Verstappen strengthens his lead in the Power Rankings with a big win

Verstappen stronger in front

Six experts from Formula1.com give grades to the drivers after each race, and try to separate this from the material as best as possible. Which driver performs best in his car, regardless of the result which is mainly determined by the quality of the car. Verstappen gets a lot of praise after his performance in France.

''Considering how much Max Verstappen and Red Bull have led this season, it's somewhat surprising to consider that this was the first time the Dutchman turned a pole position into a win in 2021. 'Make that a hat-trick, with Verstappen also grabbing the fastest race lap,' reads the 9.2 given to Verstappen.

Perez climbing up the ladder

''But while Verstappen may have had more quiet wins this year, apart from his start-stop in Turn 1, you couldn't really argue with his performance at Paul Ricard, where he claimed first place in our standings.''

With his 9.2, Verstappen takes the win this week, and remains at the top of the standings with an average of a 9. Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton finish on P2 and P3 this week, occupying those spots in the standings as well. Sergio Perez is also getting into better shape. With his seventh place for the French Grand Prix, he also climbs to that spot in the overall standings.