Max Verstappen (Pole, P1, 25 pts): 10/10
Given everything else that was happening on track during the Brazilian Grand Prix, it would be easy to overlook just how well Max Verstappen performed this weekend. His legion of fans have routinely handed the Dutch driver the official Formula 1 Driver of the Day honours throughout 2019, and they did so again this weekend. But for our money this was the race where he absolutely, incontrovertibly deserved the accolade after arguably his best drive of the whole season. He had made a slow start to the weekend, sitting out the wet FP1 and then only third fastest in FP2, but after being pipped to the top by Lewis Hamilton in final practice by 0.023s it seemed that everything changed: the lights went on inside Verstappen's helmet and no one could catch him after that as he swept all three rounds of qualifying and successfully picked up his second F1 career pole. His start was perfect and he flew into the first corners unconcerned by the scrap raging behind him between Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel for second place. But that's not to say that he ran away with things from there: on the contrary, an inconveniently placed Williams ruined what would otherwise have been the perfect first pit stop on lap 21 and dropped him behind Hamilton on track. He passed the Mercedes, the Mercedes passed him back, and so it went until Verstappen finally stamped his authority on the situation. But then the late safety car added a new dimension of uncertainty, Verstappen pitting for fresh tyres while Hamilton prioritised track position and stayed out. Red Bull had made the right call, but a second safety car allowed Mercedes to change plan in time for a final two lap shoot-out. Unfazed, Max managed the restart to perfection and was straight out of danger long before his team mate Alex Albon fell foul of Hamilton while the pair scrapped for second. A top notch outing for Verstappen, who is already looking a serious threat for the 2020 title.
