Alonso, Hamilton and Lawson shine behind the flawless winner
Max Verstappen has collected the rarest mark in the Formula 1 Power Rankings, a flawless ten out of ten, after a commanding victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
The race, run over 55 laps at the Sepang International Circuit on 4 October 2026, ended Red Bull’s long wait for a pole position and a win with its new power unit.
F1 2026: Six Drivers Still in Contention for Drivers Title
The scores, published by Formula 1 on 6 October, also elevate Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Liam Lawson, whose recoveries defined a chaotic wet-to-dry afternoon.
How the Power Rankings Work
Formula 1 assembles a panel of five judges who score every driver out of ten after each Grand Prix.
The brief is to assess the weekend performance of the driver while taking the machinery out of the equation, so a strong drive in a slower car can outscore a routine result in a faster one.
The five marks are averaged into a single race score, and those scores accumulate on a season-long leaderboard.
A Flawless Weekend for Verstappen
Verstappen and Red Bull had collected a healthy number of podiums across the first fifteen rounds of 2026 without securing pole position or a victory.
McLaren Settle for P6 and P9 in Sepang Rain Mayhem
Sepang changed that. Using recent updates to the car, the Dutchman claimed pole with a lap of 1:35.130, then managed the mixed conditions on Sunday to win in one hour, 47 minutes and 14.808 seconds.
All five judges awarded him the maximum.
Alonso and Aston Martin Find a Step Forward
Second place in the ranking went to Alonso with 9.4, and the reason was context as much as result. Aston Martin and Honda have endured a difficult first year together, yet Sepang offered the partnership its best grid slot of the campaign, twelfth.
On a day when wet and dry running demanded judgement, the two-time world champion used all of his experience to climb to eighth, worth four points.
Hamilton’s Recovery and Lawson’s Early Charge
Hamilton and Lawson shared third place on 9.0, though they arrived there by opposite routes.
Hamilton started second for Ferrari, but a decision to begin on slick tyres in damp conditions backfired, dropping him to seventeenth by the end of the first racing lap.
The seven-time world champion fought back as the track dried, producing rapid pace and a series of assured passes, and he took the final podium place by overtaking Isack Hadjar in the closing stages.
Hamilton Fights From 18th to Podium in Sepang Rain
Lawson moved the other way. On intermediate tyres he rose from eleventh to fourth in the opening laps and raced wheel to wheel with Verstappen before the drying surface eroded his advantage.
Seventh place delivered six points and strengthened Racing Bulls in their fight with Alpine for fifth in the standings.
Antonelli Extends His Championship Advantage
Kimi Antonelli placed fifth in the ranking with 8.4. Mercedes arrived with a package of updates that proved difficult to understand on a hot and demanding surface,
yet the Italian qualified fourth, inherited third on the grid when Hadjar took an engine-related penalty, and charged into the lead at the start.
He settled for second behind Verstappen, and when team mate George Russell stopped late while running strongly, Antonelli’s lead in the drivers’ championship grew to 84 points.
The Midfield: Hadjar, Lindblad and Hulkenberg
Hadjar and Lindblad tied for sixth on 7.8. Hadjar, returning from a wrist injury, had already impressed in Baku with a podium, and he qualified third before his grid penalty.
A slight loss of pace in the second half allowed both Ferraris past, leaving him fifth.
George Russell Power Unit Failure Ends Sepang Podium Bid
Lindblad’s drive was arguably the most remarkable of the weekend. The Racing Bulls rookie fitted new power unit elements, started from the very back and gained thirteen places on the first racing lap alone.
After intermediates, slicks, Safety Cars and restarts, a late move on Nico Hulkenberg secured him tenth and a point. Hulkenberg, eighth in the ranking on 7.4,
had risen from fifteenth on the grid for Audi before Lindblad and Lando Norris both passed him near the end, denying him points yet again.
Ocon and Sainz Complete the Leading Ten
Esteban Ocon and Carlos Sainz shared ninth on 7.2. Ocon, who announced before the weekend that he will leave Haas at the end of 2026, started seventeenth and surged to seventh on the opening lap,
before his team’s pace faded as conditions dried. Sainz climbed from thirteenth to sixth on the first racing lap for Williams, but Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto tipped him into a spin at Turn 2,
Hamilton Fights From 18th to Podium in Sepang Rain
which in drying conditions effectively ended his chance of scoring. Lance Stroll, Oscar Piastri and Russell, who had been on course for a podium, narrowly missed the top ten.
Why This Ranking Matters
The Power Rankings differ from the standings because they reward the quality of a drive rather than the points it earns.
Sepang demonstrated the distinction clearly, since Hamilton, Lawson, Alonso, Lindblad and Sainz all produced notable performances that the classification alone would understate.
Sources and Verification
This report draws on the official Formula 1 Power Rankings article, the official Bahrain Grand Prix race page and published race classifications. Scores match the official graphic.
