Red Bull’s Max Verstappen claimed a record 14th victory of the Formula One season by successful the Mexico Grand Prix on Sunday.
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World champion Verstappen completed a snug 15.186 seconds forward of Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes whereas Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez completed third on dwelling soil.
It was the second win inside per week for Dutchman Verstappen, who additionally triumped on the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.
Max Verstappen has now crushed the record beforehand held by Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel for essentially the most wins in a single season.
“It has been an incredible year so far, we are definitely enjoying it and we’ll try to go for more (victories),” mentioned Verstappen.
Hamilton lamented his workforce’s resolution to decide on medium after which laborious tyre compounds whereas Verstappen went from softs to medium.
“I was close in the first stint, but the Red Bulls were too fast today and they probably had the right tyre strategy,” Hamilton mentioned.
Perez was cheered loudly by a sell-out crowd.
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“Unfortunately, it didn’t work out today, but it is great to get third place here and be on the podium,” Perez mentioned.
George Russell completed a pissed off fourth for Mercedes, however clocked the quickest lap forward of the Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, each unable to search out the tempo to make any influence on the main quartet.
Daniel Ricciardo was seventh for McLaren, after a mid-race collision for which he was given a 10-second time penalty, forward of Esteban Ocon of Alpine, Lando Norris within the second McLaren and Valtteri Bottas of Alfa Romeo.
Max Verstappen made excellent begin from pole
As the lights went out, Verstappen made a near-perfect begin from pole place whereas, behind him, Hamilton fought his well past Russell to take second.
To the delight of his followers, Perez additionally handed Russell to take third.
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After lap one, the Dutchman held a lead of 1.39 seconds which he gently prolonged to 1.6 by lap 10 and a pair of.2 by lap 20 because the leaders ran in constant formation, the race solely punctuated by Stroll taking the primary pit cease on lap 18.
Verstappen reported his delicate tyres have been deteriorating shortly earlier than Perez got here in after 23 laps to modify from delicate to medium compounds, however his cease was hampered by a sticky rear wheel change and took 5 seconds.
He re-joined sixth.
Two laps later, Max Verstappen got here out and in in 2.5 seconds, passing the result in Hamilton, who was 5.5 seconds away from Russell because the Dutchman re-joined third behind him.
Hamilton got here in on lap 30 to modify to hards and re-joined third, Russell taking on as chief till lap 35, when he additionally pitted to take laborious tyres. He got here again in fourth and the main group have been again as that they had been.
“This tyre is not as good as the medium,” Hamilton mentioned on workforce radio, prompting Mercedes to answer suggesting it might last more than the medium, as taken by Red Bull.
Wrong tyre
Hamilton, nevertheless, was struggling for grip and impatient as he slipped 9.5 seconds adrift of the champion with Perez, third and urgent, only one.9 seconds behind.
By lap 40, each Mercedes males have been grumbling in unison in regards to the laborious tyre’s lack of efficiency.
Max Verstappen prolonged his result in greater than 10 seconds by lap 50, however Hamilton clung on.
“Are we on the wrong tyre?” Hamilton requested his workforce.
“No, Lewis, we think we’re on the right tyre and it’ll get to the end. No sweat,” replied his race engineer, Pete Bonnington.
With six laps to go, Mercedes’ laborious tyre gamble appeared to have failed when two-time champion Fernando Alonso pulled off at flip one in his Alpine.
It was a quick pause with none pitstops, leaving Russell pissed off in his requests for brand new rubber.
“Stay out,” mentioned Mercedes, solely relenting on lap 70 to present him an opportunity to go for quickest lap
Red Bull have already claimed the constructors’ championship.
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