Verstappen scores sixteenth win in record-breaking season

Despite Ferrari’s front-row lockout after a close qualifying, with just 0.097 separating the top three, they were once again unable to convert it to a win as Max Verstappen swiftly reclaimed his place at the front of the pack. Not only did the win mark his third consecutive Mexican Grand Prix victory, but Verstappen also broke his own record for the most wins in a single season.  

To put this into perspective, Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna’s joint achievement of winning 15 of 16 races for McLaren stands as a monumental accomplishment and was seemingly a one-off occurrence. Yet, 35 years later, Verstappen’s 16 wins, with the season still ongoing, demonstrates the continuous pursuit of perfection within Formula 1.   

On the other side of the Red Bull garage, Sergio Pérez’s home race ended early. Although he qualified only 0.19 seconds behind Verstappen and had a strong getaway, Pérez’s victory hopes were dashed when he turned into polesitter Charles Leclerc at the first corner.  

Over at Red Bull’s sister team, Daniel Ricciardo outqualified Pérez, securing AlphaTauri’s best starting position since Qatar 2021. Ricciardo hasn’t had the easiest of returns, but his strong weekend propelled the team to eighth in the standings, surpassing Haas and Alfa Romeo.  

In the midst of McLaren’s resurgence, Lando Norris had a rollercoaster of a weekend. After being eliminated in Q1, Norris executed a stunning recovery drive. Climbing from 17th to fifth, he delivered one of the best performances of his career.  

Mercedes have also made significant progress, enabling Lewis Hamilton to claim second place. The excellent drive showcased his determination, highlighted by a daring 225mph overtake on Leclerc with wheels in the dirt, and earned crucial points in the Drivers’ championship. Having narrowed the gap by 15 points in the last three races, Hamilton trails Pérez by a mere 20 points. With three Grands Prix and a sprint race to go, the stage is set for an electrifying showdown as Hamilton hunts down Pérez for second place.