F1 Driver Ratings - Mexican Grand Prix

Running through the Formula 1 field following a thrilling Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday, Crash.net F1 Digital Editor Luke Smith brings you his driver ratings.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes - 7

It may have been Hamilton’s day in Mexico as he was crowned world champion for a fifth time, yet it was probably one of his most difficult races of the season. Good qualifying and a rocket start put him in the mix at the front early on, but his car chewed through its tyres, forcing him to limp home on a two-stop strategy, almost 80 seconds down on the race winner. Hardly a classic way to win a title, but it got the job done.

Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes - 5

A really disappointing weekend for Bottas, who struggled with the same issues Hamilton did on the tyre front. Contact with Sebastian Vettel on the opening lap left Bottas concerned about a handling issue. He was running 15 seconds clear of Raikkonen after the first pit stops, but was passed by the Ferrari man before coming in for a second time. A late third stop saw him drop one lap down in the closing stages.

Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari - 8

Vettel may have faced a near-impossible task to keep the title race alive to Brazil, but he certainly went down with a fight in Mexico. A quiet first stint came to life when he stretched out the Ultrasofts, giving him fresher tyres with which to attack and pass both Hamilton and Ricciardo. Was on course for third before Ricciardo’s late DNF, lifting him to P2 at the flag.

Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari - 7

Raikkonen was quiet in qualifying on Saturday, finishing down in sixth, and a poor first stint seemed to put him in trouble for the race. But he was in fact the only front-runner who got home on just one pit stop, managing his Supersofts perfectly to grab third place at the finish.

Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull - 8

You’ve got to feel for Daniel Ricciardo, who is unquestionably the unluckiest man in F1 right now. The hard work from a stunning pole-lap on Saturday was undone by a poor start, but he was holding on for a one-stop strategy and keeping Vettel at bay with some brilliant defence, only for his engine to let go with 10 laps to go. He deserved so much better.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull - 10

It would have been very harsh to not give Verstappen a perfect 10 for want of 0.026 seconds in qualifying, as for the rest of the weekend, he was peerless. Quickest in all three practices, Verstappen was bold at the start to take the lead and keep Hamilton back before controlling the race throughout. He never looked like losing, although he did cause some friction on the Red Bull pit wall when he continued to pop in fastest laps even after seeing Ricciardo’s engine fail.

Sergio Perez, Force India - 6

Home favourite Sergio Perez couldn’t continue his impressive record of scoring points each year in Mexico as a brake failure sidelined him. But the Mexican was on to make the top 10 after a decent first stint and then pitting under the Virtual Safety Car. He was on the same strategy as Ocon, who finished 11th, but was running ahead on-track, so most likely would have hit the points again.

Esteban Ocon, Force India - 6

Ocon was well-placed to pick up some good points for Force India, starting 11th on the grid, but his run into the back of Nico Hulkenberg on the opening lap forced him into an early pit stop due to damage. Ocon fought back well and was on the fringes of the points, but could not hold off old rival Pierre Gasly, leaving him 11th at the flag.

Lance Stroll, Williams - 6

As Williams nears the end of its miserable year, Lance Stroll put in a decent display in Mexico. A good start was followed by an early stop under the Virtual Safety Car, but Stroll could not stretch the Ultrasofts out very long, forcing a second stop before half-distance. A one-stop could have put him in better contention for a finish of more than 12th, but still a solid outing.

Sergey Sirotkin, Williams - 5

Sirotkin and Stroll were evenly-matched once again in Mexico, separated by just one second at the chequered flag. Sirotkin did opt for a one-stop strategy, but could only finish 13th after having to nurse his Supersofts for 58 laps to get to the finish.

Nico Hulkenberg, Renault - 9

Hulkenberg’s superb display in Mexico may be the performance that finally clinches P4 for Renault in the constructors’ championship. Hulkenberg was the top midfielder in qualifying, and despite the fears about the Hypersofts only lasting a handful of laps, he was able to perfect a one-stop strategy, only finishing seven seconds behind Bottas.

Carlos Sainz Jr., Renault - 7

Sainz was looking like the man to lead Renault’s push in Mexico after qualifying on the fourth row and making a great start to get the jump on Kimi Raikkonen. But an electrical shutdown on his car early into his second stint forced him to park up and retire, undoing his good work from Saturday.

Pierre Gasly, Toro Rosso - 8

Another excellent drive from Gasly despite starting last due to a power unit penalty. He got rid of the Hypersofts early to put himself in clear air, allowing him to work his way onto the fringes of the points. Gasly managed his Supersofts well for his third stint, saving them for a late push that allowed him to pass Hartley and Ocon, resulting in a point for P10 after Ricciardo’s late retirement.

Brendon Hartley, Toro Rosso - 5

A big opportunity missed for Hartley in Mexico. Mistakes in qualifying cost him a shot at making Q3 before a flat-spot on his tyre on the opening lap forced an early pit stop. Hartley then struggled to get past Marcus Ericsson, compromising his strategy, before a clash with Ocon left him with damage (and a penalty) in the final stages of the race.

Romain Grosjean, Haas - 5

A weekend to forget for Haas as its hopes of taking P4 in the constructors’ championship took a major blow. Grosjean dropped out in Q1, but was looking in decent shape after his long first stint on Supersofts, only to then eat through his Ultrasofts and drop off the pace, forcing a late third stop.

Kevin Magnussen, Haas - 5

A similar story for Magnussen as his teammate: Q1 exit; long Supersoft stint that looked OK; Ultrasofts dropped off massively; finish out of the points. A difficult weekend the team will want to move on from quickly.

Fernando Alonso, McLaren - 6

Over 20,000 fans were given Fernando Alonso masks in Mexico to bid farewell to the Spaniard, but his swansong at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez lasted only three laps. Alonso did well in qualifying to grab P12 on the grid, only for debris from the Ocon clash on the opening lap to get caught in his car, forcing him to retire.

Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren - 8

This was arguably Stoffel Vandoorne’s best performance of the year. After another Q1 exit - albeit with his best result since Hungary - Vandoorne dropped to 19th off the start and was 18th after his sole pit stop, but from there, he charged through the field with a masterclass in tyre management, knowing when to push and where the sweet spot on his Supersofts was. P8 was a richly deserved result for the outgoing Belgian.

Marcus Ericsson, Sauber - 8

Marcus Ericsson delivered a really mature performance in Mexico, even if his strategy was compromised to try and help Leclerc’s race. Ericsson held back a gaggle of cars Leclerc was fighting before taking a first pit stop, but was able to manage his tyres well to climb up the field, taking two points for P9 at the chequered flag.

Charles Leclerc, Sauber - 9

Another excellent display from Leclerc as he enters his final few appearances for Sauber. After reaching Q3 again, Leclerc was able to make a one-stop strategy work despite starting on Hypersofts, escaping the throng of the midfield runners en route to seventh place and a big result for Sauber as it jumped Toro Rosso in the constructors’ championship.