out-qualified by team-mate Grosjean, the Dane's race was then hurt by suffering a puncture at the troublesome Turn One.

Daniil Kvyat's late retirement did though allow Magnussen to secure Haas their first double points finish and his best result in Monaco since his debut season. "Personally, I had a very disappointing race," he said. "Even though it's just one point, it could've been a lot more. I feel like I've had the most unlucky season of my life, but at least we got both cars in the points and I'm proud of the team for that."
Rating out of ten: 6.5

So near yet so far for Jolyon Palmer as he missed out on his first point of the year by just 1.3 seconds. While his race was no doubt helped by retirements in front of him, the Briton was happy with his climb of five places saying "it felt much better than P11".

But Palmer's race was once again compromised by a poor qualifying session as he was knocked out in Q1 for the fifth time in six races. Palmer was unfortunate to suffer a puncture on his first run which left it all down to one lap, but he was still seven tenths off the time needed for 15th.
Rating out of ten: 6.5

The first tough weekend for Esteban Ocon since joining Force India at the start of the season. At a track where confidence is key, the young Frenchman paid for his heavy crash in Practice Three by going out in Q1 and leaving himself with it all to do at a race where overtaking is all but impossible.

Good strategy from his team enabled Ocon to make up a couple of places through the pit-stops, but his race was compromised further when he suffered a puncture at Turn One as the track began to break up with his extra stop sending him to the back of the field.
Rating out of ten: 6

Ocon's team-mate Sergio Perez saw his 15-race run of points finishes come to an end in Monaco. The Force India driver's race was compromised early on by contact which damaged his front wing and the resulting pit-stop saw him emerge in traffic.

The Mexican did pull off the only clean on-track overtake of the day to get past Lance Stroll shortly afterwards, but his race was ruined when he hit Daniil Kvyat trying to pass the Russian following the Safety Car which forced him into a third stop.
Rating out of ten: 5

Did not finish

Well that ended badly for 'supersub' Jenson Button. The shame of Button's ignominious exit from Sunday's race, which was entirely his own doing after his "silly" move on the blameless Pascal Wehrlein, is that it overshadowed such a fabulous effort on his comeback.

Quickly up to speed, and quicker than his team-mate, Button's display was outstanding up until his crash with Wehrlein. And but for his grid penalty, demoting him from ninth to the back of the field and then a pitlane start, it could have finished in the points.
Rating out of ten: 7

A torrid weekend for Pascal Wehrlein with the one saving grace that the youngster was able to extricate himself from his crashed Sauber after it overturned at Portier. Wehrlein was entirely blameless and it would be cruel indeed if his scans later this week detect any lasting damage. In any case, these are tough times for Sauber and tough times in which to impress - although Wehrlein is doing all he can do by outqualifying team-mate Marcus Ericsson 4-0 so far this season.
Rating out of ten: 6

A weekend which had started so well and promised so much ultimately ended in anger and disappointment for Daniil Kvyat. The Toro Rosso had been well inside the top 10 in practice but a tough Saturday afternoon saw him knocked out in Q2 and out-qualified by team-mate Carlos Sainz.

The Russian was then denied a points finish when Sergio Perez caused terminal damage to his car as the pair collided when the Mexican tried to barge his way past at Rascasse in the closing stages. "It was completely desperate," Kvyat fumed afterwards. "He just tried to lean on me like it was PlayStation and it doesn't work like that."
Rating out of ten: 6

Another tough weekend for Lance Stroll as the Williams struggled around Monaco. Knocked out in Q1 once again, although car trouble was a significant factor, the teenager was on the receiving end of the only on-track overtake of Sunday's race as Perez passed him.

Stroll was forced to retire late on with brake temperature issues, but his panicked radio message asking what he had to do to warm-up his brakes under the Safety Car will do little to quell questions about whether he is ready for F1. The Canadian will hope for better at his home race in two weeks' time.
Rating out of ten: 6

It had been looking so good for Stoffel Vandoorne and McLaren as the team's decision to run a long first stint on the ultrasoft had the Belgian running comfortably in the points. But he was caught out on the restart after the Safety Car as Perez dived down the inside at Turn One and, with cold tyres and on the marbles, Vandoorne slid into the barriers.

McLaren's wait for a point goes on and they may not get a better chance this season with Honda's major engine upgrade reportedly cancelled.
Rating out of ten: 5.5

Marcus Ericsson capped off a miserable weekend for Sauber by crashing into the barriers at Sainte-Devote when trying to unlap himself under the Safety Car.
Rating out of ten: 5

Nico Hulkenberg's race never really got going as he was forced to retire on lap 15 with a "major gearbox problem". The German was running 10th at the time, having kept his position off the line.
Rating out of ten: 6

Don't miss the F1 Report: Monaco GP review as Oliver Rowland and Will Buxton join James Galloway to dissect the iconic race. Watch on Sky Sports F1 on Wednesday at 8:30pm.

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