Verstappen carries momentum back to a favourite track
Max Verstappen has won five of the last six grands prix in Mexico and while Ferrari will fancy their chances this weekend, the Red Bull driver can take another big step towards a fourth Formula One title.
Verstappen arrives at the high-altitude Hermanos Rodriguez circuit 57 points clear of McLaren’s Lando Norris with five rounds remaining.
Norris described finishing fourth at last Sunday’s U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, with Verstappen third, as a ‘momentum killer’ in the title battle while Red Bull saw a potential turning point.
The result was the first time in five races that Verstappen had beaten Norris, and the Briton has yet to finish higher than fifth in Mexico.
“We have historically done well here and I have always enjoyed driving at this track,” said Verstappen of a layout that equals Austria’s Red Bull Ring as his most successful.
“We made some good steps in Austin and saw some promising improvements with the car…it will be about keeping this momentum heading forwards and continuing to gain crucial points in the championship.”
The constructors’ title is far more open, with Ferrari poised to overtake Red Bull for second place after Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finished one-two in Texas to reduce the gap to eight points.
The pair swept the front row in Mexico last year, with Leclerc on pole.
Red Bull need Sergio Perez to produce the points in his home race and turn around a dire run of form that has seen him score only 150 points to Verstappen’s 354.
Perez’s tally is the lowest of any driver in the top four teams, with nothing better than sixth since Miami in May and serious questions raised about his future despite a contract extension for 2025 and 2026.
“The important thing is to be able to shut out the noise off track and focus on the job in hand,” he said. “Ultimately the special thing for me would be to deliver another podium for my fans and my country, at home.”
With Ferrari looking strong, and Perez needed to help Verstappen in his battle with Norris, the Mexican’s hopes of a top three finish even if he recovers his form would seem unlikely.
Leclerc and Sainz have plenty to be optimistic about as they chase Ferrari’s fifth win of the season.
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton is the only current driver other than Verstappen to win in Mexico, the seven-times world champion taking his 2017 and 2018 titles there.
“After a difficult weekend in Austin, we have the opportunity to bounce back immediately,” said team boss Toto Wolff.
“Our performance in Texas showed that there is inherent performance in the car. Our challenge is extracting this consistently.”
Kimi Antonelli, the Italian who will take Hamilton’s place next season when the Briton moves to Ferrari, will take part in first free practice using Hamilton’s car.
Aston Martin’s double world champion Fernando Alonso will chalk up a major milestone as the first Formula One driver to reach 400 grands prix.
To put the achievement into perspective, the 43-year-old Spaniard has started more than a third of all the races (1,120) ever held since the first in 1950.
“I don’t think I’ll be adding another 400 to my total but hopefully I’ve got at least another 40 or 50 more races to come in the next couple of years,” he said.