Max Verstappen (P2, Fastest lap, 19 pts): 9.5/10
It was a case of deja vu all over again for Max Verstappen. Just like Imola, the Red Bull driver snatched the lead from Lewis Hamilton at the start of the race only to be caught out by the Mercedes' superior speed and better race strategy over the course of the afternoon. There's no doubt that Verstappen is pouring everything he had into the effort, but it's simply not quite enough to topple Hamilton when it really matters. He was second quickest on Friday and top of the times in Saturday practice, and his brilliant fastest lap in the second round of qualifying was truly exhilarating. Unfortunately Hamilton had enough in reserve to take pole in Q3, and while Verstappen forced his way in front in the first corner on Sunday there was always a lingering sense that the Red Bull didn't quite have the speed to stay there. Even so, it took an immaculately executed plan to enable Hamilton to finally retake the lead with six laps remaining, leaving Verstappen diving into pit lane to pick up a new set of tyres in order to successully claim the bonus point for fastest lap of the race - this time without falling foul of race control for breaching track limits in the process. "I tried everything I could today," he said. "We were just lacking a bit of pace to Mercedes. Of course we wanted to win but I cannot feel too disappointed as I did everything I could out there and maximised the opportunities."
Lewis Hamilton (Pole, P1, 25 pts): 9.5/10
For several years the critics have complained that Lewis Hamilton has been as successful as he is only because his car is so much better than any of the others on the grid. This year that advantage has largely (but not entirely) diminished and now it's down to the drivers: and guess what, Hamilton still finds a way to win even when it looks most unlikely. The world champion was able to claim a historic hundredth pole position on Saturday, but when it came to the race he lost out straight away to Max Verstappen in the first corner. Other drivers - lesser talents, you might say - would have thrown everything into the defence of the position even at the risk of a race-ending collision, but Hamilton knew what he had to do. He listened to the Mercedes pit wall when it mattered and came in for an early second stop on lap 42, and even though it left him 22s down on Verstappen the events that followed played out with a sense of almost operatic inevitability. It seemed as though it all would come down to a last lap shoot-out, but Hamilton's pace was so much better than that. Ultimately the victory was decided with six laps to go: while those behind him rushed about picking up the crumbs for fastest lap, Hamilton was flying to his third win of the season. Just two more and he'll have a hundred victories to bookend that century of poles.
