Autosport’s evaluations of drivers have been ongoing for many decades, with the task of assigning a score out of 10 to competitors having been handled by numerous respected writers and journalists over the years.
Given that introductory remark, you might be pondering, “So, why are you responsible for them now?” And that’s a perfectly reasonable question…
Since the driver rankings became accessible online, readers have also had the opportunity to submit their own scores, leading to considerable discussion about the scoring criteria, whether a particular error should negatively impact a driver, and the fairness of assessing a driver who did not start the race on the final standings.
Ultimately, it is a) a form of entertainment, and b) a subjective assessment; my scores will never perfectly align with everyone else’s opinions. This difference is already evident in the average scores from the initial three races; based on the rankings from Melbourne to Suzuka, readers have placed Kimi Antonelli, Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, Pierre Gasly, and Ollie Bearman in their top five, with George Russell trailing the Haas driver by just 0.01 points. This probably accounts for the varying ways different Autosport readers interpret the overall scores, but what’s particularly noteworthy is that the driver ranked fourth by readers is my personal number one.
Overall, Gasly has received my highest mean score of 8.67, while the readership has given Gasly an average of 7.69. Am I being overly generous, or does this indicate that the Frenchman’s displays have been undervalued? Both arguments could likely be made, but since we’re here, perhaps it’s appropriate to acknowledge Gasly’s contributions and understand why he has been such an outstanding performer this season—and indeed, throughout his career in F1.
After two years largely struggling at the back in non-competitive Alpine machinery, it is enormously beneficial that Gasly now possesses a car capable of showcasing his true worth. Even when burdened by cars that only rarely secured points, the Rouen-born racer managed to extract some remarkable, often unnoticed, performances that he considered among his finest.
Consider 2024, for instance: the season when Alpine’s heavy car began to flourish late in the year with a consistent flow of upgrades. Although Gasly finished third in Brazil, joining former teammate Esteban Ocon on the podium to salvage the team’s uninspired (literally, given its bland livery) season, this was not what he personally selected as his season highlight.
Gasly got his sole 2024 podium in Brazil – but did not count this as his best race of the year
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Instead, Gasly considered his 12th-place finish in Baku that year his finest performance. “Absolutely no one noticed it, and it was likely my best race of the year,” he shared. “That’s Formula 1, and sometimes it’s frustrating because I finished that race, and I don’t believe anyone could have completed a better lap than I did for 50 consecutive laps there.
“I was satisfied, and yet I thought, ‘damn, I’m heading home with absolutely no points, 30 seconds off the top 10.’ It’s quite challenging to find gratification in that. But, ultimately, I always tried to approach it with the same mindset and extract the maximum from what I had.”
This has been the essence of Gasly’s performances over the last couple of seasons: discovering satisfaction and, crucially, motivation in outcomes that might appear disheartening on paper. This approach has not been complacent but pragmatic; occasionally, finishing 12th carries the same weight as a race victory, demanding an equivalent degree of effort and determination to achieve. It is easy to overlook this, especially when considering the intense competitiveness of the championship.
This year, Gasly has delivered exceptional drives in China and Japan. A fifth-place finish could have been within reach in Shanghai, had a loss of boost pressure at the restart not caused the Alpine driver to lose position to Bearman and Nico Hulkenberg.
Nonetheless, his seventh-place finish in Japan was impeccable, and he skillfully managed every bit of pressure from Max Verstappen throughout the latter half of the event. Australia was also quietly impressive, even though Alpine had misjudged the setup and deployment—though they swiftly identified their errors during the grand prix itself.
“I mean, it’s not every single weekend I get the opportunity to compete with a four-time world champion,” Gasly reflected after Suzuka. “I’m pleased to be in a position to do so against him.
“I definitely enjoyed the race, because it introduces that additional pressure when there’s more on the line, depending on who you’re battling, and I know I perform at my best in these types of races. I’m very content; the pace was strong, and as I mentioned, we were considerably faster than any other car in the midfield.
“And the safety car didn’t even truly work in our favor – because I had a lead of about three or four seconds over Max, but it simply made it more thrilling.”
Gasly held off Max Verstappen throughout the Japanese Grand Prix
Photo by: Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images
Much of Gasly’s professional journey has been overshadowed by his challenging stint at Red Bull in 2019. Naturally, the 2026 assessments are not influenced by past outcomes. However, concerning the broader perception of drivers, their prior experiences often frame how they are viewed. The comparison between Gasly and Verstappen from that particular season seems somewhat unjust to Gasly, seven years on.
Indeed, Gasly transitioned from Toro Rosso to Red Bull at a similar stage in his career as Isack Hadjar has recently, but we are comparing two very distinct drivers with differing mindsets—and, crucially, in completely different scenarios. When Gasly joined, Verstappen had already solidified his position within the team and was comfortable with the RB15’s unpredictable rear end; Gasly, only familiar with the more forgiving Toro Rossos of that era, couldn’t quite master it. Hadjar, conversely, has a car that allows him to reach a similar performance level to Verstappen… for better or for worse.
But it is a testament to Gasly’s skill and resolve that, upon returning to the Italian team, he achieved a podium finish in Brazil and then secured his maiden race victory in the subsequent season at Monza. One must also recall the immense emotional strain placed on Gasly by the tragic death of Anthoine Hubert, his close friend who perished in an F2 race during the same Spa weekend where Gasly made his Toro Rosso comeback. His resilience in navigating two such harrowing situations merits recognition.
The move to Alpine was intended to be Gasly’s pathway back into the sport’s elite, but the team’s internal instability has further impeded his progress. Nevertheless, the situation appears to be settling; Alpine no longer suffers a power disadvantage after adopting Mercedes powertrains, and Gasly’s pragmatic approach over the past two seasons seems to be yielding positive returns.
By maintaining his motivation, he has been well-positioned to leverage a car that clearly ranks among the top midfield contenders, alongside Haas; in terms of sheer speed, the Alpine is likely the stronger vehicle. The A526 does have some weaknesses concerning front-end stability, particularly at high speeds, but Gasly believes that addressing these issues could place Alpine in a position to start challenging the top three teams.
“It won’t happen within the next month, but I’d like to see us after the summer break becoming more competitive within that group, with McLaren and Ferrari,” he commented. “I think right now the gap is still too significant for me to genuinely participate in that battle. Seven seconds over 28 laps, you’re looking at three or four tenths…”
Given that Gasly has not made a single misstep all year and has extracted the maximum from his car, I am confident in my ratings thus far—I truly believe he is the standout driver of the year to date. Antonelli leads the championship, certainly, but I would expect Gasly to deliver comparable results if he were given title-challenging machinery.
