{"id":941365,"date":"2026-10-26T09:14:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T09:14:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/941365\/"},"modified":"2026-10-26T09:14:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T09:14:10","slug":"united-states-gp-f1-driver-ratings-absolute-perfection-strong-recoveries-and-a-race-to-forget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/941365\/","title":{"rendered":"United States GP F1 driver ratings: Absolute perfection, strong recoveries, and a race to forget"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kimi Antonelli<\/a> might be on the verge of the world championship, but he\u2019s showing no ill-effects of the incredible pressure he is under with a masterful performance at the United States Grand Prix.<\/p>\n

From his dominant display to a Ferrari fightback, the Circuit of The Americas producing an enthralling event with 22 stories of success, disappointment, and combat. Here is PlanetF1.com\u2019s Driver Ratings for the United States Grand Prix<\/p>\n

Kimi Antonelli: 10\/10<\/p>\n

Qualified: 1st | Race: 1st<\/p>\n

Antonelli delivered an outstanding performance, controlling the race from pole position and converting Mercedes\u2019 one-stop strategy into a commanding victory. He extended his opening stint on the medium tyres, then managed the hard compound superbly to finish 13 seconds clear of Charles Leclerc. The new Mercedes package provided the pace, but Antonelli executed the strategy with the composure and precision of a champion (in waiting).<\/p>\n

Charles Leclerc: 9\/10<\/p>\n

Qualified: 4th | Race: 2nd<\/p>\n

Leclerc drove aggressively and intelligently, challenging Verstappen through the opening lap before mounting a strong late-race charge. His pace on the hard tyres allowed him to pass both Norris and Verstappen to secure second, although the time lost in those battles left him too far behind Antonelli. He extracted almost everything available from the Ferrari, even if the victory remained out of reach, largely a result of a below-par qualifying.<\/p>\n

Max Verstappen: 7\/10<\/p>\n

Qualified: 2nd | Race: 3rd<\/p>\n

Verstappen battled through issues with his power unit, a slow pit stop, and a tyre strategy that proved less effective than expected. He made ground after his first stop and put a good move on Norris, but his Red Bull lacked the late-race pace to catch, let alone challenge Antonelli. Third place represented a respectable salvage job rather than a particularly strong performance by his standards.<\/p>\n

Lewis Hamilton: 7\/10<\/p>\n

Qualified: 5th | Race 4th<\/p>\n

Hamilton recovered well with a Ferrari that struggled with understeer. He passed Hadjar and Norris in the closing stages and finished just over a second behind Verstappen, demonstrating considerably better speed late in the race. Were it not for a late Virtual Safety Car, perhaps the podium might have been possible.<\/p>\n

Lando Norris: 6\/10<\/p>\n

Qualified: 8th | Race: 5th<\/p>\n

Norris made a one-stop strategy work to finish fifth after starting eighth, gaining ground through the opening pit stop sequence and remaining in contention thereafter. However, his ageing hard tyres left him vulnerable in the closing laps, and Verstappen, Leclerc and Hamilton all passed him. He extracted a reasonable result from the strategy, but the late deterioration exposed its limitations. Still, a strategic win from a difficult weekend for McLaren.<\/p>\n

Isack Hadjar: 6\/10<\/p>\n

Qualified: 3rd | Race: 6th<\/p>\n

Throttle-response problems following his pit stop compromised Hadjar\u2019s pace, and he ultimately finished sixth after losing ground to the leading group. The result was respectable, but the drop from third on the grid left something to be desired, even if somewhat out of his control.<\/p>\n

Oscar Piastri: 5\/10<\/p>\n

Qualified: 8th | Race: 7th<\/p>\n

Piastri finished seventh after struggling to match the pace of the leading cars and being asked to swap positions with Norris. He spent part of the race defending against Russell for the minor placings, having never looked a threat for the podium. The result was disappointing but McLaren\u2019s comparative struggles in Texas meant there was little opportunity for more.<\/p>\n

George Russell: 4\/10<\/p>\n

Qualified: 6th | Race: 8th<\/p>\n

Russell endured a frustrating race, losing time after running wide and receiving a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. He had no match for Antonelli\u2019s pace and failed to make meaningful progress past Piastri. Eighth place was a poor return from a competitive Mercedes.<\/p>\n

Liam Lawson: 7\/10<\/p>\n

Qualified: 10th (started 9th) | Race: 9th<\/p>\n

Lawson delivered a solid points finish, converting ninth on the grid into ninth at the flag while keeping Racing Bulls ahead of Alpine. He maintained competitive midfield pace and avoided the costly mistakes that undermined several rivals\u2019 afternoons. It was a composed, well-executed drive that made the most of the opportunity available.<\/p>\n

Pierre Gasly: 7\/10<\/p>\n

Qualified: 11th (started 10th) | Race: 10th<\/p>\n

Gasly secured the final point despite suffering floor damage after contact with Bearman. The damage compromised his downforce, yet he maintained sufficient pace to stay in the points and finish ahead of H\u00fclkenberg. Given the setback, it was a commendable recovery that deserved more credit than the finishing position alone suggested.<\/p>\n

Nico Hulkenberg: 5\/10<\/p>\n

Qualified: 12th(started 11th) | Race: 11th<\/p>\n

Hulkenberg finished just outside the points after a race in which he lacked the pace to challenge Gasly for a top 10 result. It was an unremarkable performance that broadly reflected Audi\u2019s competitiveness.<\/p>\n

Arvid Lindblad: 5\/10<\/p>\n

Qualified: 9th (started 14th) | Race: 12th<\/p>\n

Lindblad recovered from 14th on the grid to finish 12th, gaining positions without making a meaningful impression on the points battle. His race was steady, but the strategy failed to deliver enough progress to bring him into contention for the top 10. He completed the job adequately without doing enough to distinguish himself.<\/p>\n

Gabriel Bortoleto: 6\/10<\/p>\n

Qualified: 13th (started 21st) | Race: 13th<\/p>\n

Bortoleto recovered from the back of the grid to finish 13th, making useful progress through the field despite the substantial penalty that had compromised his starting position. He showed encouraging pace during the recovery, although a pit-stop misunderstanding cost him additional time. It was a respectable drive that demonstrated more promise than the final classification suggested.<\/p>\n

Esteban Ocon: 5\/10<\/p>\n

Qualified: 17th (started 15th) | Race 14th<\/p>\n

Ocon finished 14th after Haas prioritised his undamaged car when Bearman reported unusual handling. He gained positions during the race but lacked the pace to turn that progress into a points challenge. The result was broadly in line with the team\u2019s limited competitiveness, and he did little to elevate it.<\/p>\n

Lance Stroll: 5\/10<\/p>\n

Qualified: 18th (started pit lane) | Race: 15th<\/p>\n

Aston Martin lacked the aerodynamic performance to sustain a serious challenge, limiting what Stroll could realistically hope for from the pit lane. He completed a difficult afternoon without producing a standout performance, but the result alone did not warrant a harsher rating.<\/p>\n

Fernando Alonso: 5\/10<\/p>\n

Qualified: 15th (started 12th) | Race: 16th<\/p>\n

Alonso\u2019s race was compromised by first-lap contact with Albon, which damaged both cars and disrupted their prospects. He continued to the finish but lacked pace, ending the race 16th, the damage limiting his potential.<\/p>\n

Alex Albon: 5\/10<\/p>\n

Qualified: 20th (started 17th) | Race: 17th<\/p>\n

Albon gained positions at the start before contact with Alonso compromised his race. The damage and Williams\u2019 lack of pace meant it was a long day in the office. The result was poor, but in keeping with what was a difficult weekend for the team.<\/p>\n

Carlos Sainz: 5\/10<\/p>\n

Qualified: 19th (started 16th) | Race: 18th<\/p>\n

Sainz finished 18th after a difficult race in which he was squeezed towards the pit wall early on. He avoided a more serious incident but lost time with a damaged front wing. Back in the race, he could not make meaningful progress through the field, eventually finishing a lap down, his Williams without the pace to offer him a realistic chance of much more.<\/p>\n

Sergio Perez: 5\/10<\/p>\n

Qualified: 21st (started 18th) | Race: 19th<\/p>\n

Perez finished 19th, a lap down, after another difficult afternoon for Cadillac. The car\u2019s limited competitiveness was a major constraint, so the finishing position alone did not justify a below-average rating.<\/p>\n

Valtteri Bottas: 5\/10<\/p>\n

Qualified: 22nd (started 19th) | Race: DNF<\/p>\n

Bottas retired after 48 laps when a power unit problem forced him to stop, triggering a late Virtual Safety Car. His pace had been broadly comparable to Perez\u2019s before the failure, but the retirement prevented him from completing the race. The mechanical issue was not a reason to penalise his individual rating.<\/p>\n

Franco Colapinto: 5\/10<\/p>\n

Qualified: 14th (started 20th) | Race: DNF<\/p>\n

Colapinto retired after 35 laps with damage, ending a race in which he had started near the back following a grid penalty. His early exit prevented a meaningful assessment of his full-distance pace or potential recovery.<\/p>\n

Oliver Bearman: 3\/10<\/p>\n

Qualified: 16th (started 13th) | Race: DNF<\/p>\n

Bearman\u2019s race unravelled after contact with Gasly earned him a 10-second penalty for causing a collision. Haas had already asked him to yield to Ocon after he reported unusual handling, and the Briton\u2019s afternoon ended with a retirement caused by damage. The contact and resulting penalty made this a costly race, and he deserved a below-average rating as a result.<\/p>\n

Read Next: Wolff lifts the lid on \u2018weird\u2019 Kimi Antonelli US GP admission<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Kimi Antonelli might be on the verge of the world championship, but he\u2019s showing no ill-effects of the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":941366,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[573],"tags":[64,63,817,3874,813,816,818,85,66002],"class_list":["post-941365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-formula-1","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-f1","tag-f1-features","tag-formula-1","tag-formula1","tag-home-page","tag-sports","tag-united-states-grand-prix"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/941365","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=941365"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/941365\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/941366"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=941365"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=941365"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=941365"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}