By Joe Murphy
After a series of correct predictions from Friday’s predictions article, only McLaren didn’t quite meet expectations for this race, and there were a number of exceptional factors behind their poor weekend. Whilst the results of the race were pretty much confirmed by the end of the first lap, especially the podium positions, there was still much to take away from the on-track action we witnessed from Mexico City. Let’s start with the victor.
Max Verstappen dominates again to put one hand on the title…
Whilst the Constructor’s Championship standings leave a single point between Red Bull and Mercedes, the gap Max Verstappen has to a chasing Lewis Hamilton was opened up yet again to 19 points. With only a handful of races remaining in the season, the Dutchman looks the clear favourite and leaves the British driver with it all to do over the next couple of months. Lewis performed well over the weekend, but simply didn’t have the pace to stop the number 33 Red Bull from running away with the race win on Sunday. Max has certainly shown clear signs of maturity and development as a driver this season and this week was no exception. He wasn’t the only happy Red Bull driver come the checkered flag, however…
Happy Homecoming for Hometown Hero…
Sergio Perez capped a marvellous weekend by becoming the first Mexican to stand on the podium in Mexico itself and in doing so, he sent the crowd frantic. The supporters were vocal throughout all the weekend sessions but they were especially ecstatic when Checo crossed the line in third place to cement his place on the lower step. Emotions were very high on Sunday afternoon and it was a sight to see when the Mexican driver embraced his proud father. On a more racing related note, he drove a solid race under incredible pressure to give Red Bull that solid points haul whilst Mercedes suffered a setback with Valtteri Bottas incurring misfortune and being sent to the back of the grid, before the second corner. With Brazil next up, there is the mouth-watering prospect of these two teams batting it out, to edge out the other.
Contrasting fortunes for Alpha Tauri drivers…
Whereas Yuki Tsunoda endured a brief and painful race on Sunday, teammate Pierre Gasly shone to claim fourth place and draw Alpha Tauri level with Alpine in the constructor’s standings. Both drivers for the Italian team had a strong Saturday, with both the Japanese and French drivers respectively making it to Q3. On race day, Yuki was unfortunate to collide with another car heading into turn 2, whilst his teammate stayed out of trouble and managed to hold on to score double figures for the team. Despite never getting close to challenging for a spot on the podium, Gasly continues to shine and put his car into contention should any of the front runners encounter problems, as Valtteri Bottas did. With Alpha Tauri in prime position to enjoy yet more success in Brazil this coming weekend, fifth in the standings come December would certainly be a decent yet achievable target. Furthermore, with both drivers to remain with the team next year, this partnership could grow even stronger, especially considering Yuki Tsunoda is getting more and more experienced every Grand Prix
Ferrari move ahead of McLaren after solid display…
Ferrari may have started the season in a more inconsistent fashion, but they are certainly showing their true form now. Both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are driving consistently well and Ferrari seem to be in a position where they could be challenging Red Bull and Mercedes very soon. When you consider where the team were last year, they have certainly been the most improved team and, with two extremely talented and young drivers, may be winning races yet again, in the not too distant future. McLaren had no such luck in Mexico City, with a combination of engine problems and driver mistakes meaning then left Mexico with only a single point. This pains in comparison to the Red team who took away a combined 18 points with a 5th and 6th place finish for Leclerc and Sainz respectively. Ferrari won in Brazil only four years ago. Whilst this looks unlikely, a podium finish could certainly be on the cards.
Vintage Kimi and Seb displays get points for their respective teams…
Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel illustrated to audiences worldwide that they are as good now as they have ever been. Using their experience and the misfortune of others ahead, the two drivers managed to score good points for their teams. Seb claimed a valuable 6 points for Aston Martin whereas Kimi, in one of his final races in Formula 1, took away 4. Considering the cars behind them are, simply put, much faster, then this feat is worth even extra credit. They may be the veterans of the grid, but they both showed they have not lost a step with a combination of some excellent overtaking manovers and race management strategy, to maximise performance of the car and, hence, their results.
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