Red Bull's Max Verstappen won the Mexico Grand Prix on Sunday, giving him a record 14th victory of the Formula One season. Verstappen finished 15.186 seconds clear of Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, with Verstappen's Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez finishing third on home soil. It was Verstappen's second victory in a week, following his victory in the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.
Verstappen has now surpassed Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel's previous record for the most victories in a single season.
"It's been a wonderful year so far, we're absolutely enjoying it, and we'll aim to win more," Verstappen added.
Hamilton bemoaned his team's decision to go with medium andVerstappen switched from soft to medium tyre compositions.
"I was close in the first stint," Hamilton added, "but the Red Bulls were too fast today and probably had the perfect tyre plan."
A sold-out audience applauded heartily for Perez.
"Unfortunately, it didn't work out today," Perez remarked, "but it's fantastic to be here and on the platform."
George Russell finished fourth for Mercedes, but set the quickest lap time ahead of the Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, who were both unable to make an impression on the leading foursome.
Daniel Ricciardo placed eighth for McLaren following a mid-race incident that resulted in a 10-second time penalty, ahead of Esteban Gutierrez.Alpine's Esteban Ocon, McLaren's Lando Norris, and Alfa Romeo's Valtteri Bottas.
Verstappen had a near-perfect start from pole position as the lights went down, while Hamilton clawed his way past Russell to secure second.
Perez also past Russell to claim third, much to the joy of his fans.
After lap one, the Dutchman had a 1.39-second lead, which he gradually increased to 1.6 by lap 10 and 2.2 by lap 20 as the leaders ran in tight formation, with only Stroll making the first pit stop on lap 18.
Verstappen stated that his soft tyres were deteriorating just before Perez came in after 23 circuits to convert from soft to medium compounds, but his pit stop was not allowed.It took five seconds because of a problematic rear wheel swap.
He rejoined the sixth row.
Verstappen raced in and out in 2.5 seconds, handing the lead to Hamilton, who was 5.5 seconds ahead of Russell when the Dutchman rejoined third.
On lap 30, Hamilton pitted to switch to hard tyres and rejoined third, with Russell taking over as leader until lap 35, when he too pitted for hard tyres. He finished fourth, and the leaders resumed their position.
- Tyre upheaval -
"This tyre is not as good as the medium," Hamilton stated over the team radio, prompting Mercedes to respond that it would last longer than the medium, which Red Bull was using.
However, Hamilton was having difficulty.for grip and impatient as he fell 9.5 seconds behind the champion, with Perez, third and pressing, only 1.9 seconds back.
By lap 40, both Mercedes drivers were complaining about the hard tyre's lack of performance.
Verstappen's advantage had grown to more than 10 seconds by lap 50, but Hamilton held on.
"Do we have the incorrect tyre?" Hamilton enquired of his team. "No, Lewis, we believe we're on the correct tyre and will make it to the end. No problem, "Pete Bonnington, his racing engineer, responded.
Mercedes' hard tyre gamble looked to have backfired with six circuits remaining when two-time champion Fernando Alonso slid off at turn one in his Alpine.
Russell was unhappy since there were no pit stops during the brief delay.while requesting fresh rubber
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"Stay out," Mercedes ordered, only pausing on lap 70 to allow him a chance to set the fastest lap.
Red Bull has already won the constructors' title.
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