Max Verstappen topped the Singapore Grand Prix driver ratings published by Motorsport-Total.com, but the biggest surprise came just behind him, with Nico Hülkenberg ranked second despite finishing only eighth in the race. George Russell, by contrast, was placed 19th after what was judged to be a particularly difficult weekend.
The ratings produced a striking contrast between the Audi and Mercedes drivers, with former Formula 1 driver Marc Surer praising Hülkenberg’s race performance while strongly criticising Russell’s inability to make progress.
Nico Hülkenberg earns second-best Singapore rating
Hülkenberg received an overall rating of 1.64, bettered only by Max Verstappen’s 1.13.
Surer highlighted the German driver’s Sunday performance in particular.
“In the Sprint, Nico was also helped by circumstances, but on Sunday he managed to keep Russell’s Mercedes behind him. That is a really impressive result.”
The assessment placed Hülkenberg second overall in the weekend ratings despite his eighth-place finish in the Grand Prix.
George Russell falls to 19th after difficult weekend
Russell received a far harsher assessment, finishing 19th in the ratings with a score of 4.60.
Surer was particularly critical of the Mercedes driver’s race performance.
“A mistake in the wet can happen, even if it would obviously be better to avoid it. But not being able to overtake an Audi in the race certainly represents a disappointing performance.”
It was another frustrating outcome for Russell in Singapore, with the rating reflecting both his weekend errors and his lack of progress during the Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton also misses Singapore top 10
Lewis Hamilton was also outside the top 10 in the Motorsport-Total rankings, placing 12th with a score of 3.43.
In Hamilton’s case, however, Surer directed most of his criticism towards strategy rather than the driver himself.
“I don’t understand why he wasn’t called into the pits during the Virtual Safety Car. Tyre wear was the main obstacle in his race.”
Verstappen leads ratings as Leclerc follows Hülkenberg
Behind Verstappen and Hülkenberg in the Singapore weekend ratings came Charles Leclerc, Liam Lawson and Oliver Bearman.
Verstappen’s strong result also had an impact on Motorsport-Total’s season-long Driver of the Year standings. The Red Bull driver moved to within nine points of Kimi Antonelli, reopening the battle for the award.
The Singapore ratings therefore produced one of the weekend’s more unexpected verdicts: Verstappen remained the clear benchmark, but Hülkenberg’s performance was rated more highly than almost the entire field, while Russell found himself near the bottom of the classification.
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