F1 Mexican GP: Driver Ratings

The driver's championship is well and truly settled for 2018 after Lewis Hamilton achieved his 5th world championship. The Briton is the third man in Formula One history to win five or more championships as the only others to achieve the same success are Michael Schumacher (7) and Juan Manuel Fangio (5).

There are just two races remaining on the 2018 calendar as next up is the Brazilian Grand Prix, followed by the season-ender at the Yas Marina Circuit for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Despite the driver's title coming to an end early, there is still a constructors' championship to be decided. Mercedes are currently top of the table but their rivals Scuderia Ferrari are 55 points behind with 100 still on offer in the final two races.

But for now the silver arrows will be recovering from Sunday's celebrations, as they are very much used to celebrating championship victories.

Hamilton didn't win in Sunday's Mexican Grand Prix but there were some key performances from the other 19 drivers in Mexico City.

Here is Sportskeeda's driver ratings for the Mexican Grand Prix:

#10 Williams

Lance Stroll - 12th

It was surprisingly a not so bad weekend for the Williams team in Mexico City. Lance Stroll was their highest finisher by coming in 12th in Sunday's race. The Canadian qualified in 17th position which was a usual result.

But Sunday was one of Stroll's best days in 2018 as he climbed up 5 places and just missed out on the points.

Driver's rating: 4/10

Sergey Sirotkin - 13th

Sergey Sirotkin also had an okay race weekend by following behind his Canadian teammate. The Russian started the race second from last in 19th and was surely pretty pumped by going up 6 places when the 23-year-old is uncertain about his future in the sport.

Sirotkin is hoping to keep his seat for the next year in order to team up with George Russell while Stroll is expected to join Racing Point Force India.

Driver's rating: 4/10

#9 Toro Rosso

Pierre Gasly - 10th

The United States Grand Prix was an event to forget for Pierre Gasly when the Frenchman failed to achieve a points finish. But one week on, Gasly was able to redeem himself and bring back a point to the Toro Rosso garage.

Every point really does count for the sister team of Red Bull as they are fighting against Sauber for 8th place in the constructors championship.

Driver's rating: 5/10

Brendon Hartley - 14th

It was a pretty average day for Brendon Hartley. The New Zealander qualified in 14th position but would make no progress on race day as he finished in the same place where he started.

Hartley is another driver that has his future in F1 on the edge of a cliff as there has been no extension to his current contract at Toro Rosso.

Only two races are left for the 28-year-old.

Driver's rating: 2/10

#8 Sauber

Charles Leclerc - 7th

Charles Leclerc is a man that just keeps giving and Sauber are certainly going to miss him, come the end of the season. It was another high points finish from the 21-year-old in Mexico by scoring 6 points for the Swiss group.

Leclerc made the top 10 in Saturday's qualifying by starting the race in 9th position and was able to go up two places and hold off Stoffel Vandoorne's McLaren.

Ferrari must be getting excited welcoming this young talent.

Driver's rating: 6/10

Marcus Ericsson - 9th

Marcus Ericsson made it a double success in Sunday's race by finishing in the points zone in 9th place. The Swede's future at Sauber is dead in the water but Ericsson is still determined to help Sauber finish above Toro Rosso in the constructors championship.

He just has to keep it up for the final two races.

Driver's rating: 5/10

#7 Force India

Sergio Perez - DNF

The Mexican Grand Prix is probably Sergio Perez's favourite race on the F1 calendar. The return of the Mexican Grand Prix happened in 2015 thanks to the support from Perez and fellow Mexican driver, Esteban Gutierrez.

But it was a weekend to forget for Perez after retiring from the race after 38 laps with a brake problem.

Perez's retirement dents Force India's chances of finishing at least higher than McLaren in the constructors championship.

Driver's rating: 1/10

Esteban Ocon - 11th

With Sergio Perez out of the picture, it was down to Esteban Ocon to finish in the points which unfortunately ended up being a failed attempt.

The Frenchman made no progress from Saturday's qualifying by being the 11th fastest.

Ocon finished behind Pierre Gasly to miss out on the important points and with Stoffel Vandoorne of McLaren finishing 8th, it wrapped up a disappointing weekend for Force India.

Driver's rating: 3/10

#6 McLaren

Fernando Alonso - DNF

It was another DNF (Did Not Finish) for McLaren's dissatisfied Fernando Alonso after going out of the race on lap 3.

The Spaniard this time had encountered with a water pressure problem, making it back-to-back race retirements for the double world champion. Alonso also retired in last week's United States Grand Prix.

The 37-year-old only has two more races left in F1 and he may well be looking forward to the end of the season.

Driver's rating: 1/10

Stoffel Vandoorne - 8th

It was a fine racing performance from Stoffel Vandoorne before he says goodbye to F1 and hello to Formula E at the end of the year.

McLaren are currently 6th in the constructors standings and hope to stay there or even try and overtake Haas. They are just 22 points behind the American team but will have to watch over their shoulders with Force India just 15 points behind.

Driver's rating: 6/10

#5 Haas

Romain Grosjean - 16th

It was a disaster of a Grand Prix for the Haas team as both drivers of Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen finished at the back in 15th and 16th.

Saturday's qualifying sessions showed there were real problems with the team's pace as Grosjean only qualified in 18th. The only real progress the Frenchman made was climbing up two places on race day.

It's two races in a row now that Grosjean has failed to score points.

Driver's rating: 2/10

Kevin Magnussen - 15th

Kevin Magnussen shared the same problems as Grosjean by finishing second from last after the retirements of Daniel Ricciardo, Fernando Alonso, Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz Jnr.

The Dane started the race from 16th but just like Grosjean, he struggled to go up the field and the team will not be happy after McLaren scored points thanks to Vandoorne.

Driver's rating: 2/10

#4 Renault

Nico Hulkenberg - 6th

A 6th place finish just seems like a normal procedure for someone like Nico Hulkenberg when he puts in his best racing. It is a second straight 6th finish for the German which keeps Renault's position healthy in the constructors championship in 4th place behind Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes.

Hulkenberg only went up one place from Saturday's qualifying but his F1 experience and talent just shows how reliable he is to the French team.

Driver's rating: 6/10

Carlos Sainz Jnr - DNF

It was hard luck for Carlos Sainz Jnr who retired from the race on lap 28 after problems with the battery. Renault are favourites to seal the 4th place in the constructors championship but the Spaniard will be gutted not to have added to Hulkenberg's 8 points.

It was point finishes for Sainz in Austin and Suzuka but the run ends in Mexico City.

Driver's rating: 1/10

#3 Red Bull

Max Verstappen - Race winner

It was a good weekend all round for Max Verstappen.

Saturday's qualifying left the Dutchman frustrated to miss out on being the youngest pole sitter after his teammate Daniel Ricciardo took away the limelight. But Sunday helped Verstappen forget the events from the day before by winning a 2nd straight Mexican Grand Prix.

Despite the challenges from Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton, Verstappen made sure he kept them behind to win his second race of the season.

Driver's rating: 8/10

Daniel Ricciardo - DNF

What does Daniel Ricciardo have to do to get his car to not break down?

It was a very mixed Grand Prix weekend for the Australian. It all started off very well with Ricciardo achieving pole position to beat Verstappen to it. But Sunday's race was another one to forget for Ricciardo as the Red Bull man retired from the race just 10 laps before the finish line.

It just sums up his final season at Red Bull as he revealed in press interviews after the race that he is done with the car now and 'let Gasly worry about it'.

Driver's rating 1/10

#2 Ferrari

Putting on a big smile despite losing another champion

Sebastian Vettel - 2nd

It was a very difficult weekend for Sebastian Vettel after his fate was finally decided for this year's title bid. It is now Vettel's 2nd championship in a row that the German has lost to Lewis Hamilton.

One positive Vettel can take from Sunday's race was helping Ferrari score more points than Mercedes in contention for the top spot in the constructors championship.

After the race, there was footage posted online from the Mercedes team of Vettel visiting their garage to congratulate them all. It was real sportsmanship from the four-time world champion.

Driver's rating: 7/10

Kimi Raikkonen - 3rd

It was always going to be hard for Kimi Raikkonen to top his performance at the United States Grand Prix by winning his first F1 race in over 5 years.

But the Iceman was strong again in Sunday's race by finishing on the podium once more ahead of Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas.

The constructors championship isn't over just yet.

Driver's rating: 6/10

#1 Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton - 4th

It was not the result Lewis Hamilton wanted in his bid to seal a 5th world championship but at the end of it all, Hamilton finally has his hands on a 5th driver's title. Hamilton had said ahead of the race that he would have liked to have won the race to end the driver's championship on a high but could only finish outside the podium in 4th.

Now Hamilton just needs to focus on putting the celebrations on hold until the end of the season as the constructors championship is far from over.

Driver's rating: 5/10

Valtteri Bottas - 5th

Hamilton may have an excuse by winning this year's driver's championship over the weekend but Valtteri Bottas failed to outscore any of the Ferraris. Mercedes are only 55 points ahead of Ferrari with plenty of points still on the table.

There's still a job left to do for Hamilton and Bottas!

Driver's rating: 5/10

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