Hamilton returns to P1 as F1 GUSHES over Melbourne magic

It's been a while, but seeing Lewis Hamilton back in P1 is here at last in the aftermath of that magic in Melbourne.

The seven-time world champion notched a terrific podium at the Australian Grand Prix, lifting some of the early-season doom and gloom surrounding the Silver Arrows.

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And while he could not pass the dominant Max Verstappen and Red Bull for the race win Down Under, that P2 finish did allow Hamilton to top another set of standings.

When F1 released its official Power Rankings for drivers following the race, it was the 38-year-old Hamilton who occupied the top spot.

How did Hamilton take P1 in Melbourne?

The explanation for Hamilton's lofty ranking - and a score of 9/10 - was that: "He displayed his racecraft to manage his tyres while keeping the cunning Fernando Alonso behind – with his staunch defence drawing some positive post-race reviews from the Spaniard".

Hamilton's Mercedes team-mate George Russell also scored 9/10 to allow him to share that P1 slot with Hamilton after a fine drive which was hampered first by an untimely red flag and then scuppered completely by a mechanical DNF.

The next two drivers on the list, sharing P3 with scores of 8.8/10, were McLaren's Lando Norris and Nico Hulkenberg of Haas. They finished P6 and P7 respectively in the race.

Reigning world champion and Melbourne race winner Max Verstappen could claim only P5 in the Power Rankings with a score of 8.6.

F1 Power Rankings after the 2023 Australian Grand Prix

The full Power Rankings list after Melbourne looked like this:

1=. Lewis Hamilton 9.0

1=. George Russell 9.0

3=. Lando Norris 8.8

3=. Nico Hulkenberg 8.8

5. Max Verstappen 8.6

6. Fernando Alonso 8.4

7. Oscar Piastri 8.2

8. Sergio Perez 8.0

9=. Pierre Gasly 7.4

9=. Yuki Tsunoda 7.4

9=. Zhou Guanyu 7.4

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