How it transmits Sports Club, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen triumphed at the Grand Prix of Mexico, the 18th race of this year’s Formula 1 Championship.
The Dutchman celebrated for the third time in Mexico City, where he recorded his ninth victory this season, and the 19th in his career, as he outsmarted his rivals at the start and then completely controlled the race. The closest to Verstappen was Lewis Hamilton in Mercedes, who was 16.5 seconds behind, while the favorite of the home crowd, Sergio Perez, was on the third step of the podium. The current champion and other Red Bull driver was finally separated by a second.
The Grand Prix of Mexico was practically resolved at the very start, as Verstappen then took the lead in front of Hamilton and Perez, using the perfect lee behind Valtteri Bottas. Shortly afterwards, Finca was hit by Daniel Ricciardo in McLaren, which caused him to turn on the track, and then he had a race for oblivion, which he finished in 15th position. In a separate incident, Esteban Okon catapulted Mick Schumacher and Yuki Tsunoda in an Alpina car, who then gave up. A safety vehicle came out on the track then, and when the race continued in the fifth lap, Verstappen increased its advantage over Hamilton without any major problems. On the other hand, the defending champion could not separate from Perez for more than two seconds, and although Mercedes was the first to pull the move and pull him into the pits, their clash was not avoided. The Mexican caught up with Hamilton ten laps before the end, who responded to his attempts to attack, and Perez got a new opportunity in the very finish, but he ran out of time.
The best among the others was Alpha Tauri driver Pierre Gasly, who drove a rather lonely race, ahead of Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and junior Carlos Sainz. Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel was seventh, ahead of Kimi Raikkonen in Alfa Romeo, and the winners of the points were completed by Alpina driver Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris, who is defending the colors of McLaren. The point for the fastest lap was not awarded because it was achieved by Bottas, who took it from Verstappen in the last moments of the race.
Four races before the end of the season, Verstappen leads the overall standings with 312.5 points, 19 more than Hamilton, while Bottas is third with 185.
The next race of the season will take place next weekend for the Brazilian Grand Prix on the “Interlagos” track.
More F1 news F1: Max Verstappen won a tactical battle against Hamilton in Austin