Max Vestappen extends F1 championship lead with victory in Mexico City
Max Verstappen took advantage of the opening lap tow to get past the Mercedes lockout and win the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen won the Mexico City Grand Prix. (Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool)
Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton started strong from the front row in Mexico, but both Verstappen and Red Bull teammate Sergio Pérez were able to make the most of aerodynamic tow at the race start to gain on their rivals.
Verstappen was past both Mercedes drivers, while Bottas fell back into traffic and was tagged by Daniel Ricciardo, spinning to the rear of the field.
Verstappen held the commanding tactical advantage and sailed to the chequered flag with a lead of over 16 seconds.
"It was an incredible day for the team and also for the fans, to have Checo on the podium here in Mexico at his home Grand Prix was great, so it couldn’t have been better," said the Dutchman.
"I knew the start was very important today, we were three wide at one point and I was on the more ideal race line so I could brake later and get into the lead."
"After that I could do my own thing, the pace was very good today so I could just keep building and creating a gap, the pit stops were seamless and the car was good throughout the race which was crucial today."
Verstappen extended his championship lead to 19 points over Lewis Hamilton. (Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool)
Pérez held consistent pressure on Hamilton throughout the race, closing in on the seven-time world champion for the first podium for a local driver in Mexico.
"Checo, for the last few races has really picked it up, he’s been up there and he was really pressuring Lewis today towards the end," said Verstappen.
Despite the late surge, Hamilton was able to hold his nerve and secure second place, narrowly holding off Pérez.
Hamilton admitted that the second-place finish was the best result against the faster Red Bull drivers.
"First, congratulations to Max," said Hamilton.
"That car was faster than we were this weekend and there's nothing we could really do about it."
"I gave it absolutely everything and obviously a great fight with Sergio at the end but I'm grateful I could still at least get a second-place finish."
"It was easy enough to hold on - I've been in that situation many times before - but it shows how fast their car was when Sergio was that close behind me and able to follow that closely."
"He did a great job! Even so, I really enjoyed the race and got everything out of it that we could today."
Second was the best Lewis Hamilton could manage at the Mexico City Grand Prix. (Steve Etherington)
Verstappen extends his championship lead over Hamilton to 19 points with just four races remaining.
The Red Bull driver said he will maintain a race-by-race approach until the end.
"I’m still not thinking about that trophy, we’ll try again in Brazil and just keep pushing," said Verstappen.
Hamilton kept a cooler head, aware that anything can happen with 107 points remaining on offer.
"Now we need to get our heads down and keep working hard to prepare for the next races, they will be coming at us fast over the next two weekends."
Sergio Perez celebrates the first podium for a Mexican driver at home. (Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool)
You would have been forgiven for thinking Pérez had won the Grand Prix given the local celebration.
"This is a great result for my country," he said.
"I really wanted more but unfortunately we didn’t get that."
"It was so messy in turn one so to avoid incident there was critical and then I wanted second place, but we didn’t get the chance because it is just so difficult to overtake around here."
"I was really close to getting Lewis but the Mercedes are so quick on the straight lines so I didn’t get an opportunity to go for it but I gave my best."
"I could feel the fans' energy when I was going through the stadium sector and I was thinking about how many people were here for me, I could actually hear the crowd when I was driving through Foro Sol."
"I wanted more but I am just very happy to be on the podium of my home country, the Mexicans were so happy today."
"We are so competitive as drivers that when we finish third we aren’t happy but today I had to enjoy it, everyone who has been there since the start with me was there at the end of the race and that was an amazing moment for me."
"I think today we were the fastest team, but that is going to swing around for the remainder of the season, so we just have to keep our focus and keep pushing."
Sergio Perez celebrates on the podium in Mexico. (Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool)
Mercedes retain their lead in the Constructors' Championship by just one point over Red Bull with Valtteri Bottas only able to manage P15 from the rear of the field.
