Canadian GP driver ratings: Is George Russell now F1’s top driver in 2025?

George Russell - 10

George Russell produced perfection at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve to give Mercedes their first F1 win since Las Vegas. When will Toto Wolff give him a well-deserved contract extension?

Max Verstappen - 9

It was a defensive drive from Max Verstappen due to Red Bull’s poor tyre degradation. Verstappen was the first to pit both times in terms of the leading pack, resulting in a chain reaction. Verstappen hung on to second as Kimi Antonelli was occupied by the two McLarens.

Kimi Antonelli - 8

After struggling in practice, Antonelli composed himself and delivered a good lap to secure fourth on the grid. He positioned himself beautifully on Lap 1 to get ahead of Oscar Piastri.

Oscar Piastri - 7.5

This weekend was probably Piastri’s weakest of the season so far. He struggled in practice but recovered when it mattered in the qualifying to beat teammate Lando Norris. McLaren’s usual race pace advantage wasn’t as apparent, and he couldn’t make any progress after losing out to Antonelli on Lap 1. 

Charles Leclerc - 7.5

By Charles Leclerc’s high standards, Montreal was a messy weekend. His FP1 crash put him and Ferrari on the back foot for the rest of the weekend. He was on course for a top-four starting position after setting a blistering first sector but ran wide at the start of the second sector. Even though he blamed traffic, it was his fault. Leclerc fared better in the race, but Ferrari were clearly the fourth-best team this weekend.

Lewis Hamilton - 7.5

Lewis Hamilton’s misfortune continues. The seven-time world champion was in the hunt for a top five finish, but his race was ruined after he sustained damage for running over a groundhog,

Fernando Alonso - 9

Fernando Alonso enjoyed another mighty weekend for Aston Martin. He was qualified sixth, ahead of Norris and Leclerc. While he couldn’t sustain that in the race, he came away with a big points finish.

Nico Hulkenberg - 9

Nico Hulkenberg scored points again for Sauber. He used his experience on the opening lap to get by Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto. A solid race in the upgraded C45 earned him eighth place.

Esteban Ocon - 8

While Esteban Ocon is struggling over one lap for Haas, his Sunday drives have been impressive. A long first stint on the hards ensured he came back out inside the top 10. This was a solid race day performance from the Frenchman.

Carlos Sainz - 7

Like Ocon, Sainz went long on the hards. Clean air gave him the perfect opportunity to utilise the pace of the Williams package. Sainz feels he could have finished higher had it not been for being impeded in qualifying by Isack Hadjar.

Ollie Bearman - 6.5

There’s no doubting Ollie Bearman’s outright speed as he beat teammate Ocon in qualifying. However, his race pace and execution are still lacking, with a number of errors during the 70-lap race.

Yuki Tsunoda - 5

The Canadian GP was another disappointing outing for Yuki Tsunoda at Red Bull. He was unable to make Q3 again and was hit with a 10-place grid penalty for a red flag infraction. This was probably harsh, but it ruined his chances on race day.

Franco Colapinto - 7

Franco Colapinto enjoyed a welcome return to form in Montreal, narrowly missing out on a spot in Q3. He and Alpine didn’t have the pace to challenge for a top-10 finish, but that should take the pressure off him somewhat.

Gabriel Bortoleto - 6

Gabriel Bortoleto was a step behind teammate Hulkenberg in terms of pace. He spent most of the race stuck in the long midfield train.

Pierre Gasly - 6

It was a poor weekend for Pierre Gasly as he was out-qualified and out-paced by less experienced teammate Colapinto.

Isack Hadjar - 6.5

After qualifying inside the top 10, Hadjar was handed a three-place grid penalty for impeding Sainz. The pit wall is to blame, as Hadjar was told Sainz aborted his hot lap. Hadjar struggled for pace in the race and finished well down the order.

Lance Stroll - 5.5

A home race to forget for Lance Stroll. He was off the pace and endured an underwhelming weekend overall.

Lando Norris - 3

Heading into qualifying, Norris looked the clear favourite to take pole. However, a mistake into the final chicane knocked his confidence. Norris made another mistake on his second Q3 lap, leaving him sixth on the grid. Norris’ race pace seemed strong, arguably better than Piastri’s. He threw it away with an amateur piece of driving as he ran into the back of Piastri’s McLaren.

Liam Lawson - 5

A difficult weekend for Lawson. He was slow in qualifying, and he started from the pit lane after a change to his power unit. He retired from the race due to a technical issue.

Alex Albon - 6.5

It was a frustrating weekend for Alex Albon in Canada. He was nursing a power unit issue after losing a couple of places on lap due to a scrap with Colapinto. Albon was frustrated over team radio as he was put on a one-stop strategy and left in no man’s land.