Chaotic Ferrari implodes on historic weekend for Italy: Mexico City GP driver ratings

It doesn’t matter where you are in the world: USA, Mexico etc - another grand prix weekend can always mean another lost Ferrari win.

As team boss Frederic Vasseur pointed out, the Scuderia were 1-2 heading into Turn 4, and yet somehow contrived to lose the race.

We run through all the winners and losers from Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez

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Rating every F1 driver at the 2026 Mexico City GP

1: Max Verstappen - 10/10

Verstappen has an uncanny way of combining aggression with knowing how to play the percentages - so often picking up the pieces when others let wins slip away.

Mexico was another example, this time with Ferrari missing the open goal by getting in each other's way.

“They’re two Number 1 drivers,” he commented. “Today it cost them the win.”

The Dutchman does what he does with a sardonic wit too, but for the occasional meltdown, as his coming together with Liam Lawson in practice showed. Luckily for him, these driver ratings are just for Sunday (unless we say otherwise).

2: Lewis Hamilton - 9/10

Speaking of meltdowns, Hamilton did well to keep hold of the steering wheel, such was his thunderous rage at seeing Leclerc try to take the lead and essentially ruin both their races.

“We’ve got big problems,” he said to the team on the radio. Quite.

3: Kimi Antonelli - 10/10

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The standout driver of 2026, the Mexico City GP was Kimi Antonelli’s season summed up in one race.

While Charles Leclerc, George Russell and others got into unnecessary bother and fell back, the Italian kept it clean and almost floated up to third place.

4: Charles Leclerc - 6/10

No one’s saying he shouldn’t try to win the race, but Leclerc attempting to wrest the race off Hamilton on lap one as he did benefited no one.

Getting a flat spot on one of the restarts made things even worse as he then fell to fourth. Leclerc gets an extra point for somehow managing to hold off Lando Norris at the end while nursing a horrifically worn Pirelli left-front tyre.

5: Lando Norris - 7/10

Decent damage limitation from the McLaren man on yet another track the car simply didn’t seem to like.

Loses a point for not managing to overcome the wounded Leclerc at the end.

READ NEXT: Lewis Hamilton threatens Ferrari on radio as Valtteri Bottas horror crash stops Mexico City GP

6: George Russell - 5/10

If this race summed up Antonelli’s season, it did Russell’s also.

Starting second, he lost power at the start through a technical issue, and was just nowhere in the race afterwards - punting off Isack Hadjar just a few corners in and getting a 10sec penalty for his efforts didn’t help either.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff admitted the team let Russell down on the reliability front (again).

7: Oscar Piastri - 7/10

Did a brilliant job to rise up from 13th on the grid to seventh, but then managed to collide with Racing Bull’s Arvid Lindblad late on.

Like Leclerc, somehow held on at the end with a wounded car.

8: Franco Colapinto - 8/10

The outspoken Argentinian scored his first points for five races to help Alpine in its battle with Racing Bulls for fifth in the title race.

9: Liam Lawson - 9/10

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Mr Top 10 scored points yet again, despite starting from the back. It beggars belief that the opinionated Kiwi’s seat could be under threat after such a brilliant season, but that's F1 for you.

10: Pierre Gasly - 7/10

Another useful point from Alpine’s Mr Reliable.

11: Gabriel Bortoleto - 7/10

Gained a couple of places through the chaos, but an unremarkable weekend otherwise.

12: Isack Hadjar - 5/10

Hadjar’s had decent speed this weekend, but just can’t keep out of trouble. Connecting with Russell after a decent start on lap 1 said it all.

13: Ryo Hirakawa - 9/10

Found himself caught in a classic F1 storm with the sudden exit of Estban Ocon, and came through the chaos on and off track to finish a mightily impressive 13th. Much more than can be said for some others in the field.

14: Alexander Albon - 7/10.

Battled gamely yet again with this terrible Williams car.

15: Carlos Sainz - 7/10.

Came second-best to Albon in what’s been a miserable tussle for the two throughout 2026.

16: Nico Hulkenberg - 4/10.

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Got a 10sec penalty for biffing off Ollie Bearman on a restart.

17: Sergio Perez - 7/10

Was dragging the car up through the midfield gamely until a penalty put him back.

18: Arvid Lindblad - 7/10

Driving brilliantly in seventh until his race-ending connection with Piastri.

19: Oliver Bearman - 6/10

Bearman was leading the line once again in the midfield for Haas until Hulkenberg took him out.

20: Valtteri Bottas - 2/10

Just when you thought his season couldn’t get any worse.

Suspension failure led to a devastating impact into the barriers in Turn 1. Luckily he’s ok.

21: Lance Stroll - 0/10

Couldn’t even get a lap in before his car croaked.

22: Fernando Alonso - 1/10

Suffered a similar fate to Stroll. Gets one point for his brilliantly bitter interview after yet another power unit disaster in qualifying.