MEXICO CITY — Carlos Sainz Jr. emerged victorious at the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday, while Lando Norris made strides in the Formula 1 championship standings following another intense encounter with Max Verstappen.
Verstappen, who began in second place, quickly overtook Sainz, the pole-sitter, at the start. However, the initial lap was marred by caution after Yuki Tsunoda collided with Alex Albon, resulting in Tsunoda crashing out and Albon retiring due to car damage.
The race resumed with high tensions as Ferraris battled with Verstappen and Norris for positioning. The previous week’s controversy continued, as Norris faced a penalty at the United States Grand Prix for forcing Verstappen off track, allowing Verstappen to extend his lead in the driver standings to 57 points prior to the race.
At the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, the situation shifted. Verstappen received a 10-second penalty for making contact with Norris and pushing him off the track. “Ten? That’s aggressive,” Verstappen reacted upon hearing the penalty.
He was later handed another 10-second penalty for gaining an advantage after leaving the track, totaling a 20-second penalty which he had to serve during his first pit stop. “That’s fine then. That’s silly, man,” he expressed over the radio.
After pitting from third on Lap 27, Verstappen had to wait for the penalties to be served, causing him to drop to 15th place. Although he managed to recover and finish in sixth, Norris capitalized on the scenario, overtaking Charles Leclerc with eight laps remaining to secure second place. This shift represented a 10-point gain for Norris, who now trails Verstappen by 47 points with four races left in the season.
Leclerc secured third for Ferrari, which, along with McLaren, is seeking success in the constructors’ championship against Red Bull. Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished fourth and fifth, respectively, with Verstappen in sixth place. Kevin Magnussen came in seventh for Haas, followed by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, Haas’s Nico Hülkenberg, and Pierre Gasly from Alpine.
Sainz not only clinched victory but celebrated his first podium finish in Mexico City. This victory marked his fourth career win and his second this season, an impressive feat considering he is set to be replaced by Hamilton at Ferrari next season. This was also his first time winning two races in a single season. The Ferrari team praised Sainz, declaring, “This was a master class.” Sainz, appearing emotional, responded, “Thank you, this feels good. Most definitely happy. Gracias, Mexico.”
Sergio Perez experienced a challenging day at his home race. The Mexican driver qualified poorly in 18th position and despite gaining five spots at the start, he was handed a five-second penalty for being out of his grid box, which set him back to 16th before finishing the race in 17th place.
In a frustrating turn, Perez got embroiled in a wheel-to-wheel conflict with Liam Lawson, leading to heated exchanges over team radio as they fought for position on the 19th lap. “What the (expletive) is this idiot doing? Is he OK?” Perez questioned angrily as their contact sent him wide off track. Lawson, equally frustrated, responded, “Is he (expletive) serious?” His team instructed him to focus on racing calmly.
Fernando Alonso’s milestone 400th Formula 1 start was cut short as he retired his Aston Martin on the 16th lap due to overheating brakes. Although he began the race weekend unwell and missed Thursday’s events, he returned for Friday’s practice session. Already holding the record for the most starts in the sport’s history, Alonso, now 43, has a remarkable 32 career wins and 106 podiums to his name.