How far does Max Verstappen drop in the power rankings after Norris crash?
The Austrian Grand Prix concluded with drama. Max Verstappen and Lando Norris crashed together in the closing stages of the race, leaving the door open for George Russell to take his second Grand Prix victory in his career. How do the Power Rankings lie after the event?
Verstappen missing from the top ten
Despite getting pole position (twice), winning the sprint, and leading for the majority of the Grand Prix, the panel has placed Verstappen outside of the top ten for his performance in Austria. He only scored a ranking of six, which drops his average slightly. He remains at the top of the season average chart. The stewards deemed him at fault for his crash with Lando Norris.
George Russell took the lead following the crash and got a mark of 8.8 after the weekend. The F1 panel said: "The Mercedes man was there to – as he put it himself – ‘pick up the pieces’ after the battle between Norris and Verstappen ended up with both drivers getting punctures. But you’ve got to be in it to win it, and Russell’s work to initially hold onto P3 impressed our judges and ultimately paved his way to Grand Prix glory."
Lando Norris was voted second with an average score of 8.4. On his high mark, the judges said: "Nonetheless his efforts in taking the fight to Verstappen earned him high praise from our judges." Nico Hulkenberg matched Norris' score. The German driver ended up finishing sixth, scoring important points for Haas. They are now 10 points clear of 8th place Alpine. His teammate, Kevin Magnussen also had a place in the top ten on the judges list with a mark of 7.
There were also top ten places for Gasly, Sainz, Ricciardo and Ocon. Lewis Hamilton came tenth with a 6.4. In the overall season rankings, Verstappen remains firmly on top with an average score of 8.7. Lando Norris is comfortably second still.