Verstappen wins in Mexico and raises his own record of victories in one year to 16

Sports editorial, Oct 29 (EFE).- The Dutchman Max Verstappen (Red Bull), who three weeks ago was mathematically proclaimed (triple) Formula One world champion, won this Sunday the Mexican Grand Prix, the nineteenth of the year, at the Autódromo de los Hermanos Rodríguez, where his teammate Sergio Pérez, the local idol, abandoned after crashing in the first corner.

Verstappen, 26, raised his own historical record of victories in a single season to 16 by winning ahead of the seven-time English world champion Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes, who set the fastest lap) and the Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari); second and third, respectively, in a race in which Madrid’s Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) finished fourth, and the other Spaniard, Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), did not finish. The Asturian double world champion retired – in the forty-eighth of the 71 laps – for the second time – in a row – so far this season.

‘Mad Max’ achieved his 51st victory in F1 – his fifth in Mexico -, equaling the fourth historical mark of the French quadruple world champion Alain Prost; in a test in which the English Lando Norris (McLaren) – protagonist of the day’s comeback – and George Russell (Mercedes) finished fifth and sixth, respectively.

Despite his retirement, ‘Checo’ remains second in the World Championship, with 240 points, although now with only twenty ahead of Hamilton – who snatched the fastest lap from Verstappen in the last lap of the race -, after a race that the Australian Daniel Ricciardo (Alpha Tauri) finished seventh, one place ahead of his compatriot Oscar Piastri (McLaren).

Sainz took fourth place in the World Cup from his compatriot Alonso. Both have 183 points, but the talented driver from Madrid – the only non-Red Bull winner this year (in Singapore) – is ahead due to the better quality of the results achieved.

The Thai Alex Albon (Williams) finished ninth in a race in which the Frenchman Esteban Ocon (Alpine) also entered the points, tenth to cross the finish line in Mexico City.

The next Grand Prix, that of Brazil, the penultimate of the championship, will be held next weekend at the Interlagos circuit in São Paulo.

Mexico, Oct 29 (EFE).- The Dutchman Max Verstappen, driver of the Red Bull team and winner of the Mexican Grand Prix, highlighted this Sunday the way in which he overcame the problems he had after the red flag that was presented. in the race.

“It’s incredible, although we didn’t have the best performance after the red flag, but we knew how to pull ourselves together and get the best out of the tire change,” highlighted the Dutchman.

Verstappen, who has already secured the drivers’ championship this Formula One season, was happy with what was his sixteenth victory of the 2023 season, a record he already owned with 15 last year.

“This season has been incredible, I think the only drama we had this weekend was starting from third position. Now we are going to see how long the winning streak lasts this season,” he added.

It is the fifth victory for the European driver at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in the Mexican capital, who throughout history has achieved 51 victories in history, which equaled the French driver Alain Prost, a racing legend, who also achieved his podium number 95.

The key to winning, according to Verstappen, was changing tires before half the laps of the Mexican Grand Prix were over.

“It was after the red flag that we changed the compound, that allowed us to stay very strong,” he stressed.

Max has 491 points, unattainable for second place, his teammate, the Mexican Sergio Pérez, who abandoned due to an accident in the first lap, who has 240 points, 20 more than the British Lewis Hamilton, of Ferrari. Then there are the Spaniards Carlos Saínz (Ferrari) and Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), both with 183 units.

In the team championship, Red Bull leads with 731 points, followed by Mercedes, which has 371, and Ferrari, which accumulates 349.

The next date of the championship will be held in Brazil at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in Interlagos, São Paulo on November 5.