MEXICO CITY — Max Verstappen split the Ferrari front row of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz firstly to grab the lead of the Formula One Mexico City Grand Prix by the primary corner, then drove off to his record sixteenth victory of the season on Sunday.
Red Bull’s three-time season champion collected his third consecutive win on the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez and broke his own season victories record set last 12 months.
Verstappen began from third and won from the identical spot as he did in 2021. Back then, he used the slingshot effect of the draft down the long starting straight to whip to the surface and pass two cars. This time, Verstappen’s quick bolt off the starting line allowed him to squeeze between the 2 Ferraris and into the lead.
He still had work to do. A tough crash by Haas driver Kevin Magnussen on the halfway point forced the race right into a halt and a restart. Verstappen nailed that one as well and was never threatened for the checkered flag.
The Dutch driver’s 51st profession win tied Alain Prost for fourth most in F1 history. Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton leads with 103.
Hamilton finished second Sunday. Leclerc was third.
Leclerc had began on pole position for the second consecutive race but again did not turn it right into a win. In 22 profession starts from pole, Leclerc has won just 4 times.
Home favorite Sergio Perez’s race was over quickly. The Mexican driver, who’s fighting to hold on to second within the championship behind Verstappen, was taken out in the primary corner when his automobile clipped tires with Leclerc and bounced high into the air.
The crackup silenced the large crowd that had greeted Perez with thunderous cheers on every lap all weekend. Much of the group left after the crash. Most critically, it allowed Hamilton to shut a 39-point gap to Perez to simply 20 with three races left.
Perez hasn’t won since April and hasn’t been on the rostrum within the last five races.
This Article First Appeared At www.autoblog.com
