Max Verstappen’s commanding victory in Malaysia has earned widespread praise from international Formula 1 media, with both La Gazzetta dello Sport and Autosport awarding the Red Bull driver a perfect 10.
The Race also ranked Verstappen first in its driver standings after he recovered from a difficult start to control the race. However, German publication Auto Motor und Sport stopped short of giving the four-time world champion full marks, citing his loss of positions at the start.
Italian media gives Verstappen maximum marks
La Gazzetta dello Sport awarded Verstappen a 10 after he secured his first victory in 301 days and delivered Red Bull its first win with its own power unit.
The Italian newspaper praised Verstappen’s qualifying performance before highlighting his ability to manage the chaotic wet conditions in Sepang.
“Max was fantastic in qualifying, and in the chaotic rain race, he confirmed his qualities as a rain master,” the publication wrote.
His opening-lap recovery also received particular praise, with the overtake on Kimi Antonelli during the opening three corners described as “masterful”.
The victory also extended Verstappen’s remarkable record of winning at least one Grand Prix in every season since 2016. Only Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher have previously achieved the same feat.
Hamilton received a 9 from the Italian publication after his recovery to third, while Antonelli earned an 8.5 on home soil.
Autosport also awards Verstappen a 10
British publication Autosport reached the same conclusion, giving Verstappen a perfect 10 for what it described as a “masterclass in treacherous conditions”.
The publication highlighted Verstappen’s pole position, which he secured by three tenths of a second, and his ability to exploit Red Bull’s recent progress with its upgrades.
“This was a masterclass in treacherous conditions,” Autosport wrote. “He handled the changeable conditions like an expert.”
Verstappen did lose positions at the start after his Red Bull suffered a stall, but he quickly recovered before building a significant advantage over the Mercedes drivers.
Hamilton was awarded a 9, while Antonelli received an 8. Fernando Alonso also earned a 9 following his impressive eighth-place finish.
German website deducts points over Verstappen’s start
The most notable difference came from Germany, where Auto Motor und Sport awarded Verstappen a 9 rather than a perfect score.
Journalist Joel Lischka specifically focused on the opening moments of the race, with the headline declaring: “Points deduction for race winner Verstappen.”
The assessment nevertheless acknowledged that Verstappen was “clearly the fastest man of the weekend” and praised his pole position as a “masterstroke”.
However, Lischka considered the start a negative factor, noting that the polesitter lost two positions to Antonelli and George Russell before recovering the lead.
“However, it wasn’t enough for the 29-year-old to achieve the top score,” the publication stated.
The criticism is particularly notable because Red Bull’s starting difficulties have been an issue for the team rather than something entirely attributable to Verstappen. Nevertheless, the German publication used the lost positions as the reason for withholding a 10.
The Race ranks Verstappen first
The Race took an even stronger view of Verstappen’s performance, placing him first in its driver rankings without assigning numerical scores.
Edd Straw praised Verstappen’s qualifying performance and his recovery after the problematic start.
The only significant negative was the engine stall at the beginning, but Straw otherwise described a race in which Verstappen maximised his strategy and made no significant mistakes.
His advantage over Isack Hadjar was also highlighted as evidence that Verstappen was extracting the maximum from the RB22.
Lewis Hamilton was ranked second, with Alonso completing the top three. The trio collectively accounts for 13 world championships.
The differing assessments ultimately underline just how strong Verstappen’s Malaysian weekend was. Despite losing the lead at the start, he recovered quickly, controlled the race in difficult conditions and secured a victory that was widely regarded as one of his strongest performances of the season.
The Judge, a nom de plume of an experienced F1 journalist and site founder with long-standing sources across the paddock. With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
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