Carlos Sainz had an extraordinary weekend in Mexico City, perhaps energized by the unique atmosphere and the strong support from his family, who attended in full force for the first time. From the free practice sessions, the Spaniard showed a natural connection with the track and the SF24, culminating in a spectacular pole position and a decisive overtake on Max Verstappen on lap eight after an uncertain start. These elements built a perfect performance, earning Sainz his second win of the season after Melbourne and the fourth of his career.
Once he took the lead, Sainz steadily increased his gap from the rivals, maintaining a clean drive and expertly managing his tires. Behind him, Charles Leclerc took advantage of the clashes between Verstappen and Lando Norris to secure second position. However, Leclerc couldn’t challenge Sainz and gradually lost ground, eventually conceding his position to Norris after a mistake at the final corner. Despite this, Leclerc finished third, a result that cements his strong form, having reached the podium in six of the last seven races.
The weekend marked a high point for Ferrari, which almost secured a consecutive one-two finish. With the points gained, Frederic Vasseur's team moved up to second place in the constructors' standings with 537 points, just 29 behind McLaren-Mercedes and 25 ahead of Red Bull. With four Grands Prix remaining, everything is still possible.
Not only is the constructors' championship wide open, but the drivers’ standings also show a fierce contest. Norris reduced the gap to Verstappen to 47 points, sparking hopes of a comeback, even if challenging. In Mexico City, the Briton maintained a fair racing style, trying to avoid contact with Verstappen, who instead continued with his aggressive maneuvers, provoking controversy.
Despite recent regulatory discussions following the Austin Grand Prix, Verstappen once again pushed Sainz off the track at the first corner and forced Norris wide at turn 2 after a chaotic restart following a crash between Alexander Albon and Yuki Tsunoda. This time, however, Verstappen’s behavior resulted in a 20-second double penalty. Verstappen defended his actions, stating that he needed to protect his positions, which ultimately cost him as he dropped from a potential fourth place to a sixth-place finish.
In fourth and fifth positions, Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell engaged in an exciting duel. With experience and caution, Hamilton overtook Russell at an unexpected spot, securing a strong final position. Also noteworthy was Kevin Magnussen's impressive seventh-place finish with Haas-Ferrari, while teammate Nico Hulkenberg came in ninth, contributing eight points for the team and solidifying sixth place in the championship.
Eighth place went to Oscar Piastri, who started further back but managed to recover well. However, the team expects him to provide more support to Norris in the title chase. Pierre Gasly finished in tenth with Alpine-Renault after making it to Q3, a positive result for the team. It was a rough day, however, for Aston Martin-Mercedes, with Fernando Alonso forced to retire, while Franco Colapinto finished 12th with Williams-Mercedes, the team’s only car left after Albon’s early retirement. Finally, Liam Lawson ended up at the back after a collision with Sergio Perez and a damaged nose during a battle with Colapinto.
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