Mexican Grand Prix: Driver Ratings

Mexican GP Driver Ratings Part 3

Alexander Albon (Qual: 5th - Race: 5th) 8/10

Despite a crash in FP2, Albon once again responded to the setback, securing his best qualifying result and then showing enough pace to disrupt Ferrari's strategy as Leclerc was pitted from the lead in order to cover the Thai driver. The pair's two-stop strategy ended up losing out to the podium's one-stoppers. Albon said afterwards that "the top guys weren't so far ahead" – maybe it's time he added himself into that bracket.

Charles Leclerc (Qual: 1st - Race: 4th) 7/10

Ferrari's expectation that a two-stop strategy would be used by all of the front-runners saw Leclerc fail to convert pole position into victory for the fifth time this year as he gave up too much track position to fight back. As it turned out, fresher tyres mattered little as cars began to overheat when they got too close, seeing an anticipated barnstorming finish end in a damp squib.

Valtteri Bottas (Qual: 6th - Race: 3rd) 8/10

A sizable shunt in qualifying had ramifications for the weekend beyond the Finn's efforts, but his response was typically measured and calm. Bottas might now need snookers in the title race with Hamilton, but extending the race another week deserves credit and without the cooling problems, he might have actually had the underlying pace to win this race.

Sebastian Vettel (Qual: 2nd - Race: 2nd) 7/10

Vettel's experience came to the fore when he talked Ferrari out of pitting him at the same time as Hamilton, likely knowing that he would end up on a two-stop which would have probably dropped him down to fifth or sixth. It was disappointing, however, that Vettel could to make significant inroads into Hamilton's lead late in the race.

Lewis Hamilton (Qual: 3rd - Race: 1st) 9/10

Hamilton, deep down, probably does trust the strategies Mercedes put him on, but the champion's public fretting certainly makes for an edgy in-race atmosphere. As the Silver Arrows crew told Hamilton the plan would work, he was clearly doing something right to keep enough life in his tyres so that he could end the race putting in a string of personal-best lap times to keep Vettel at bay. A 10th win of 2019 might not have delivered the title, but it was certainly a performance of champions.

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