Edd Straw's new tier-list format for driver rankings landed its second installment at Mexico City, and Max Verstappen claimed the S tier despite a traffic-induced qualifying lock-up that cost him pole. Verstappen's race pace and wheel-to-wheel work against Hamilton earned him the top slot, while Lewis Hamilton's first pole since 2023 and dominant stint speed were docked only by his Turn 4 mistake that forced both wide.
Ryo Hirakawa impressed as Ocon's stand-in, clawing into point contention and passing both Williams late for a deserved finish. Liam Lawson salvaged points after starting from the pits, surging to a post-penalty midfield win. Sergio Perez drove a sharp home race until a wheelgun issue and a 0.2 km/h speeding penalty knocked him back.
The midfield juggle saw Kimi Antonelli lock the title despite being off-pace, while Gabriel Bortoleto banged in the sixth-fastest Q1 lap blind on setup. No one reached Mexico clean—Straw's S tier threshold held.
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