Round 4 Formula 1 Driver, Rookie, and Constructor Awards

Our team of Formula 1 writers and broadcasters vote on the top performers for each race

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Posted on May 4, 2023


  Dane Miller, Stephen Vilardo & Greg Kokot

There are a lot of moving parts and players that go into a successful Formula 1 team.

From the principal to the technical director and mechanics, the team can include anywhere from 300 to 1,200 people.

But the drivers and constructors shoulder the better part of the glory and blame.

Each week, or Formula 1 “Round,” our team of writers and broadcasters vote on awards for the top Driver, Rookie, and Constructor (which designs and builds the engine and chassis).

Our selections for last week’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix appear below, along with a table showing how each writer-broadcaster voted.

— Dane Miller, Series Editor

Driver of the Week – Sergio Perez, Red Bull

Sergio Perez continues to be a thorn in the side of Max Verstappen. The Mexican driver won both the Sprint Race and Grand Prix in Azerbaijan, tightening the gap to the Dutchman.

Outgaining Verstappen by nine points last weekend, the delta between the two Red Bull drivers is down to six points heading into the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday.

Becoming known as a street course master, Perez is now the only driver to secure multiple wins at the Baku City Circuit.

A poorly timed safety car—or perhaps poor strategy from Red Bull—took Verstappen out of first place early in the race.

The lead Red Bull driver pitted just before the safety car came out, handing the lead to Perez who never looked back.

Still, the confidence Perez has shown throughout the early part of the season indicates the battle for the Driver’s Championship could remain fierce deep into the season.

Rookie of the Week – Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Australian rookie Oscar Piastri continues to impress in his McLaren. Finishing just outside the points in 11th-place, Piastri continues to remain competitive with respected teammate Lando Norris.

Piastri

Advancing to the third round of qualifying and starting the Grand Prix in 10th, his consistency over the past few races is becoming a hallmark of his young career.

And although no points were awarded for his 10th-place finish in the 17-lap Sprint, Piastri outperformed Norris by seven positions in that event.

With four points scored over the first four races of the year, the Australian remains the only rookie to have any points to his name.

Combined with the noticeable improvement in the pace of the McLaren, Piastri is clearly the front-runner of the three rookies.

Constructor of the Week – Ferrari

Securing their first podium of the year, Ferrari finally got itself together.

The 36 points scored in Baku exceeded the 26 they had gained in the first three races of the season, while Charles Leclerc’s third-place result was the 25th podium of his career.

Carlos Sainz finished a respectable fifth place as well, making the Italian team second only to Red Bull on the weekend.

The Ferrari engine was strong enough to put Leclerc on the pole for the Grand Prix, indicating its top-speed advantage over Red Bull. Still, the Ferrari’s “race pace” is not where it needs to be.

The team may have the speed to top the charts over a one-lap shootout, but in a 50-plus lap race it invariably loses out to other teams.

Even so, the steps taken in Baku are positive developments that could signal an emergence over the next few races.

How Our Writers and Broadcasters Voted

—Driver of the Week—
Dane	Sergio Perez
Greg	Sergio Perez
Stephen	Sergio Perez
—Rookie of the Week—
Dane	Oscar Piastri
Greg	Oscar Piastri
Stephen	Oscar Piastri
—Constructor of the Week—
Dane	Ferrari
Greg	Ferrari
Stephen	Red Bull