Oscar Piastri, McLaren (P2, 18 pts): 9/10
There's no doubting Oscar Piastri's skill behind the wheel. This was an exceptional drive from the young Australian, who seized his chances and executed them to perfection, and it wasn't his fault that Ferrari came up with a superior race strategy that everyone else had considered but decided wouldn't work. Tyre degradation put a one-stop out of question for McLaren, no matter what Piastri did during the race. No, our problem with Piastri is his judgement when it comes to team matters: that lunge down the inside of Lando Norris into the second chicane was heart-in-mouth stuff. If Norris hadn't yielded by instinct then it would have been the end of the day for both McLarens, and Piastri would have been public enemy number one with the team's hopes of catching Red Bull in the constructors standings taking a huge hit. For sure it's an example of Ayrton Senna's old adage that "if you see a gap and you don't go for it then you're not a racing driver", but in the end it contributed to McLaren losing a likely 1-2. Piastri needs to be less selfish and more of a team player to become one of the greats and a future champion.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari (P1, 25 pts): 10/10
One of the criteria for our ratings is how well a driver does within the context of their equipment (which is why it became harder for Verstappen to score a perfect 10 when he was coasting to victory week after week, race after race in the imperious RB19). Even though Ferrari had an unexpectedly good time last week to put Charles Leclerc on the podium in Zandvoort, no one (least of all those at Ferrari) thought they stood a realistic chance of winning their home race at Monza. And let's be honest, without Leclerc at the wheel they wouldn't have done. From his opportunist moves to get him ahead of George Russell and Lando Norris at the start, to pulling off a one-stop strategy that shouldn't have been possible, this was a brilliant performance from Leclerc to win his second Italian GP. To be victorious in both of his prestigious home races (Monaco and Monza) in the same season is a dream come true for the Monegasque. The Tifosi seemed quite happy too.
