2026 F1 Mexico City Grand Prix Driver Ratings

The Mexico City Grand Prix saw Kimi Antonelli clinch his maiden world championship after crossing the line in third place.

The Italian once again drove a mature race to third on the road, which was more than enough to seal the deal.

There was drama at Ferrari on the opening lap, while Max Verstappen managed to take his third victory of the season as he benefitted from the drama at the Scuderia. But who gets our strong ratings, and who failed to impress?

See the Mexico City GP driver ratings below!

The top five

Max Verstappen - 9

Verstappen started fifth after a grid penalty but made it count, running the only medium-tyre strategy among the front-runners. The Red Bull driver profited from opening-lap chaos between the Ferraris and nailed his pit-stop timing to come through for a commanding victory at altitude, his third of the season.

Lewis Hamilton - 9

Hamilton topped qualifying and backed it up with a composed drive to second. Although he was inconvenienced by the opening lap tussle with his team-mate, the Ferrari driver kept Verstappen honest for large stretches and ensured Maranello's weekend ended with a notable result.

Kimi Antonelli - 8.5

Antonelli produced the brilliant pass during the race, moving ahead of Charles Leclerc into Turn 1 at the restart to claim third. The result was enough to make the Mercedes driver Formula 1's youngest-ever champion, a fitting way to wrap up the title. Given the pressure of the occasion, the composure he showed in that fight for the podium made the achievement all the more remarkable.

Ryo Hirakawa - 8.5

Hirakawa impressed on his Haas debut weekend, showing respectable pace during qualifying following his late call-up. In the race, he kept himself out of trouble and ended up being promoted into 10th after the stewards' post-race deliberations. A points finish on debut is a result few could have predicted, and it offered an encouraging first glimpse of what the Japanese driver could bring to the American outfit in the seasons ahead.

Liam Lawson - 8.5

Lawson was disqualified from qualifying and forced to start from the pit lane after unapproved parc fermé changes. The Racing Bulls driver still fought back through the field to finish in the points, a recovery drive that stood out on a chaotic afternoon as he continues to plead his case to be retained for 2027.

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The bottom five

Franco Colapinto - 5.5

Colapinto had looked set for a solid haul of points before the stewards intervened. The Alpine driver was stripped of his finish for failing to slow sufficiently under yellow flags, turning a promising run into a blank scoresheet. It was a frustrating end to what had otherwise been one of his more encouraging weekends behind the wheel this season.

Nico Hulkenberg - 5

Hulkenberg's prospects for the race looked promising after he qualified inside the points but his hopes of a strong result were dashed when he clumsly hit into the back of Oliver Bearman. As a result, he was handed a 10-second time penalty.

Oscar Piastri - 5

Piastri suffered a shock Q2 exit on Saturday but looked to be making headaway in the race as he climbed into the points. However, late on, he came together with Arvid Lindblad and was deemed at fault for the collision. He was handed a 10-second time penalty, marking another weekend to forget for the Australian.

Pierre Gasly - 5

Like Colapinto, Gasly also lost a points finish to the stewards after failing to respect yellow-flag conditions. The Alpine driver's afternoon ended in similar fashion to his teammate's, with a promising run wiped from the results. It compounded a difficult day for the French squad, who had looked set for a rare double points haul before the penalties struck.

Lance Stroll - 4.5

Stroll pulled off the circuit and retired on Lap 7, just moments after teammate Fernando Alonso brought the sister Aston Martin into the pits. The cause of the Canadian's early exit was not immediately disclosed by the team, capping a forgettable weekend for the Silverstone-based outfit as they left Mexico City without anything tangible to show for their efforts.