Sergio Perez (P8, 4 pts): 6/10
This is now a familiar pattern for Sergio Perez: he starts the season well, initially seems to be within touching distance of his Red Bull team mate Max Verstappen, and then suddenly he goes off the boil and drops away. That's what this week happened in Imola. Admittedly Red Bull as a whole had a troubled time on Friday, but while Verstappen picked himself up and dusted himself off in time for qualifying, Perez missed the cut at the end of Q2 for the first time this season leaving him on the back foot for the race itself. The nature of the track and no safety car incidents gave him little to work with on Sunday. Eighth place means he surrenders his runners-up spot to Charles Leclerc in the drivers championship and suddenly chatter about Perez' future is in full flow again.
George Russell (Fastest lap, P7, 7 pts): 7.5/10
After a strong start in Friday practice, George Russell and his Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton were feeling quite bullish (if you'll pardon the phrase) but once again their form seemed to fade over the course of the weekend - or maybe their rivals simply made improvements they weren't able to match. Either away they weren't where they hoped, wanted or expected to be in qualifying. Russell had the edge on Hamilton throughout and was only a thousandth of a second off Carlos Sainz in Q3, and you can understand his frustration in the race at a late call from the team to pit which cost him a place over Hamilton. There were reasons, and he got a bonus point as a result, but you could hear the grinding of teeth from inside the helmet.
