George Russell endured a difficult 2026 Singapore Grand Prix weekend, and his performance has now attracted sharp criticism in the latest Singapore GP driver ratings published by Motorsport-Total.com. While Max Verstappen topped the rankings, Audi’s Nico Hülkenberg emerged as the surprise performer in second place despite finishing eighth in the race. The contrast was particularly striking for George Russell, who was ranked only 19th after a frustrating weekend with Mercedes.
The ratings, which assess drivers’ performances rather than simply their finishing positions, produced several notable results. Nico Hülkenberg earned considerable praise for keeping George Russell behind him during Sunday’s race, while Lewis Hamilton also finished outside the top ten following a difficult afternoon shaped by Ferrari’s tyre strategy.
Singapore GP driver ratings: Max Verstappen leads as Nico Hülkenberg impresses
Max Verstappen secured first place in the Singapore Grand Prix driver ratings with an overall score of 1.13, reflecting another impressive weekend for the Red Bull driver. However, one of the most interesting outcomes was Nico Hülkenberg’s second-place ranking.
The experienced German driver received an overall score of 1.64 despite finishing only eighth in the Grand Prix. His performance in the Audi was considered particularly impressive given the circumstances of the race and the opposition he managed to keep behind him.
Former Formula 1 driver and expert Marc Surer praised Nico Hülkenberg’s performance, highlighting the significance of his battle with George Russell.
“In the Sprint, Nico also benefited from the circumstances, but on Sunday he managed to keep Russell’s Mercedes behind him. A truly remarkable result,” Marc Surer explained.
The assessment placed Nico Hülkenberg ahead of several drivers who achieved stronger finishing positions, underlining the importance of evaluating individual performances in the context of the machinery available.
George Russell criticised after difficult Singapore GP weekend
George Russell received a considerably harsher assessment, finishing 19th in the driver ratings with a score of 4.60. The Mercedes driver’s weekend was marked by difficulties, and his inability to overtake Nico Hülkenberg’s Audi during the race attracted particular criticism.
Marc Surer acknowledged that mistakes can happen in challenging conditions, but he was far less forgiving when evaluating George Russell’s race performance.
“A mistake in the wet can happen, although it would be better to avoid it. But failing to overtake an Audi in the race certainly represents a disappointing performance,” Marc Surer said.
The criticism was especially significant given the competitive expectations surrounding Mercedes and its W17. Earlier in the season, the team’s performance had demonstrated the potential of its 2026 car, with Mercedes’ W17 dominance becoming a major talking point following Kimi Antonelli’s eighth victory of the campaign.
However, the Singapore weekend proved much more complicated for George Russell, whose low position in the ratings reflected the difficulties he experienced both in changing conditions and during the Grand Prix itself.
Lewis Hamilton ranked 12th as Ferrari strategy comes under scrutiny
Lewis Hamilton also missed out on a top-ten position in the Singapore GP driver ratings. The Ferrari driver finished 12th with an overall score of 3.43, although Marc Surer’s criticism focused primarily on the strategic decisions that shaped his race.
The seven-time Formula 1 World Champion struggled with tyre wear during the closing stages, and the decision not to make a pit stop under the Virtual Safety Car proved particularly costly.
“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,” Marc Surer commented.
Lewis Hamilton’s Singapore Grand Prix was heavily influenced by his tyre strategy. As his Soft tyres deteriorated, he became increasingly vulnerable to drivers running on fresher rubber, losing valuable positions before the chequered flag.
The circumstances surrounding the decisive Virtual Safety Car period subsequently became clearer, with Lewis Hamilton explaining that he missed the pit entry after Ferrari instructed him to stop. The British driver ultimately accepted responsibility for the mistake and the championship points lost.
His disappointing rating therefore reflected a difficult race in which strategy and tyre degradation played a major role, rather than simply a lack of outright performance from the Ferrari.
Charles Leclerc, Liam Lawson and Oliver Bearman complete the top five
Behind Max Verstappen and Nico Hülkenberg, the next three positions in the Singapore Grand Prix driver ratings went to Charles Leclerc, Liam Lawson and Oliver Bearman.
Charles Leclerc secured third place in the rankings, reflecting a strong weekend for the Ferrari driver, while Liam Lawson and Oliver Bearman completed the top five.
The presence of Nico Hülkenberg, Liam Lawson and Oliver Bearman among the highest-rated drivers illustrates how the assessment rewarded performances relative to expectations and circumstances, rather than following the finishing order of the Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen closes on Kimi Antonelli in Driver of the Year standings
Beyond the individual Singapore Grand Prix ratings, Max Verstappen also made important progress in the season-long Driver of the Year award standings.
Following his latest performance, the Red Bull driver moved to within nine points of championship leader Kimi Antonelli, reopening the contest for the recognition.
While Kimi Antonelli continues to lead the seasonal rankings, Max Verstappen’s strong Singapore performance has reduced the gap and increased the significance of the remaining races.
The Singapore ratings therefore delivered two contrasting verdicts. Max Verstappen reinforced his position among the season’s outstanding performers, with Nico Hülkenberg earning exceptional praise for his Audi performance, while George Russell faced one of the harshest assessments of the weekend. Lewis Hamilton’s difficult race added another talking point, with Ferrari’s strategy once again coming under scrutiny.
Leave a Reply