Formula 1: Driver grades after the 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix

C. After a good qualifying session, Ferrari fans expected Sebastian Vettel to compete with Lewis Hamilton at the front for the win, only to be disappointed. After the Italian team decided to start the race on soft tires, both Ferrari drivers failed to get good starts. Vettel lost a place to Valtteri Bottas before turn two and Kimi Raikkonen lost a place to Max Verstappen in the first lap as well. It seems like Ferrari got their strategy all wrong once again after both drivers failed to capitalize on their tire advantage over the long run. The German, however, was strong throughout the practice sessions and qualifying. However, he showed an absolute lack of pace and competitiveness when he couldn’t even fight Bottas or Verstappen after losing places to them. This was a very disappointing performance by Vettel. However, his pit crew should get credits for that excellent stop (1.97 seconds).. No. 5. Scuderia Ferrari, Ferrari. SEBASTIAN VETTEL

After a promising performance in qualifying, Sergey Sirotkin started in 14th place on the grid ahead of Carlos Sainz Jr. and teammate Lance Stroll. The Russian couldn’t convert his grid position to any use as he dropped two places and only managed to finish in 16th. This might have been his penultimate race for Williams, as several sources suggest that he’s likely to be replaced by Robert Kubica for the 2019 season.. No. 35. Williams Martini Racing, Mercedes. SERGEY SIROTKIN. C

C. Carlos Sainz Jr. was the only Renault driver to finish the race, as Nico Hulkenberg was forced to retire due to a mechanical failure. He found himself in a clash with Hulkenberg, which led to them making contact. Renault would have desired a better finish, and they will certainly expect strong performances by both drivers in the season finale, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.. No. 55. Renault Sport, Renault. CARLOS SAINZ JR.

C. Pierre Gasly had a very good qualifying session by making it to Q3, but the race was a rather disappointing one for the Frenchman. Even after managing to start in ninth place, he could only finish in 13th behind teammate Brendon Hartley and Carlos Sainz Jr.. With Gasly all set to occupy one of the top six seats next year, Red Bull Racing will be awaiting better performances from him.. No. 13. Scuderia Toro Rosso, Honda. PIERRE GASLY

C. Esteban Ocon will be remembered as that driver who made contact with the race leader that cost the latter the race. It is very likely that the incident is the only thing about Ocon’s race people will remember. In his defense, he was on fresher tires and could go faster than the Red Bull of Max Verstappen. After taking a grid penalty and starting in 18th place, he moved up four places and finished in 14th, which is quite a satisfactory result after starting in 18th and being given a 10-second penalty for causing a collision.. No. 31. Racing Point Force India, Mercedes. ESTEBAN OCON

C. Driving in his penultimate Formula 1 race, Fernando Alonso should be quite satisfied with his result and will probably be happy that it did not end with a DNF. Although he was outperformed by teammate Stoffel Vandoorne, at this point it doesn’t look like something he cares a lot about. He didn’t gain or lose any places (started and finished in 17th place). It was nice to see him finish the race, and I hope that he finishes the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as well. <strong>Gracias, Fernando!</strong>. No. 14. McLaren, Renault. FERNANDO ALONSO

C-. This was yet another poor performance by Lance Stroll. After starting the race in 19th place, the Canadian didn’t show any serious pace at any point and ended up finishing in last (18th) among the running drivers. With his move to Force India (or whatever they’re going to be called next season) all but confirmed, he has neither shown any promise nor come up with a good result to prove his worth. Although his current team, Williams, haven’t been up to the mark all season, Stroll might actually prove his worth next year with a new team and a better car.. No. 18. Williams Martini Racing, Mercedes. LANCE STROLL