On Monday, we’ll publish our ratings for all 22 drivers at the 2026 Miami Grand Prix, but we need your help!
It’s one thing to determine who won the 2026 Miami Grand Prix. But it might be another matter entirely to identify which drivers delivered the best performance at the Miami International Autodrome. Because in Formula 1, it’s not just the driver’s performance that counts. The performance of the car at their disposal is also crucial, as is, of course, that of the team.
It is extremely difficult to assess a driver’s performance in isolation from these other factors. Nevertheless, we’re giving it a try. Our grading system is based on three pillars. First: the fans. Our users now have the opportunity to rate the performances of all 22 drivers. Similar to the school grading system, from 1 (excellent) to 6 (unsatisfactory).
Second: the expert. As in previous years, Marc Surer grades the performances of Max Verstappen & Co. And third: the editorial team. We’re conducting our own small vote within our core Formula 1 team.
Each of the three pillars then contributes one-third to the overall grade for the weekend. The result is the ultimate ranking—which makes for a great discussion!
Our format is inspired by the grades that soccer magazines, for example, assign after every match. But relying solely on the editorial team’s ratings felt too subjective to us. To arrive at the most balanced judgment possible, we therefore ask our experts and our users for their help.
Guide: How should you assign your grades?
As a guideline: For a grade of 1, a driver should have achieved something truly exceptional. For example, in comparison to his teammate. A 2 is a very, very good performance by a world-class driver who is missing just one special element. A 3 and a 4 are above-average and below-average, respectively—so actually still pretty good!
A 5 is reserved for the poorer performances, such as when a driver is clearly dominated by a teammate all weekend or delivers an average performance and then causes an avoidable crash. A grade of 6 should only be given in the “brainfade” category—that is, when a driver has done something particularly stupid.
Try to evaluate objectively! Of course, that’s not always easy. But whether you’re a fan of Max Verstappen or Fernando Alonso shouldn’t play a role in assigning the grade. No one will ever be able to completely detach themselves from personal preferences and biases. But at least trying to do so contributes to a fairer grading system.
Don’t let external influences blind you! The grade should be based solely on what the driver himself had control over. An example: Are deteriorating tires a driver-related or an external factor? If the tires deteriorate because the driver braked too hard shortly before, that should have a negative impact on the grade. If the tires deteriorate due to a material defect, there should be no deductions.
Give the race the highest weighting! That’s the only place where points are awarded. Performance on race day should account for about 70 percent of the score. Qualifying 25 percent. And the three free practice sessions a maximum of five percent. A crash in free practice where a front wing flies off might cost a few minutes of practice time. One on race day could cost the victory.
What about a sprint weekend? Then the weighting shifts slightly. In the Sprint, the winner gets eight points. In the main race, 25. So you could say: Sprint qualifying and the Sprint race should account for one-third of the grade, qualifying and the Grand Prix the other two-thirds. And the single free practice session only counts toward the evaluation if something extraordinary happened there. For example, a crash that jeopardized participation in subsequent sessions.
Remember who’s driving which car! It’s easier to drive a Ferrari without making mistakes than an Alpine. That puts things into perspective when Lewis Hamilton drives to pole with a commanding lead and Franco Colapinto spins out. In a Ferrari, that might not have happened to him. But…
…always ask yourselves: If two drivers were in the same car, who would deliver the better performance? So even with a strong performance by his standards, one of the less talented drivers might only get a 3 or 4 at most. Because even on a good weekend in the same car, he’d still perform worse than Max Verstappen on a bad one.
Don’t take it too seriously! Sure, our grading system is meant to be an attempt to objectively rank driver performance. Ultimately, that’s never 100 percent possible. Everyone evaluates things a little differently, and that’s okay. That’s why we have three pillars to balance each other out. It’s fine to criticize others for their opinions, but it should always be done with the necessary respect! For example, in our community’s discussions on social media.
