Mexico - Race

With the World Drivers' Championship on the line, the Mexican Grand Prix was sure to be one to remember. 71 laps in the scorching heat, two-stop as the common strategy, and fights all over the field, the race had it all. So who ended up benefiting most?

While most of the drivers starting the race at the front decided to do so on the softest available compound, Max Verstappen, the man in P5, opted for the yellow mediums. The strange split led to a fascinating race start. As soon as the lights went out, Lando Norris put his car in full speed, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton right on his tail. Verstappen managed to overtake George Russell and proceeded to close in on the fight at the very front. This led to an unprecedented turn one setup, with four cars side-by-side. 

Of course, there was no way for all of them to fit together. Both Leclerc and Verstappen ended up going off the road, but rejoined the race in their previous position. Having found himself back behind Hamilton, Verstappen put his all into moving back into the P3 he believed he deserved. He attempted an overtake on lap 6. During his defensive move, the Ferrari driver locked up and went off the road and onto the runoff area. He didn't lose track position, but the moment ended up being extremely consequential for his race, as he was later given a 10-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. In the general chaos created by the older drivers, Oliver Bearman snuck past the Red Bull of Max Verstappen and into P4. 

Hamilton wasn't the only driver who had found himself in early trouble. Liam Lawson had to retire the car after only a few laps, and Carlos Sainz, who pitted on lap 18, was given a 5-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane. It wouldn't be the only one he was set to see throughout the Grand Prix. It seemed like there was something broken in his Williams, as he was seemingly unable to slow down quickly enough and committed the crime for the second time later down the line. He was given a second penalty, this time a drive-through one, which effectively eviscerated his chances of a good finish.

Around lap 23, the frontrunners began making their way towards the pits. It took quite a few laps for all of them to move through. Some drivers didn't make it out of the pits after their stops, with both Nico Hulkeneberg and Fernando Alonso retiring around halfway through the race. When the dust settled, Norris, Leclerc, Bearman, Antonelli, and Russell made up the top five. The order changed slightly on lap 41, when the Mercedes swapped places as Russell believed that he had a better shot at overtaking Bearman and climbing onto the podium. Despite his best efforts, he didn't manage to do so. 

While the race was a one-stop for Norris, Leclerc, and Verstappen, many of the other drivers decided to stop twice. Such was the case with the two Mercedes and Oscar Piastri, the man whom they were desperately trying to fight off. The Australian made his way to the pits at the exact same time as the young Italian and managed to gain track position in the process. Russell pitted a lap later but still came out ahead of his rival. It didn't matter in the end as Piastri ultimately found a way past both of them, jumping into P5. 

Verstappen, who had chosen an alternative tire strategy, saw the chance for his gamble to pay off. He was already third, and with every turn, he was only getting closer to Leclerc in front. With three laps to go, he was almost within the Monegasque's DRS. Behind the two of them, Piastri was in a similar situation, stuck just behind the Haas of Oliver Bearman. It seemed like some tense fights were brewing for the last moments of the Grand Prix and then... A yellow flag waved over the circuit.

Sainz's Williams became stationary around turn 16, and a VSC was called out to ensure the driver's safety. It lasted for around a lap and finished halfway through the last turn around the track. Although Verstappena and Piastri did technically have a few corners to make a move, neither of them managed to do so. In the front, Lando Norris secured another dominant victory and put himself back in the championship lead. Ferrari's great performance pushed them into P2 in the WCC standings, and Oliver Bearman secured his highest-ever finish with an impressive P4.

Order of the grid:

1. Lando Norris

2. Charles Leclerc

3. Max Verstappen

4. Oliver Bearman

5. Oscar Piastri

6. Kimi Antonelli

7. George Russell

8. Lewis Hamilton

9. Esteban Ocon

10. Gabriel Bortoleto

11. Yuki Tsunoda

12. Alex Albon

13. Isack Hadjar

14. Lance Stroll

15. Pierre Gasly

16. Franco Colapinto

DNF: Carlos Sainz, Fernando Alonso, Nico Hulkenberg, Liam Lawson