After a top-tier finish for Ferrari in Austin, the Italian team continued its winning streak. Carlos Sainz took the top step for a second time this season, and Charles Leclerc was close behind, finishing third on the podium.
Sainz’s Mexico win is the fourth of his career and the first Ferrari win in Mexico since 1990 with Alain Prost. This is the first time the Spanish driver has had multiple Grand Prix wins in a season, cementing this year as one of his best.
Sainz claimed his second win of the season, and possibly his last with the Italian team. Courtesy of Ferrari.com.
This may be the last time Sainz steps foot on the top step for a long time, as he only has four remaining races with the Italian team. This win was extremely special for him, as he claimed he wanted to win one more time before he parts ways with Ferrari.
The race began with a dramatic start, as Pierre Gasly drifted, squeezing Alex Albon. This caused Albon to squeeze Yuki Tsunoda, sending him into the barriers. With two drivers out on lap 1, it was safe to say that the race would be interesting.
These were not the only drivers out of the Mexican Grand Prix, as Fernando Alonso later had to retire the car. It was an unfortunate ending for the Spanish driver’s 400th race, but he was forced into the pits on lap 16 with a suspected brake cooling issue.
Max Verstappen had a brilliant race start compared to the pole sitter, putting him in the lead at Turn 1. However, following the safety car after Tsunoda’s crash and a DRS boost, Sainz overtook Verstappen on lap 9 to regain the lead.
There was a controversial battle between Verstappen and title contender Lando Norris, allowing Leclerc to slip past into second place from fourth. It was a stressful few corners for the Dutch and British drivers, ultimately landing Verstappen a hefty penalty.
Two separate incidents between the two drivers were noted at Turn 4 and Turn 8, with Norris claiming to have been pushed wide by Verstappen when he was ahead at the Apex. The stewards eventually ruled in Norris’ favor, resulting in a 20-second penalty for Verstappen.
Verstappen and Norris had two separate racing incidents during the race, resulting in the Dutch driver receiving a 20-second penalty. Courtesy of Red Bull Content Pool/Getty Images.
It was a race to forget for the home hero, as Perez landed a penalty for an over-the-line start. On top of the penalty, he had an intense battle between himself and Liam Lawson while racing side-by-side. Neither driver was penalized for the incident, but Perez was noticeably unhappy after his car suffered damage.
The other Red Bull driver wasn’t finding himself any luck either. After serving his penalty during his pit stop, Verstappen found himself in 15th position. Verstappen’s driving looks to be back to his usual pace despite tyre struggles, but his aggressive tactics are what seem to be holding him back from reaching the top step again.
Almost every driver was unhappy during the race, as Piastri seemed annoyed with his position in the midfield. While his teammate was up in the action at the front of the grid, the Australian driver was once again knocked out of Q1 during qualifying, putting him back in P17. The past two weekends have been shocking, especially considering how Piastri has managed two wins this season.
Norris was slowly gaining on Leclerc by the end of the race, with both drivers fighting for second place. Ferrari wanted another 1-2 in Mexico, but it all ended when the Monegasque driver went wide through the final corner, impressively managing to avoid the barriers. Norris was able to slide right into second place and possibly fight for the win.
Sainz was able to clinch the win in Mexico, earning Ferrari’s second win in a row. With their amazing results in the past two races, the Italian team has moved their way up to second in the constructors’ standings.
The stars and stripes seem to have boosted Haas, as the American team managed to achieve their best result in Mexico. Bringing home eight points for the team is a major achievement, especially with two consecutive successful races.
Haas delivered their best result in Mexico in the team’s history, scoring eight points. Courtesy of Haasf1team.com.
It was a less-than-ideal day for Red Bull and their junior team, with only one car scoring points. Verstappen only claimed eight points in sixth place, and the gap between him and Norris in the title fight is slowly closing in.
The triple header ends in Brazil from November 1-3. With only a few races left in the season, everything is beginning to heat up as the drivers and teams attempt to score their best results to end on a good note.
Edited by Reese Dlabach
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