Ratings after Bahrain | Hamilton and Verstappen come from a different planet

The Formula 1 season has finally started again and what a race. The Bahrain Grand Prix was a true spectacle, and not in the least because of the drivers. Which drivers were the best, and who fell through the cracks? These are the ratings of GPblog.

Hamilton: 10

Lewis Hamilton showed once again that he can race. In probably an inferior car to Verstappen, Hamilton still kept the Dutchman behind and showed some great racing.

Verstappen: 10

Max Verstappen and Hamilton both proved to be from a different planet on Sunday. There's no one who comes close to them at the moment. Verstappen drove a phenomenal lap in Q3 and was almost faultless in the race. That he loses the race due to strategy cannot be blamed on him.

Bottas: 6

A pass for Valtteri Bottas as his role ensured Mercedes could make strategic choices. Where Sergio Perez was not upfront, Bottas was the ideal second fiddle. It really won't be more than that this year.

Norris: 9

A strong performance from Lando Norris who must have been shocked on Saturday that Ricciardo was able to beat him in his first qualifying session for McLaren. That promises something for the rest of the season.

Perez: 6

Sergio Perez had a tough time in Q2 with a narrow exit and a problem on the warm-up lap, but he recovered with a good race. However, the Mexican cannot afford to be slower than Pierre Gasly on the same tyre more often than not on Saturday. This was his first race weekend, but Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen will need him badly upfront, and that starts on Saturday.

Leclerc: 9

Charles Leclerc again looked to squeeze more out of the Ferrari than was possible and makes for a unique duel with McLaren.

Ricciardo: 8

Daniel Ricciardo had a strong opening weekend for McLaren. That he was faster than Norris on Saturday says enough about his qualities. Now he has to get used to the car and he will probably become the leader of the Woking team.

Sainz: 7.5

Carlos Sainz hasn't really come close to Leclerc all weekend. No surprise on his first race weekend for Ferrari, but he'll need to creep closer quickly if he's not to be marked as the second driver very early on.

Tsunoda: 8

Great debut for Yuki Tsunoda who, unlike the other Rookies, managed to impress in the right way. We're going to be hearing a lot from him this season.

Stroll: 7.5

Credit where credit is due. Stroll had a strong weekend and was the leader of Aston Martin. One wonders how high Sergio Perez would have finished with this car though.

Raikkonen: 7

A strong start for the Alfa Romeo boys. Just no points for Kimi Raikkonen, but a strong race and he finished ahead of his teammate once again.

Giovinazzi: 7

Antonio Giovinazzi had a strong qualifying but had to let his teammate pass him in the race. A good performance for the Italian, but with this car, points seem to be achievable.

Ocon: 5.5

Esteban Ocon had some extenuating circumstances in qualifying, but when you get beaten like this by a man who has been out of Formula 1 for two years, you have to start thinking seriously...

Russell: 8

A good weekend for George Russell, but even in 2021, he will struggle to finish in the points with Williams. He's certain to be congratulated for this kind of performance.

Vettel: 4

'Why is he changing lines?' It says enough about the state of Sebastian Vettel, who is just continuing his series of disasters from Ferrari at Aston Martin. Is the German in the right state of mind?

Schumacher: 5.5

The spin at the start of the race was nasty, but unlike his teammate, he kept his car in one piece and was able to continue the race. It didn't matter much though, as Haas has by far the worst car on the grid.

Gasly: 3

Pierre Gasly squandered a unique opportunity for good points with a mistake in the first few laps. Christian Horner has said before that Gasly has too many 'dips' and this was another one of them. A moment's lapse in concentration and he was on top of Daniel Ricciardo. As the only midfielder in the top ten who could start on mediums, so much could have been possible when calm and quiet.

Latifi: 5

Nicholas Latifi was invisible and dominated by his teammate again on Saturday. He's bringing money to Williams, but performance is likely to be lacking again this year.

Alonso: 8.5

It's a shame for Fernando Alonso that his comeback ended in the pit lane, but it was great to see the battling Spaniard back in Formula 1. He fought for every meter and made it with a limited car difficult for any opponent. That was in stark contrast to his teammate.

Mazepin: 1

As mentioned above, Mick Schumacher was lucky to keep his car out of the wall, but it's typical that Nikita Mazepin failed to do so. Always a bit wild in his actions, and now a bit too quick on the gas on the first lap. Just too much risk during your debut in Formula 1.