Record-breaking dominance in Mexico by Max Verstappen, Ferrari third with Charles Leclerc
Max Verstappen’s record-breaking dominance in Mexico, Ferrari third with Charles Leclerc
In the Grand Prix of Mexico City è yet another race dominated by Max Verstappen who with 16 wins sets a new record for wins in a single season and equals the 51 Grands Prix won by Alain Prost who è the fourth all-time multiple winner. Second è Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes. Ferrari, which started from the front row, finished third with Charles Leclerc and fourth with Carlos Sainz.
The Ferraris get off to a bad start in contrast to the Red Bulls and Verstappen immediately takes the lead, Perez with an incredible acceleration flanks Leclerc until he overtakes him with the nose but the Monegasque è closed by Verstappen on the other side and at the first corner he canò do nothing but touch the Mexican and send him off the track.
Checo pits to the disappointment of thousands of fans and can’t restart, Leclerc on the other hand has a damaged front wing and on the fourth lap also loses a baffle but continues ahead of Sainz and the virtual safety-car is decided, which is applied only one lap. On lap 11 Hamilton takes fourth position at the expense of Ricciardo.
Verstappen meanwhile goes quietly on the run and makes his first stop at the end of lap 19 and returns to the track in seventh position, then quickly overtaking Russell and Piastri, while Hamilton recovers Sainz but on lap 24 he in turn makes his pit stop, meanwhile the world champion also overtakes Ricciardo and è third going after the two Ferraris to the tune of fast laps.
Shortly afterwards the Dutchman overtakes Sainz who stops at the end of the thirtieth lap and returns to the track behind Hamilton, the next lap it is the turn of Leclerc who re-enters ahead of the Mercedes Briton. On the thirty-third Magnussen spins, probably due to a rear suspension failure, and crashes violently in the esse area and of course the safety car enters the track.
Verstappen immediately stops in the pits for the second tire change and mounts hard tires after having medium, like almost everyone else but one lap later, exactly halfway through the race, the red flag is shown, preumably for a fire start on Magnussen’s Haasa.
After the 35° lap behind the safety car there is a restart from a standing start from the grid with Verstappen, Leclerc, Hamilton and Sainz maintaining their positions. Lewis is still on medium and Leclerc on hard and on lap 40 Hamilton, despite being pushed on the grass on the inside, manages to pass him on the braking.
With about twenty laps to go Tsunoda ebtra like a kamikaze on Piastri who è seventh and who can’t do anything but crash into him on the entry to the corner, the Japanese driver spins and loses many positions while the Australian manages to continue and behind him is his teammate Norris, who started seventeenth and author of a great comeback despite a disastrous second start. Lando è faster than Oscar and McLaren orders the rookie to let him pass and he obeys.
Norris a few laps later makes a great overtake against Ricciardo and with four laps to go the same fate befalls Russell. Verstappen crosses the finish line undisturbed in the lead and beats his own overall record of 15 wins in the season, second Hamilton, third Leclerc, then Sainz, Norris splendid fifth, Russell, Ricciardo, Piastri, Albon and Ocon.
