Norris makes one-place gain after Madrid GP as Hamilton and Verstappen draw closer

The F1 Power Rankings aim to judge each driver's individual performance independently of the car at their disposal. Following every Grand Prix, a panel of five judges rates the drivers on a scale from one to 10 based on how they performed across the entire weekend. Those five marks are averaged to determine each driver's score for that event, before being added to their results from previous rounds to shape the season-long Power Rankings standings.

The Briton earned an impressive score of 9.6 in Spain, with victory the only thing missing from what had otherwise been a perfect weekend up to that point.

Norris had taken pole position and led the early stages of the race before the timing of the Virtual Safety Car worked against him, allowing his rivals to gain time through their pit stops and ultimately costing him the lead. His score nevertheless lifted his season average to 7.7, putting him firmly in contention for a place in the top three.

Max Verstappen also received a strong rating of 8.6 after securing second place, consolidating his second position in the season standings with an average score of 7.9, 0.1 points ahead of Lewis Hamilton and 0.2 clear of Norris.

Kimi Antonelli, however, remains firmly at the top of the rankings. His victory in Madrid marked his eighth win of the 2026 season and leaves him with an impressive average of 8.9, a full point clear of his nearest challenger. The same dominance is reflected in the Drivers' Championship, where Antonelli sits 81 points clear of Mercedes teammate George Russell and has now stretched his advantage over Lewis Hamilton beyond the 100-point mark.

Below the aforementioned quartet, Gasly sits fifth with a season average of 7.6, with very little separating him from the drivers immediately behind. Arvid Lindblad and George Russell are tied for sixth on 7.5, just a tenth adrift of the Frenchman. Lindblad has gained two positions following the latest round, while Russell has dropped one, leaving the pair level in an increasingly tight battle in the season-long rankings.

Liam Lawson follows closely in eighth with an average of 7.4, only a tenth behind Lindblad and Russell. Charles Leclerc occupies ninth place on 7.2, while Isack Hadjar rounds out the top 10 with a 7.0 average.