With Formula One now entering the tail end of the season we would, as per previous years, start to see the championship battle come to an end. But, not in 2024. If anything, it is hotter and it is spicer than any other season during this era of Formula One car regulation. And, this past weekend’s outing in Mexico City did nothing to extinguish the heat between our championship leader; Max Verstappen, and his rival; Lando Norris.
The opening laps of the Mexico City Grand Prix were full of drama, with turn one on the first lap catching out both Yuki Tsunoda and Alexander Albon, who collided in a racing incident, eliminating them both and bringing out the Safety Car. Elsewhere, Verstappen would pass Carlos Sainz for the lead, while hometown hero; Sergio Perez, would be on the receiving end of a five second time penalty after jumping the start in his lonely position of 18th. Although, he thought his start was great…
With the Safety Car returning to base after several laps, the real action would kick off come lap nine with Sainz retaking the lead from Verstappen, now leaving the Red Bull driver in the clutches of Norris. Would we get a repeat of Austin? You bet. The duo would battle over the course of a lap before Norris would make his move the next time around. Verstappen, being Verstappen, was having none of it and squeezed the McLaren off, not once, but twice, in moves that could easily have ended both of their races. The second Ferrari of Charles Leclerc would have the best view in the house of this battle, taking advantage of the squabbling to propel himself up into 2nd. With the Red Bull team already carrying a five second penalty thanks to Perez and his start, things were about to get worse with the Race Stewards decision to slap Verstappen with two separate ten second time penalties, totaling it to twenty. Verstappen, on the other hand, did not seem fazed in the slightest. Kind of odd, if you ask me.
Things weren’t any easier for Verstappen’s teammate either. Perez’s race would go from bad to worse, with the Mexican driver’s struggles continuing to show him up. He would find himself battling with Liam Lawson, getting relatively aggressive with his defence. This would eventually result in contact and damage to Perez’s Red Bull car, leaving him nowhere but right at the back of the field. Lawson would get his revenge, however. Firing past Perez on the start/finish straight, the VCARB driver would show his new found rival the “finger.” The youngster is definitely a fully fledged F1 driver now. As for Perez, it was a last place finish at his home race.
In all fairness to Perez, did anyone actually have a trouble free race? There were plenty of front wings getting knocked about with carbon fibre littering the track in places. Franco Colapinto reported steering issues with his Williams - “it’s going stiff and then soft,” dont laugh, we’re all adults here. Alongside Verstappen’s woes, he struggled to get his hard tyres to work. Leclerc was repeatedly told to lift and coast, before having a moment in the final corner in the closing stages that almost saw him in the wall. Fernando Alonso would DNF on his 400th race in Formula One. And, fellow Spaniard and leader of the race; Sainz, reported that his engine was misfiring out of turn three on lap thirty seven. Phew.
However, it was Sainz who started how he meant to go on. From pole to another F1 win; his fourth, to be exact. After strong a weekend from practice to qualifying to the race, the Mexico City GP 2024 was always going to be his, and well deserved indeed. Will he win again in 2024 before jumping ship to Williams in 2025, who knows. Joining him on the podium was Norris in 2nd and Leclerc in 3rd, with Norris continuing to close in on Verstappen in the drivers championship. Also, maybe it’s time we turned our heads to the constructors championship as well, with Ferrari getting ever so closer to McLaren for the lead, while Red Bull drift away. Oh, it’s all such fun!
Next up: Brazil!
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