Mexico F1 driver ratings: Carlos Sainz gets perfect score as one midfield star shines

Carlos Sainz - 10

Sainz delivered a perfect weekend at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. His pole lap was sensational, and he never looked likely to lose the race victory. The standout performer in Mexico City.

Lando Norris - 9

Norris put together another impressive weekend as the lead McLaren driver. He got the most out of the McLaren in qualifying, pipping the quicker Ferrari of Leclerc. His positioning on the opening lap down to Turn 1 was questionable, as he chose to tuck in behind Verstappen rather than go for the open space on the outside. Nevertheless, his pace on the hard stint was clearly the best, earning him P2 in the end.

Charles Leclerc - 7

One of Leclerc’s weakest weekends of the season. Although he did miss FP1, Sainz was simply in a different league pace-wise. Given the help Verstappen provided in pushing Norris down the order, P2 should have been realistic for Leclerc, who nearly threw it away in the closing laps with an oversteer moment at the final corner.

Lewis Hamilton - 7.5

A tricky weekend for Hamilton as he ran Mercedes’ new upgrade. He was once again second-best in qualifying. It seemed that Russell had the edge in the race, however, damage to the younger British driver left him vulnerable, allowing Hamilton to eventually get past.

George Russell - 7.5

Russell had the pace to finish fourth, but front wing damage sustained from a bump on track curtailed his performance in the second half of the race.

Max Verstappen - 6.5

Verstappen went over the limit in wheel-to-wheel combat, earning himself two 10-second time penalties. Even so, Red Bull’s pace was lacking, and without the penalties, he’d have likely finished fourth. Although, had he not passed Norris as he did, perhaps the McLaren driver might have won the race.

Kevin Magnussen - 9.5

Magnussen was brilliant in Mexico City, achieving P7 in qualifying and following it up in the race. His pace was so strong that Piastri couldn’t get past in the closing laps. A stellar weekend.

Oscar Piastri - 5.5

Another poor weekend for Piastri, whose recent form could cost McLaren their first F1 constructors’ title since 1998. He was knocked out in Q1, and his recovery on race day was unimpressive.

Nico Hulkenberg - 7.5

Hulkenberg was the second-best Haas driver in Mexico. He drove a tidy race to finish ninth, but was never quite on Magnussen’s level.

Pierre Gasly - 8.5

Gasly executed a brilliant race to secure Alpine an unlikely points finish.

Lance Stroll - 6

Another anonymous weekend for Stroll. He was second-best to Alonso in qualifying, although the timing of the red flag hampered Aston Martin’s chances of making Q3. He ultimately finished 11th.

Franco Colapinto - 6

Colapinto struggled in qualifying, trailing Albon by around four-tenths. He was one of the few drivers to start on the hards and thus went long. He didn’t appear to have the pace to finish in the points, and his penalty for contact with Lawson was inconsequential to his final position.

Esteban Ocon - 6

Ocon was disappointing in qualifying after getting knocked out in Q1. Unlike in Austin, he did have the upgrade package. Alpine then opted to start him from the pit lane to allow for a new energy store and control electronics.

Valtteri Bottas - 7.5

A better weekend for Sauber and Bottas; he made Q2 for the first time in six races. While he never looked likely to challenge for the top 10, he competed well, losing out to Ocon in the final laps.

Zhou Guanyu - 6

A clear step behind Bottas in both qualifying and the race.

Liam Lawson - 6.5

Mexico was a missed opportunity for Lawson. While he didn’t have the new RB upgrade, his pace was solid, running inside the top 10 after starting on the hards. Battles with Perez and Colapinto cost him crucial time and led to damage after contact with the Williams driver.

Sergio Perez - 2

A disastrous weekend from Perez on home soil. He was knocked out in Q1 before picking up a penalty for a “false start.” Nothing positive to say about Perez’s performance in Mexico.

Fernando Alonso - 6.5

Alonso couldn’t celebrate his 400th GP with a good result, retiring early due to a brake problem.

Alex Albon - 7

Albon looked back to his best in qualifying, comprehensively beating teammate Colapinto. He was innocent on the opening lap but collided with Tsunoda on the run down to the first corner.

Yuki Tsunoda - 5

Tsunoda was over-optimistic at the start of the Mexico City GP, leading to contact with Albon.