Edd Straw's 2026 Belgian Grand Prix F1 driver rankings - The Race

What the report says

The Race published Edd Straw’s driver-performance rankings from Formula 1’s 2026 Belgian Grand Prix, framing the weekend as one in which the overall standard was strong and relatively small errors had a large effect on evaluations. Straw’s system ranks all 22 drivers by weekend performance rather than race result, weighing pace, racecraft, consistency, mistakes, qualifying as part of the race weekend, car potential and factors outside a driver’s control.

In the portion of the article provided, the leading assessments include Max Verstappen, who started second and finished third for Red Bull, with Straw arguing he positioned himself for second despite not having the second-fastest car. The race winner, identified through the text as George Russell’s Mercedes team-mate, was praised for controlling the weekend and recovering from a Virtual Safety Car setback before passing Charles Leclerc. Leclerc, who finished second, was credited for a strong Ferrari performance but marked down for contact with Oscar Piastri’s McLaren.

Other highlighted drives included a McLaren driver who started 13th and finished seventh after a grid penalty, Gabriel Bortoleto’s eighth-place result for Audi, and an Alpine driver who took the final point after a close midfield fight. A Red Bull driver starting 21st and finishing sixth was also credited with strong pace and a useful qualifying tow for Verstappen, though Straw noted the recovery was shaped by the penalty context.

The rankings matter because they separate driver execution from the official finishing order. The Race’s visible text repeatedly notes how grid penalties, Virtual Safety Car timing, equipment differences and pit delays changed outcomes across the field.