After every Grand Prix weekend, Formula 1’s Power Rankings throw up a few surprises. The Dutch Grand Prix was no different. 

From the stand-in driver putting in a spectacular performance to a veteran quietly putting in one of the best drives of the season so far.  

As the grid gears up for the upcoming Italian Grand Prix at Monza, a five-judge panel sat down to rank the drivers based on their performance at Zandvoort. 

Here are the top drivers who put in an impressive drive following Formula One’s return from the summer break, as per the power ranking list put out by Formula One on their website on August 25th. 

1. Lando Norris 

Norris, who won the Dutch Grand Prix, has been scored 9.6 on the power rankings list, making him the highest-scoring driver on the list. His weekend was off to a great start as he started the sprint in second place and crossed the line in third place. Later that day, he put in a great lap to claim pole position during qualifying for the main race. 

The reigning world champion converted the pole position into a victory to claim the second win of the season after he won the pre-break Hungarian Grand Prix. 

2. Fernando Alonso

Alonso has been scored 8.6 on the power rankings list. His Dutch Grand Prix weekend was off to a rough start, as he did not make it through not just SQ1 but even missed Q2 by a tenth despite the upgrades introduced. 

However, as the race progressed, things began to look up for the Spaniard as the strategy gamble paid off. This helped him cross the line in ninth place. 

It will be interesting to see if Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin can keep up this momentum at the Italian Grand Prix. 

3. Kimi Antonelli 

The power ranking panel has scored Antonelli an 8.2, just 0.4 short of securing second place in the standings. The No. 12 driver had a tough start to his Dutch Grand Prix weekend as he damaged the floor of his car during SQ1. Despite this, he managed to qualify in fifth place and finished the sprint in fourth. 

During qualifying for the main race, he put his car in third place and finished the race in second place, just 11.536 seconds off Lando Norris. 

4. Lewis Hamilton 

Hamilton slots in fourth place on the power rankings with a score of 8.0. He had a low-key weekend when compared to his teammate Charles Leclerc. 

The No. 44 driver claimed 7th place in both the sprint qualifying and Sprint race. During the race, tensions ran high between the Maranello-based team and the British driver ;however, he managed to recover and put his SF-26 in fourth place. 

It will be interesting to see how Hamilton and Ferrari perform at their upcoming home Grand Prix at Monza. 

5. Liam Lawson

Lawson has been ranked 7.8 on the power rankings. His weekend started with a promotion from Racing Bulls to Red Bull to fill in for the injured Isack Hadjar. He showed strong pace throughout the weekend, including the sprint, after he started and finished the race in 11th.

However, he put in an amazing performance during the main race as he finished the race in seventh after starting from eighth. He not only finished ahead of the four-time Formula One champion but also became the only Red Bull driver to score points. 

Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco