2026 F1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix Driver Ratings: See which drivers scored a 10

The rules have been broken in the RacingNews365 driver ratings for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

One driver's performance was so good that he earned a score reserved only for those who achieve something he didn't do.

Find out who it is below, in a high-scoring edition of driver ratings...

The top five

Lando Norris - 10

A tour de force from the outgoing world champion, whose only lost half-mark comes from losing a position off the start to the incoming one, Antonelli. Wins it back, though, through his dominance after getting the lead back on his way to a strong win. Stay away from champagne bottles and fireworks.

Max Verstappen - 10

A very rare occasion of a driver receiving a score of 10, despite not taking pole or winning the race. Would have been a contender for pole if there was any point in him making Q3, but there wasn't so he parked it in Q2 with the engine penalty. Thereafter, P21 to P2 was nothing less than expected, and the very idea it was even being floated pre-race speaks volumes. Could have given Norris a run for his money. 

Liam Lawson - 9.5

Perhaps a tad too harsh on himself to say he could have done better than fifth on the road in qualifying, which was third after other penalties. In the race, faster cars like Verstappen and Piastri came through, although he did run a career-high second after a fast start and Lap 1, and fancied an attack on Antonelli. In the end, after Leclerc's penalty, beat both Ferraris for a fourth P7 in the last five races.

Nico Hulkenberg - 9

Missed all of Friday's running due to giving the car to Freddie Slater for FP1, in which it broke down and made him miss FP2. Stunning typical Hulkenberg guile to overcome Audi's lack of engine power and use the decent chassis to earn fourth on the grid once it shook out. In the same boat as Lawson that faster cars were always going to come through, and did well to pick his battles. Picked up a point despite a 10-second penalty for gaining an advantage whilst off track when battling Colapinto. Felt harsh. 

Oliver Bearman - 9

A guy who starts P6 and finishes P17 scoring so highly might be unusual, but Bearman was on for a much-needed healthy points score, until a 20 second pit-stop ruined his race. He was running ahead of Leclerc and Hamilton, who finished eighth and ninth before the botched stop - after which his race was all but over.

The bottom five

Valtteri Bottas - 5 

Reflective of qualifying only after the threaded wheel-nut lead to him posting a DNS for the first time this year. Out-qualified Perez on pace before the Mexican took his engine penalty.

Sergio Perez - 4 

Out-qualified by Bottas by nearly eight-tenths and didn't make much progress forward in the race. Did beat Sainz's Williams, which was a plus.

Gabriel Bortoleto - 3 

In an admittedly tough qualifying, ruined his chances of emulating Hulkenberg's fourth on the grid by spinning at Juncao and thumping the barrier. An ideal weekend and conditions to make a statement - he made one of the wrong kind.

Carlos Sainz - 3 

Was not on Albon's level all weekend, and struggled in the first stint in the race as he cooked the intermediates. Is eager for the season to end.

Lance Stroll - 3 

Another DNF for Stroll, which of course, cannot be held against him, so his score is largely based off qualifying, where in Q1, he was 1.561s slower than Alonso in conditions which represented a chance for him and Aston Martin. Alonso took it, Stroll didn't - with the Canadian a handy driver in the wet as evidenced by his pole position at the 2020 Turkish GP.