Max Verstappen may have conquered all in 2023 but there were plenty of other F1 drivers who starred this year, as Mirror Sportgives a final verdict on how Lewis Hamilton and co got on

Max Verstappen. One name pretty much sums up the entire 2023 Formula 1 season – it was the year he completed the most dominant campaign the sport has ever seen.

But regardless of how the Dutchman made it look at times, there were 19 other racers out there on track with him. And plenty of them had seasons to remember too, for reasons good and bad.

The fight behind Red Bull was the closest it’s been in a long time with usual suspects Mercedes and Ferrari joined by Aston Martin and McLaren in the hunt for second place. Having half the grid punching for glory bodes well for the sport’s future.

It also made it incredibly difficult for those further back to score points, even when they were performing well. So there are plenty of drivers who put in a lot of effort and had lots of good races for which they have nothing tangible to show.

How did your favourite drivers get on over the course of the season? Mirror Sport has been keeping a close eye all year, and here’s what we think… to be clear, the ratings are based on how we think the drivers did with the tools they had at their disposal. If it’s ratings of the teams you’re after, we’ve already taken care of that.

Max Verstappen – Red Bull – 9.9/10

Let’s get the easy one out of the way, shall we? The only man to truly get the full potential out of his car, Verstappen had it ridiculously easy but produced a historically dominant season that, despite the disappointing lack of competition, we were privileged to witness. Only misses out on a perfect score because, technically, he still has room to improve having not won three of the 22 races. I bet he’s fuming.

Sergio Perez – Red Bull – 5.5/10

Seems like a harsh score considering he was second in the championship, but Perez had the best car on the grid by miles and so that was the absolute minimum requirement. He made it look very difficult at times and completely lost his way from the moment Verstappen broke his spirit by winning in Miami from ninth on the grid. The Mexican remains his own biggest enemy and, if he can’t rediscover his best form next year, it’s not difficult to imagine Red Bull replacing him if they feel it’s necessary.

Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes – 8.5/10

Lewis Hamilton is happy to wave goodbye to the 2023 season ( Image: Getty Images)

Mercedes had a temperamental, horrible car to drive which meant a lot of the talk around Hamilton and his team was doom and gloom. But despite all that the seven-time world champion finished as best of the rest behind the Red Bulls and was still in the fight for second place with Perez much later than he should have been. His end to the season, however, after he appeared to have given up a little, was a let-down.

George Russell – Mercedes – 6/10

To his credit, Russell is the first to hold his hands up and admit he didn’t have a great year. He outscored Hamilton by 35 points in their first season together but the consistency that made that possible completely deserted him this term. Was he trying too hard at times? Possibly. The true test will come if/when Mercedes provide the two Brits with a car capable of challenging for the title. Then, it’ll be a case of sitting back and watching as the fireworks ensue…

Charles Leclerc – Ferrari – 8.5/10

This might have been Leclerc’s best year in F1 to date. Yes, he finished second last season and was only fifth this term, but he just looked a much more well-rounded driver than he did 12 months ago, particularly in the latter half of the campaign. Questions remain over whether he can hack the heat of a title race that goes the distance, but a series of mature drives this year despite a general lack of race pace in that Ferrari bodes well for his future.

Carlos Sainz – Ferrari – 8.5/10

Carlos Sainz denied Red Bull a perfect year by winning in Singapore ( Image: Getty Images)

The only man not driving a Red Bull to win a race this season, thanks to some brilliant quick-thinking in the latter stages of the Singapore race. There was little to split the Ferrari drivers all year so it seems fair to give them the same score. Leclerc finished ahead but only because Sainz endured a barely-believable amount of bad luck across the final two weekends. Both will surely get new deals if they want them – Ferrari’s problems lie elsewhere.

Lando Norris – McLaren – 9/10

Norris was scoring points even in the early rounds of the season when his car was, to be blunt, awful. And as soon as McLaren gave him a machine more befitting his ability he adapted immediately. The Brit ended the season disappointed with his qualifying results but surely thrilled that his team seems to be on the right path to giving him the chance to achieve his ultimate F1 goals, while he has rarely let the side down. Norris still has two years left on his current deal but McLaren should get a new deal done as quickly as possible.

Oscar Piastri – McLaren – 8/10

Undoubtedly rookie of the year and a fantastic talent. The high-profile switch to McLaren from Alpine was very messy and added extra pressure on the Aussie, but it was like water off a duck’s back for a young man who had shone in the junior series. Comprehensively beaten by Norris in the intra-team rivalry but, still, Piastri produced the best F1 rookie season since a certain Mr. Hamilton. McLaren may not have to hire a new driver for the next decade with these two on board.

Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin – 9/10

Fernando Alonso’s podium heroics were a true highlight of the 2023 season ( Image: HOCH ZWEI/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)

If he was British, Alonso would surely be a strong contender for BBC Sports Personality of the Year. He’s 42 years young and driving with the enthusiasm of someone half his age – but boosted by all the experience he has picked up over the last two decades. While his team-mate struggled to perform, the Spaniard led the Aston Martin charge with eight podiums and failed to score in only one of the 20 races he finished. A first F1 race win for a decade was the only thing missing in an outstanding year for the sport’s revitalised elder statesman.

Lance Stroll – Aston Martin – 5.5/10

The frustrating thing is, Stroll proved in flashes this season that he genuinely does have the talent required of someone in his position. Accusations that he’s not good enough to be on the grid are unfair, though it is probably accurate to say that he would most likely have been axed by now if his dad was not financing his career. If the Canadian can take his end-of-season form into the next campaign, he’ll be well on his way to finally proving the doubters wrong – but there are still a lot of them.

Pierre Gasly – Alpine – 7/10

Alpine have a lot of problems at boardroom level and in the engine department, but they at least have a very solid-looking driver line-up. Credit to Gasly for adapting well to life away from the Red Bull umbrella and producing a very solid first season for an Alpine squad that looks painfully mid-table. Much was made of the rivalry between Gasly and Ocon at the start of the year but, for the most part, they played nice and the former will be pleased to have beaten his new team-mate by four points.

Esteban Ocon – Alpine – 7/10

Esteban Ocon is still smiling despite difficulties within Alpine at the moment ( Image: Hasan Bratic/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)

Ocon, meanwhile, will argue that the reason he came off second-best in that duel is because he suffered a lot of bad luck this year – and he did, to be fair. A handful of points between them, 11th and 12th in the standings, one podium each – the two Alpine drivers basically had the same season so get the same mark. Their chances of moving closer to the front of the field will depend on factors outside of their control, not least whether or not the Renault board can go five minutes without interfering in the team’s affairs.

Alex Albon – Williams – 9/10

Albon carried Williams to their best constructors’ championship finish since 2017 almost single-handedly and truly cemented his place on the F1 grid once and for all. More than that, he has turned heads at some of the biggest teams on the grid and could play a major role in 2024 ‘silly season’. One of the outstanding performers of the year and you’ll struggle to find anyone in the paddock with a bad word to say about him.

Logan Sargeant – Williams – 4.5/10

Sargeant has been given a second season in F1 to prove his talent, which seems fair given he was thrust into the sport before he was ready. James Vowles saw enough progress from the American to keep him around. The circumstances mean Sargeant gets a free pass for this term and Williams still got seventh in the championship without much input from him, but he’ll have to start scoring more in his sophomore season if he is to earn a third.

Yuki Tsunoda – AlphaTauri – 7/10

Yuki Tsunoda is making progress, but is it coming quickly enough? ( Image: Getty Images)

It was an inconsistent year for Tsunoda but one in which he began to show his true talents. Eyebrows were raised when he was re-signed for a third season but he showed why with an excellent start to the campaign. The Japanese got a little lost in the middle of the year but ended strongly with 14 points from the last five races to lead AlphaTauri’s late charge up the table. The speed is there but, with his biggest supporter Franz Tost now departed, 2024 looks set to be make-or-break for his F1 career.

Daniel Ricciardo – AlphaTauri – 6.5/10

Ricciardo starts a run of three drivers who represented AlphaTauri but did not take part in the whole season. Just one points finish across the seven races in which he featured is not a glowing statistic, but seventh in Mexico was the team’s best result of the year. His experience no doubt played a key role in the team’s end-of-season surge, but he’ll need to do more next year if he’s serious about his desire to return to Red Bull.

Liam Lawson – AlphaTauri – 7/10

Lawson’s first taste of competitive F1 action was a five-race cameo deputising for Ricciardo while he recovered from hand surgery, and the New Zealander did not disappoint. A stellar drive to ninth in Singapore was the undoubted highlight but at no point did the 21-year-old even come close to letting himself down. It’s now surely a matter of when rather than if the talented Kiwi will land a full-time race seat, but for now he remains a capable reserve for both Red Bull teams.

Nyck de Vries – AlphaTauri – 3/10

De Vries is a Formula 2 and Formula E champion, but his big break in F1 just didn’t work. He earned his seat off the back of a terrific one-race cameo for Williams last year but he just didn’t get going at AlphaTauri. It took 10 pointless races for Red Bull to swing the axe and the Dutchman will race in both FE and the World Endurance Championship next year. Turning 29 in February, it’s hard to envisage ‘Quick Nyck’ getting another F1 chance now.

Valtteri Bottas – Alfa Romeo – 5.5/10

The future is unclear for Valtteri Bottas and his Sauber team ( Image: HOCH ZWEI/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)

Bottas is one of the most likeable people on the grid and seems to be happier than ever away from the Mercedes pressure cooker. But is he too relaxed? It may be a little unfair to question whether F1 remains his absolute priority but, regardless of whether it is, it’s nice to see the Finn enjoying life. His team is in limbo over the next two years until it becomes the Audi works squad, and their experienced driver seems to be at something of a career crossroads.

Zhou Guanyu – Alfa Romeo – 5/10

We’ve seen flashes of a very good racer within Zhou over the last two year, but sadly those demonstrations have been too few and far between. He and Bottas were hampered this year by an Alfa Romeo car that was not great, while the competition for points places meant that, even when they were performing quite well, it still wasn’t enough to reach the top 10. China’s first F1 driver keeps his place for 2024, but more will be needed from him if he is to secure a long-term future on the grid.

Nico Hulkenberg – Haas – 6.5/10

Haas made a huge call by axing Mick Schumacher to bring in his compatriot, but hindsight suggests it was a good one. Hulkenberg’s return to the grid after several years away was one of the few bright spots in a dismal year for Guenther Steiner’s squad. Strong one-lap pace meant he regularly qualified well, but could convert points only twice because the car was just so slow on race day. The nine points he earned was not a fair reflection of his efforts this year.

Kevin Magnussen – Haas – 4.5/10

Magnussen struggled more than his new team-mate despite being far more used to being at Haas. Of all the drivers who took part in the whole season, only Sargeant scored fewer points than the Dane who didn’t once finish higher than 10th. Steiner values his experience and we know the talent is there, but another season like this one for K-Mag might be fatal to his F1 career.