Verstappen Leads Mexican GP Tier List as Antonelli Secures Title

Max Verstappen’s controlled brilliance in Mexico City earned the only S-tier ranking in Edd Straw’s latest driver tier list, while Lewis Hamilton, Ryo Hirakawa and Liam Lawson impressed in A. Kimi Antonelli clinched the 2026 title despite a subdued weekend, and Charles Leclerc and Nico Hulkenberg paid heavily for costly errors.

Why it matters:

There was no flawless weekend, so the tier list separates raw pace from execution. Verstappen combined strong starts, defensive precision and Red Bull’s recovery after a difficult Friday. Hamilton’s first pole since 2023 and race-leading speed nearly matched him, but his Turn 4 late-braking moment with Verstappen cost him the top tier.

The details:

• Hirakawa made the most of his late call-up in Ocon’s seat, flirting with Q2 and passing both Williams cars late for a point.
• Lawson recovered from a pit-lane start and red-flag disruption to win the midfield after penalties.
• Antonelli sealed the championship despite health and qualifying issues, taking a tidy podium after a long first stint.
• Leclerc had pace but paid for qualifying tyre prep and two race errors, including a Turn 4 lunge and a restart lock-up, dropping to E tier.
• Hulkenberg’s F-tier weekend hinged on rear-ending Bearman at the restart, an avoidable error in Turn 4 congestion.

What’s next:

The rankings underline how thin the margins are at the front and how severely one mistake can distort a weekend. With Antonelli now champion, focus shifts to how rivals respond and whether Verstappen’s S-tier form becomes a late-season benchmark.