How The Race Members' Club Ranked F1 Drivers in China

For the first time, The Race Members' Club's 'Champions' tier voted on their own driver performance rankings after the Chinese Grand Prix, offering a fan-centric perspective distinct from expert analysis. The results placed Mercedes junior Kimi Antonelli at the top, with Lewis Hamilton and Ollie Bearman completing the podium, while reigning champion Max Verstappen landed in 10th place.

Why it matters:

This initiative shifts the conversation from purely analytical rankings to include dedicated fan sentiment, providing a different lens on driver performance. It gauges which drivers made the strongest impression on the most engaged spectators throughout the race weekend, highlighting narratives that might differ from traditional metrics.

The details:

• The fan vote crowned Kimi Antonelli (P1) as the standout performer, followed by Lewis Hamilton (P2) and Ferrari reserve Ollie Bearman (P3).
• Current championship leader Max Verstappen was ranked 10th by the members, suggesting his dominant performance was viewed as more routine than spectacular.
• The full top ten from the Champions' vote is:
  1. Kimi Antonelli
  2. Lewis Hamilton
  3. Ollie Bearman
  4. George Russell
  5. Pierre Gasly
  6. Charles Leclerc
  7. Carlos Sainz
  8. Franco Colapinto
  9. Liam Lawson
  10. Max Verstappen
• Drivers at the lower end of the ranking included Sergio Perez (P20), Alex Albon (P21), and Lance Stroll (P22).

What's next:

The publication plans to continue this fan-ranking trial starting from the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix, contingent on participation from its Champions-tier members. This ongoing experiment will determine if community-driven rankings become a regular feature, offering a persistent alternative voice alongside expert evaluations throughout the F1 season.