2026 Chinese GP: Driver performance rating

Drivers and teams earn points based on their finishing positions in each race, which ultimately determines their championship standings. However, these points do not always reflect their true performance.

At Racemind, we evaluate each race weekend by analyzing drivers’ performances from multiple perspectives. While there is some subjectivity in the points we assign, we aim to reach an objective assessment by considering various factors.

We also consider a driver’s performance in qualifying (and in sprint-format weekends, the sprint qualifying and sprint race) when assigning points. Each main session is graded separately on a 10-point scale. The final score is calculated as follows:

• Standard weekends: Qualifying points × 0.4 + Race points × 0.6
• Sprint weekends: Sprint qualifying × 0.1 + Sprint race × 0.2 + Qualifying × 0.3 + Race × 0.4

Driver performance highlights from the Shanghai weekend:

Oliver Berman – 8.25. The young Brit can be considered the best-performing driver after the first two races. Despite evaluating four sessions in Shanghai, he earned a high score of 8.25 after his successful performance in Australia. His fifth-place finish in yesterday’s race is his best result since finishing fourth at last year’s Mexican Grand Prix.

Pierre Gasly – 7.65. The French driver shows his experience, consistently fighting in the top ten throughout the weekend, unlike his teammate. Although his weak result in the sprint race affected his score, he still takes second place in our ranking.

Liam Lawson – 7.5. Even though he finished both qualifying sessions in 13th, he performed very well in both races, climbing up to 7th place. The fact that three of the drivers ahead of him did not finish the race does not diminish his performance.