If someone had mentioned Red Bull struggling a mere ten races ago, I’d have asked what they were smoking. Now, I wonder what my response might’ve been if I’d watched the Mexico City Grand Prix last night.
In the heart of Mexico City, amid fervent crowds and blazing heat, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz emerged victorious at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. This fourth F1 win came hard-earned as he led the field across the finish.
Tsunoda’s Weekend to Forget
Yuki Tsunoda’s Mexico City Grand Prix was one to forget, marked by two crashes within 24 hours. His troubles began with a self-inflicted mistake in qualifying, where he lost control of his car entering Turn 12, placing him mid-grid for the start.
From P11, Tsunoda found himself alongside Alex Albon’s Williams on the half-mile dash to Turn 1. Albon, squeezed by Pierre Gasly’s Alpine on his right, had no room to avoid Tsunoda on his left. After two glancing wheel-to-wheel touches, the final contact between them sent Tsunoda spinning off into the wall, where he slid all the way to the Turn 1 run-off area.
The incident immediately retired both Tsunoda and Albon, reducing the field to 18 cars and prompting the first deployment of a safety car at the Mexico City Grand Prix in nine years.
The Race Resumes
With Verstappen briefly leading under the safety car, he held off Sainz’s challenge, as McLaren’s Norris and Ferrari’s Leclerc chased close behind. After six laps behind the safety car, the 71-lap race resumed, setting the stage for a thrilling contest.
The Early Duel and Verstappen’s Fall from Grace
At the start, a quick-launching Max Verstappen seized the lead from Sainz, charging forth with the intensity of David facing Goliath. Yet, though he held the lead briefly, Sainz reclaimed the top spot by Lap 9, setting the stage for an intense duel. Verstappen soon found himself locked in a tense battle with Lando Norris, a confrontation that would ultimately spell his undoing.
The encounter with Norris led to two penalties for Verstappen – both for incidents pushing Norris and himself off-track. These penalties, each 10 seconds, dropped the Dutchman far down the ranks. Forced into a recovery drive, Verstappen’s fight became a struggle to salvage sixth place by race’s end.
A Rise Amid the Fall
As Verstappen’s grip on the race loosened, Norris surged forward, while Leclerc joined him to bolster Ferrari’s chances. Together, they achieved a second consecutive double podium finish for Ferrari, this time in a 1-3 configuration after the earlier 1-2 success at the Circuit of the Americas.
With Sainz in command, Norris chipped away at the lead, though time ultimately ran out for the Briton. A late mistake by Leclerc allowed Norris through for a second, but the gap to Sainz proved too large to overcome.
Meanwhile, the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell fought a spirited battle. Ultimately, Hamilton took fourth, leaving Russell in fifth, while Verstappen followed close behind, a frustrated sixth.
Others battled their way up the field. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri made a remarkable recovery from a lowly 17th on the grid to finish eighth. The Haas pair of Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg rounded off a successful race for the team, taking seventh and ninth. The top ten was completed by Gasly in the sister Red Bull, who secured a valuable finish for the Austrian outfit after his teammate’s early exit on lap one.
Perez’s Hometown Struggles
Sergio Perez, racing in front of his home crowd, faced a difficult day. After an early clash with Lawson, a false start penalty, and a compromised strategy, Perez’s race never truly recovered. He struggled to make progress through the field, ultimately finishing in 17th place as the last of the classified drivers, a disappointing result for the Mexican fans who came to cheer him on.
End of the Journey
As the dust settled, Sainz stood triumphant, raising his hands in gratitude. “Gracias, Mexico!” he proclaimed, feeling the crowd’s support. This win, he said, was not just for himself but for the people whose cheers had empowered him.
Next, the teams head to Sao Paulo for the final race in the Americas triple-header. With glory on the line, Sainz returns to defend his place, continuing the unending quest for greatness.
