Max Verstappen, the Formula One champion, secured a document sixteenth season win with two flawless begins on an exhilarating Sunday for Red Bull on the Mexico City Grand Prix.
While Verstappen was cruising to a different victory in a season of dominance a first-corner crash ruined the house race of his teammate Sergio Perez, who now finds himself barely clinging to second within the season championship forward of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton with three races left.
Verstappen began from third and received from the identical spot as he did in 2021. Back then, he used the slingshot impact of the draft down the lengthy beginning straight on the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez to whip to the surface and cross two vehicles.
This time, Verstappen’s fast bolt off the beginning line allowed him to squeeze between the 2 Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz and into the lead.
He was in complete management over the subsequent 35 laps however nonetheless had work to do. A tough crash by Haas driver Kevin Magnussen on the midway level compelled the race right into a halt and a restart. Verstappen nailed that one as properly and was by no means threatened for the checkered flag.
“Everything I did, I needed to begin over,” Verstappen mentioned.
Verstappen earned his third consecutive win in Mexico City and fifth general on the observe since 2017. He additionally collected profession win No. 51, tying him for fourth place in F1 historical past with Alain Prost. He is 2 shy of Sebastian Vettel for third. Hamilton holds the document with 103.
What different objectives does Verstappen have this yr?
“Seventeen (wins)? 18? I don’t know,” Verstappen said. “It’s been one other unbelievable season. The automotive has been unbelievable to drive.”
Hamilton completed second on Sunday. Leclerc was third.
Leclerc began on pole place for the second consecutive race however once more failed to show it right into a win. In 22 profession begins from pole, he has received simply 4 occasions.
Perez’s race was over rapidly. The Mexican driver was knocked out of the race simply seconds after the beginning when his automotive clipped tires with Leclerc and bounced excessive into the air.
Like Verstappen two years in the past, Perez tried to cross Leclerc with a sweeping transfer from the surface that pinched the Ferrari between himself and the opposite Red Bull automotive. Verstappen mentioned he understood the temptation to attempt such a transfer.
“It’s his home grand prix. If it worked, you would have looked amazing,” Verstappen mentioned. “This time, it did not work out.”
The crackup silenced the huge crowd that had greeted Perez with thunderous cheers all weekend. Much of the group left after the crash, however some who stayed booed Leclerc throughout the postrace interviews earlier than the rostrum celebration.
Leclerc mentioned he felt unhealthy for Perez however added, “It’s life. It damaged my car and it ended the race for Checo … I really did not do it on purpose, but I had nowhere to go.”
The crash allowed Hamilton to shut a 39-point hole behind Perez to only 20 heading into the Brazilian Grand Prix subsequent week. Hamilton can be even nearer if he had not been disqualified from second final week on the United States Grand Prix for a technical guidelines violation on his automotive.
Hamilton is a seven-time champion. He shrugged off a duel with Perez for second, however mentioned he’d attempt to get it for the Mercedes workforce.
“This is a great result,” Hamilton said. “I didn’t suppose I’d be in taking pictures vary, however after right now, we’ll give it our greatest shot.”
Perez was crushed.
He got here to his dwelling race amid rampant hypothesis that his tenure with Red Bull is in jeopardy regardless of a contract that runs by way of subsequent season. Team principal Christian Horner has mentioned Red Bull needs to complete 1-2 within the driver’s championship, one thing it has by no means carried out.
Perez’ late-season drives are placing that in jeopardy. He received two of the primary 4 races this season, however he has not received since April and has not been on the rostrum within the final 5 races.
“The opportunity, the dream of winning, to live my race with passion, that took me to risk something that maybe was too risky,” Perez said. “I’m going dwelling calm as a result of I gave all the pieces.”
McLaren podium streak ends
McLaren’s streak of 4 consecutive podium finishes ended when Lando Norris completed fifth and Oscar Piastri was eighth. It was nonetheless a formidable drive for Norris, who began seventeenth and charged by way of the sphere after the restart.
Dead finish Aston Martin
Aston Martin had one other unhealthy race as Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll each retired early and didn’t end. Aston Martin appeared like a transparent No. 2 to Red Bull with six podium finishes within the first eight races, however now has only one within the final 11 and has dropped to a distant fifth within the workforce standings.
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