The second race of the American triple-header delivered the goods after a controversial dogfight in Austin last weekend. The Mexico City Grand Prix has reached a new high (and lows) in the championship, depending on whom you’re rooting for, and the Prancing Horse is enjoying another round of success.
1. Alex Albon was squeezed in to leave Yuki Tsunoda some room. While the first-corner dives weren’t as shocking as last year’s, two midfielders didn’t fare well. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) closed any space for Alex Albon (Williams) in the sprint to the first right-hander.
The Thai-Brit had to veer to his left and, unfortunately, clipped his front left tire to the rear of Yuki Tsunoda (RB). Both drivers retired early in the race.
2. Liam Lawson tussled with Sergio Perez. As seen from last time, Liam Lawson (RB) isn’t afraid of defending against the regulars of the sport, even if it’s from a sister team. On Lap 18, Sergio Perez (Red Bull) dove into Turn 4, but the Kiwi didn’t want any of that and blocked any chance for the hometown hero to advance out of Turn 5.
Perez didn’t take the defensive move lightly, especially when debris sprayed between both drivers. After the race, it was reported that Lawson was summoned by Red Bull Racing adviser Helmut Marko, warning him not to race any sister-team car hard.
3. Mercedes had an internal battle while Haas gave its all. One of the least discussed moments in the race was the two Mercedes-AMG drivers switching places. George Russell lunged ahead of Lewis Hamilton on Lap 15, while the reverse happened on Lap 66. Nothing else came about with the Silver Arrows as both drivers finished together within the top five.
Meanwhile, Haas continued to impress the grid with points finishes for the second time. Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg finished in P7 and P9, respectively, further cementing sixth in the constructors’ championship for the American team.
4. The Lando-Max rivalry heats up. The biggest shake-up to the championship happened within a lap. Lando Norris (McLaren) attempted to wiggle past Max Verstappen (Red Bull), but on Lap 10, the Dutchman pulled the same move as he did in Austin twice.
Unlike last time, however, the stewards penalized the reigning champion with two 10-second time penalties, totaling 20 seconds of waiting in the pits—dropping him to P6 until the end. Meanwhile, the Brit’s P2 finish increases his chances of leading the championship with four races left.
5. Ferrari caught another success bug. The Prancing Horses are at it again with another podium finish, and Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) is feeling the FOMO of the team’s progress just as he’s about to depart for Williams next year. Nevertheless, he exceptionally performed in qualifying and the main race for a worry-free P1.
For the most part, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) was just behind the Spaniard aiming for another 1-2 finish. However, with 14 laps to go, he lost grip on the last corner and mercifully almost collected the wall on the start-finish straight. The Monégasque lost his position, but he maintained P3.
Will Ferrari continue this winning streak? Can the Lando-Max rivalry reach its climax? The answer lies in Brazil for the São Paulo Grand Prix on November 4 (1am Philippine time).
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