2022 Japanese Grand Prix driver ratings

The first Japanese Grand Prix held for three years proved an especially challenging one for all the drivers. Not just the ones who had never driven a Formula 1 around the famous Suzuka circuit before, but even those familiar with the track.

With both Friday and Sunday affected by heavy rain, drivers had their skills pushed to the limits at times – especially in the race.

At the end of race full of incidents, Max Verstappen was declared world champion. But while full points were awarded, little more than half of the race’s originally scheduled 53 laps had been completed. RaceFans’ scores have been calculated in the usual way despite the curtailed race.

Lewis Hamilton – 6

Qualified: 6th (+2 places ahead of team mate)
-0.128s quicker than team mate in Q3
Finished: 5th (+3 places ahead of team mate)

• Out-qualified team mate by a tenth of a second to line up sixth on the grid behind Ocon
• Held onto sixth at the start, gaining fifth when Sainz crashed out on opening lap
• Restarted in fourth after the red flag, pitting on the second green flag lap for intermediates along with cars ahead
• Overtook Schumacher to retake fourth, then chased Ocon ahead
• Pressured Ocon for final 16 laps, but could not get by with lower top speed due to higher downforce setup
• Finished fifth, less than a second behind Ocon

George Russell – 5

• Quickest in second practice
• Disappointed to only qualify eighth, just over a tenth behind team mate
• Held onto eighth at the start, gaining one place with Sainz’s crash
• Restarted seventh but lost three seconds in double-stack pit stop for intermediates, falling to 11th place
• Complained of a recurrence of a braking problem he experienced during qualifying in SingaporePassed Tsunoda around the outside of turn six, then overtook Norris for ninth on the same lap
• Caught and passed Latifi for eighth, then gained seventh when Alonso pitted
• Lost seventh when passed by Alonso on the final lap, finishing eighth

Max Verstappen – 8

Qualified: Pole (+3 places ahead of team mate)
-0.405s quicker than team mate in Q3
Finished: Winner (+1 place ahead of team mate)

• Ahead of team mate in every session
• Fastest in final practice
• Held onto pole position despite failing to improve on final lap after losing bodywork off the car
• Almost passed by Leclerc off the line but retained lead by holding firm around the outside
• Led into the red flag, then held the lead at the restart before pitting at the end of the second green flag lap for intermediates
• Passed Schumacher to retake the lead, then gradually pulled away from Leclerc behind
• Crossed the line to win by 27 seconds from Leclerc
• Secured world championship title when Leclerc was penalised after the race

Sergio Perez – 6

Qualified: 4th (-3 places behind team mate)
+0.405s slower than team mate in Q3
Finished: 2nd (-1 place behind team mate)

• Behind team mate in every session
• Four tenths slower than team mate in qualifying, leaving him fourth on the grid
• Beat Sainz into turn one to take third place
• Restarted third and followed team mate into pits to switch to intermediates
• Overtook Schumacher to take back third place, then gradually reeled in Leclerc ahead
• Put pressure on Leclerc for the final six laps but was just beaten across the line after the Ferrari missed the final chicane
• Promoted to second at the chequered flag after Leclerc’s penalty was applied

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Carlos Sainz Jnr – 4

Qualified: 3rd (-1 place behind team mate)
+0.047s slower than team mate in Q3
Finished: Retired (Crashed – L1)

• Ahead of team mate in every practice session
• Frustrated to miss out on pole and front row start after snap of over steer exiting final corner left him third by half a tenth
• Lost one position to Perez on run to turn one to sit fourth
• Aquaplaned off the track and into the barriers through the 200R, ending his race on the opening lap
• The only driver to retire due to their own mistake

Charles Leclerc – 6

Qualified: 2nd (+1 place ahead of team mate)
-0.047s quicker than team mate in Q3
Finished: 3rd

• Behind team mate in every practice session
• Just missed out on pole by one-hundredth after being up on Verstappen until final metres
• Got better launch off the line than Verstappen to be slightly ahead approaching turn one but could not take the lead
• Sat second at the red flag and remained there after the restart
• Followed Verstappen into the pits for intermediates, then passed Schumacher to retake second place
• Could not keep up with Verstappen’s pace on intermediates, falling back into clutches of Perez behind
• Absorbed pressure from Perez until crossing the line just ahead in second after missing chicane on the final lap
• Demoted to third after post-race time penalty for leaving track and gaining an advantage

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Lando Norris – 6

Qualified: 10th (+1 place ahead of team mate)
-0.186s quicker than team mate in Q2
Finished: 10th (+1 place ahead of team mate)

• Ahead of team mate in every practice session
• Reached Q3 in eighth but was slowest in the final phase to line up tenth on the grid
• Lost two places at the start, then two more when pushed wide at the hairpin by Stroll
• Sat in 13th under the red flag, then held position at the restart before pitting at the end of first green flag lap for intermediates
• Used superior grip of intermediates to move up to ninth place, then passed by Russell
• Remained ahead of team mate to take final point in ninth

Daniel Ricciardo – 5

Qualified: 11th (-1 place behind team mate)
+0.186s slower than team mate in Q2
Finished: 11th (-1 place behind team mate)

• Received same raft of upgrades that team mate had enjoyed the previous round
• Behind team mate in every practice session
• Easily progressed to Q2 but missed out on Q3 berth by three-thousandths of a second
• Started 11th, gaining three places on the opening lap to move into eighth under the red flag
• Held eighth at restart, then pitted for intermediates one lap later than most cars ahead of him, falling to 13th place
• Gained two places when Stroll and Tsunoda pitted for second set of intermediates
• Finished 11th just behind team mate, holding off Stroll over final laps

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Fernando Alonso – 6

Qualified: 7th (-2 places behind team mate)
+0.157s slower than team mate in Q3
Finished: 7th (-3 places behind team mate)

• Ahead of team mate in every practice session
• Progressed to Q3 in second place, beating Russell’s Mercedes to take seventh on the grid behind team mate
• Held position on the opening lap, gaining one place when Sainz crashed
• Restarted in sixth place but stayed out one lap longer than cars around him before pitting for intermediates
• Dropped to seventh behind Vettel and spent many laps putting the Aston Martin under pressure
• Took a risk to pit for a second set of intermediates with less than ten minutes remaining, dropping to ninth
• Overtook Latifi and then Russell on the final lap to catch Vettel by the final sector
• Denied sixth position by one-hundredth of a second on run to the line

Esteban Ocon – 8

Qualified: 5th (+2 places ahead of team mate)
-0.157s quicker than team mate in Q3
Finished: 4th (+3 places ahead of team mate)

• Behind team mate in every practice session
• Qualified ‘best of the rest’ in fifth, ahead of both Mercedes and team mate
• Held fifth at the start, gaining fourth with Sainz’s crash before red flag
• Remained fourth after restart, then followed cars ahead into pits to switch to intermediates
• Overtook Schumacher to move back into fourth place, then faced sustained pressure from Hamilton behind
• Fought hard to keep Hamilton at bay, beating the Mercedes to fourth by less than a second

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Pierre Gasly – 3

Qualified: 17th (-4 places behind team mate)
Started: 20th (-7 places behind team mate)
+0.192s slower than team mate in Q1
Finished: 18th (-4 places behind team mate)

• Changed left-front brake disc ahead of qualifying and struggled with erratic braking, leaving him out of Q1 in 17th
• Relegated to a pit lane start after team changed rear wing before race
• Struck an advertising hoarding dislodged by Sainz’s crash on opening lap, leaving him with front wing damage
• Pitted for a new front wing and was horrified to pass a crane on track as he tried to catch up to the train
• Restarted 18th and last, pitting for intermediates at the end of the second green flag lap
• Ran 16th under pressure from Zhou behind before pitting for second set of intermediates
• Undercut by Zhou but passed Schumacher to move up to 17th at the finish
• Handed a 20 second post-race time penalty for driving at over 250km/h along back straight after red flag, dropping him to last

Yuki Tsunoda – 6

Qualified: 13th (+4 places ahead of team mate)
Started: 13th (+7 places ahead of team mate)
-0.192s quicker than team mate in Q1
Finished: 13th (+4 places ahead of team mate)

• Comfortably progressed into Q2 but was eliminated in 13th after struggling with brakes
• Gained four places on the opening lap to sit in ninth position under the red flag
• Pitted for intermediates at the end of the second green flag lap, falling to tenth, then lost a place to Russell
• Opted to pit for a second set of intermediates and dropped to 16th
• Passed Schumacher and then Bottas and Magnussen on the same lap to take 13th but would ultimately finish there

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Sebastian Vettel – 7

Qualified: 9th (+10 places ahead of team mate)
Started: 9th (+9 places ahead of team mate)
-0.163s quicker than team mate in Q1
Finished: 6th (+6 places ahead of team mate)

• Final driver to reach Q2, then only just squeezed into Q3 for first time since Baku to line up ninth on the grid
• Decent start gained him a place over Russell, but spin at turn one after appearing to turn into Alonso alongside him could have ended his race
• Fell to last but used lack of spray to catch up to field by the hairpin, gaining a place with Zhou’s spin
• Restarted 16th after red flag but pitted for intermediates as green flag was shown
• Gained ten places as those ahead pitted to sit in sixth position ahead of Alonso
• Was relieved of pressure when Alonso pitted until he was caught by the Alpine on final lap
• Only just held off Alonso by one-hundredth of a second at the line to match best result of the season with sixth

Lance Stroll – 5

Qualified: 19th (-10 places behind team mate)
Started: 18th (-9 places behind team mate)
+0.163s slower than team mate in Q1
Finished: 12th (-6 places behind team mate)

• Eliminated 19th in Q1 after locking up into the hairpin on final times lap
• Gained three places off the line by smartly using patch of dry track by the pit wall, then passed Albon and pushed Norris wide at the hairpin
• Restarted in 11th place after red flag but lost a position to Magnussen into Degner 1
• Pitted for wets to run in 12th between Russell and Ricciardo
• Took a second set of intermediates on lap 19, falling to 16th
• Passed Schumacher, Bottas and Magnussen to move back up to 12th, where he would finish

Nicholas Latifi – 6

• Appeared to mistake a connecting road at the chicane as the track in first practice in bizarre incident
• Qualified slowest of the field in Q1 to line up 20th, but gained one place with Gasly starting from the pit lane
• Got a decent start off the line to gain two positions on opening lap, sitting 15th under red flag
• Immediately pitted for intermediates as race restarted, jumping from 15th to eighth after all cars had pitted
• Lost a position to Russell, then re-passed by Alonso after the Alpine fitted new intermediates
• Held off Norris over final laps to finish ninth and secure first points of the season

Alexander Albon – 4

Qualified: 16th (+4 places ahead of team mate)
Started: 16th (+3 places ahead of team mate)
-0.2s quicker than team mate in Q1
Finished: Retired (Crash damage – L1)

• Only just missed out on progressing through Q1, leaving him 16th on the grid
• Great getaway off the line helped him move up three places, but was unfortunate to clash with Magnussen in the poor visibility at Dunlop
• Suffered radiator damage that forced him to pull off into retirement
• Described conditions as “the worst I’ve ever experienced in my career”

Valtteri Bottas – 5

Qualified: 12th (+2 places ahead of team mate)
-0.244s quicker than team mate in Q2
Finished: 15th (+1 place ahead of team mate)

• Ahead of team mate in every practice session
• Eliminated from Q2 to line up 12th on the grid
• Poor getaway saw him drop five places off the line, eventually gaining 14th when Albon and Sainz retired
• Restarted in 14th, but felt the conditions were not safe to resume racing
• Pitted for intermediates at the end of the first green flag lap then was passed by Magnussen
• Ran behind Magnussen for the rest of the race, unable to get by, eventually finishing 15th

Zhou Guanyu – 4

Qualified: 14th (-2 places behind team mate)
+0.244s slower than team mate in Q2
Finished: 16th (-1 place behind team mate)

• Behind team mate in every practice session as he learned Suzuka for the first time
• Reached Q2 but was knocked out in 14th, two tenths slower than team mate
• Swamped by cars behind off the line, falling five places before turn one, then spun at hairpin trying to pass Latifi
• Sat 17th under red flag, then gambled on rain increasing after restart, staying out longer than most of the field on wets
• Eventually pitted for intermediates at end of lap nine, falling to last before gaining one place when Schumacher pitted
• Was first driver to fit a second set of intermediates, using them to jump Gasly and pass Schumacher to finish 16th
• Set the fastest lap of the race

Mick Schumacher – 4

Qualified: 15th (+3 places ahead of team mate)
-0.2s quicker than team mate in Q1
Started: 15th (+2 places ahead of team mate)
Finished: 17th (-3 places behind team mate)

• Crashed after the end of opening practice, missing second session as a result
• Progressed into Q2 but could not match fastest Q1 time, qualifying in 15th
• Gained five places on the opening lap to sit tenth during red flag
• Held position at the restart, then gambled for a Safety Car by staying out on wet tyres as others pitted
• Led a lap for the first time in his career but dropped down the order while cars on inters overtook him
• Eventually became final driver to switch to intermediates, dropping him to last place
• Gained places when drivers ahead pitted for second sets of intermediates but was passed by all of them to finish last
• Moved ahead of Gasly in final classification after his post-race penalty

Kevin Magnussen – 5

Qualified: 18th (-3 places behind team mate)
+0.2s slower than team mate in Q1
Started: 17th (-2 places behind team mate)
Finished: 14th (+3 places ahead of team mate)

• Ahead of team mate in both practice sessions the pair participated in
• Bemused to be eliminated 18th in Q1 despite feeling his fastest lap was decent
• Gained two places in opening corners, before clashing with Albon in the spray at Dunlop to end up 12th by end of first lap
• Restarted 12th, passing Stroll into Degner to take 11th before pitting for intermediates on lap seven
• Overtook Bottas to move into 14th, then remained under pressure from the Alfa Romeo
• Gained two paces when Stroll and Tsunoda pitted, but was overtaken by both to finish in 14th

Over to you

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2022 Japanese Grand Prix

• From F1 to Formula Ford, 2022 was the year of the championship anti-climax
• Suzuka points confusion didn’t take shine off title win – Verstappen
• FIA to publish findings of inquiry into use of crane during Japanese GP
• Does F1 only need slicks and wets? The case for dropping intermediate tyres
• Hamilton’s work ethic “has not changed at all” in face of difficult 2022 campaign