Carlos Sainz took the lead and F1 win in Mexico GP, as Lando Norris had a gritty fight to be P2 ahead of Charles Leclerc.
It was a clean start from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in F1 Mexico GP to take the lead after taking the inside line against Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.. The Spaniard had to go off on the grass ahead but gave up the position in the next corner.
Verstappen took the F1 Mexico GP lead from Sainz, with McLaren’s Lando Norris maintaining third from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton took on his teammate George Russell for fifth, as Haas’ Kevin Magnussen maintained seventh.
His teammate Nico Hulkenberg was up by few places to be eighth from Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Visa Cash App RB’s Liam Lawson in the Top 10. The Frenchman’s slight move against Williams’ Alexander Albon on the main straight did not end up well.
It caught out Albon and Visa Cash App RB’s Yuki Tsunoda, who was on the outside. A slight clip of the wheels and the Japanese driver was sent off to retire as Albon had his suspension break to retire a few corners later, as the safety car was deployed.
Under the neutralisation, replays showed Red Bull’s Sergio Perez ahead on his grid box which resulted in a 5s time penalty. His start was undone by the penalty after he gained five places to be 13th, whereas McLaren’s Oscar Piastri remained at the back.
After a few laps behind the safety car, the F1 Mexico GP got going on Lap 7 when Verstappen led Sainz and Norris in the Top 3. It got interesting when Sainz barged his way through the Dutchman at Turn 1 from a long way off to take the lead.
This brought Norris in the game and he tried a move on Verstappen Turn 4 but was forced off. The Dutchman tried to come back on him a few laps later and forced him off again at Turn 8 by going off himself, which allowed Leclerc through to second.
Both the moves were put under investigation and Verstappen was eventually handed two separate 10s time penalty to make 20s while running third from Norris. Just behind, Russell took fifth from Hamilton with Magnussen close behind.
Hulkenberg was eighth from Gasly and Lawson, who came under pressure from Perez. The Mexican cleared both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll and tried to take on Lawson at Turn 4. The Kiwi was off the road but he came back in the next corner.
They made contact and Perez had to go off with sidepod damage. Lawson kept track position as the Mexican came under pressure from Stroll and there was Turn 4 moment again where the Canadian was pushed off, with both incidents under investigation.
There was a fight between Williams’ Franco Colapinto and Piastri behind where the Australian had a slight wheel touch at Turn 1 exit. The McLaren driver eventually made it through him, in his quest to make it inside the Top 10 and in points.
While Alonso retired from overheating and brake issues in his 400th grand prix weekend. Perez pitted to drop back after serving his time penalty. Verstappen did the same on Lap 27 to be 15th on the road after his stop, just ahead of his teammate.
The pit stop saga started around Lap 31 and by Lap 33, it was Sainz in the lead still from Leclerc, Norris and Russell as they were. Hamilton had to get through Piastri and Lawson to come back to fifth, as Verstappen continued his recovery drive behind.
With the stops done, the Dutchman was sixth from Magnussen, with Colapinto going long in eighth ahead of Hulkenberg and Kick Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas in the Top 10. The Finn too stretched out, but couldn’t hold back Gasly, who passed him for 10th.
It was Piastri who cleared them both to be up to ninth from Gasly after Colpainto pitted on Lap 48 and Bottas finally pitted on Lap 51. AT the front, Sainz had a decent gap to Leclerc, but Norris started to slowly catch the Monegasque.
There was a good gap behind with Russell in fourth from Hamilton in a close fight. Just ahead of them, Norris truncated a nearly 4s gap to almost under a second in the fight for second. His teammate Piastri cleared Hulkenberg for eighth in the chase of Magnussen.
Back at Leclerc, the pressure got to him as a moment in the final corner for the Monegasque allowed Norris to get through second. The Ferrari had to save his car as he could have hit the barrier, but he managed to control and go on the run-off.
Just behind, Hamilton hustled Russell for fourth and eventually got the place at Turn 1 after going around the outside. Outside the Top 10, in the bid for Colapinto to get through Lawson for 12th, the Kiwi’s front was clipped which forced him to pit for a change.
Despite Norris’ push, Sainz took the F1 win in Mexico GP from pole as the Brit cut down points on Verstappen with a second place finish. Leclerc pitted for the fastest lap and got it along with the third place ahead of Hamilton and Russell.
Verstappen brought the car home in sixth from Magnussen, who was catching him, as was Piastri behind who finished just above the one second margin. Hulkenberg and Gasly rounded out the Top 10 points places, with Stroll in 11th.
Colapinto was 12th from Alpine’s Esteban Ocon with Bottas in 14th, Kick Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu 15th ahead of Lawson and Perez, where both tried for the fastest lap but didn’t get it. Everyone from Hulkenberg until Perez finished a lap down to the leaders. Also, Colapinto was handed a 10s time penalty for causing a collision, but he remained 12th.
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