A sharp turnaround between races sees Formula One travel south from Texas and to the vibrant Mexico City, as only three races remain in this fascinating 2022 championship season. For live blog coverage of the Mexican Grand Prix, tune in on The Roar from 6:50am (AEDT) for lap-by-lap updates.
Will it be a memorable home victory for Perez, can a Mercedes break their drought, or another Verstappen masterclass?
The Mexico City Grand Prix, as well as having a challenging 4.3km circuit at high altitude – is two-time 2022 race winner Sergio Perez’s home race. With Red Bull having clinched both world championships too, there’ll be hope from the fans for a Checo win.
However the constructor’s champions will face fierce competition during the 71-laps, with Ferrari and Mercedes showing that they’ve got similar race pace to that of Max Verstappen and Perez.
Mercedes who are yet to win a race this year, have boasted the best car through slow-speed corners of which are found in Sector 2 and then the Stadium section before the run back onto the pit-straight.
While Carlos Sainz will just be hoping to see beyond the end of the first lap, after being taken out by George Russell in Austin and then crashing in Suzuka’s treacherous conditions.
But pole position went the way of the two-time world champion in Verstappen, pulling 0.304-seconds over Russell, who has improved Q3 time was deleted for a track limits violation in the final sector. Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton only 0.005 seconds behind in third.
Home hero Perez is not out of the equation in fourth, and starting from the second row is often beneficial at this track, given the slipstream down the long straight before Turn 1 from the cars ahead.
Behind the top teams, the ongoing fight for fourth in the constructor’s championship sees 11-points the difference between Alpine and McLaren, after Fernando Alonso’s Austin points were reinstated. Lando Norris is ahead of the Alpine duo from eighth, with a more buoyed Daniel Ricciardo coming from eleventh.
Pirelli’s use of the harder compounds of tyres for this race has also brought with it issues in tyre warm-up. As seen throughout the year, the likes of Ferrari struggle particularly on the hard compound, whereas Mercedes have been much better than in previous seasons.
Lights out: 7am (AEDT)
Venue: Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City
TV: Fox Sports
Online: Kayo Sports, Foxtel
Grid
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull), 2. George Russell (Mercedes), 3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), 4. Sergio Perez (Red Bull), 5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari), 6. Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo), 7. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), 8. Lando Norris (McLaren), 9. Fernando Alonso (Alpine), 10. Esteban Ocon (Alpine), 11. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren), 12. Guanyu Zhou (Alfa Romeo), 13. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri), 14. Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri), 15. Mick Schumacher (Haas), 16. Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin), 17. Alexander Albon (Williams), 18. Nicholas Latifi (Williams), 19. Kevin Magnussen (Haas), 20. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
Simoc
Roar Rookie
Well he has a drive offer if he phones Haas boss Gunter and tells him he'll drive like he did today. But I think he only has two F1 drives left in his career. Money is his main aim and a cushy job at Red Bull awaits if he prefers money (and he has throughout his career).
andrew
Roar Rookie
Another great drive from Max. A record 14 wins with maybe another one on the cards. Reading where Dan’s driving has been voted drive of the day. If only he’d driven like that all year. Javad, I said after last week’s U.S. Grand Prix that maybe Dan has lost it, well he’s proven me wrong. I bet some of the teams would have liked what they saw and hopefully Dan isn’t lost out of F1.
Simoc
Roar Rookie
Thanks Jawad. Ricciardo finally emerged. That drive will help his confidence heaps. It has been a while coming. Lets home he can put in another this season.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Well that wraps up this live blog of the Mexico City Grand Prix. It wasn’t a head turner of a race, but the records and accolades continue to come the way of Max Verstappen and Red Bull. Two races to go now in 2022, including a Sprint next time out in Brazil. Thanks again for tuning in this morning and until next time, bye for now.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
-------- DRIVER'S -------- 416 - Max Verstappen 280 - Sergio Perez 275 - Charles Leclerc 231 - George Russell 216 - Lewis Hamilton 212 - Carlos Sainz 111 - Lando Norris 82 -- Esteban Ocon 71 -- Fernando Alonso 47 -- Valtteri Bottas 36 -- Sebastian Vettel 35 -- Daniel Ricciardo 24 -- Kevin Magnussen 23 -- Pierre Gasly 13 -- Lance Stroll 12 -- Mick Schumacher 12 -- Yuki Tsunoda 6 --- Guanyu Zhou 4 --- Alexander Albon 2 --- Nicholas Latifi 2 --- Nyck De Vries 0 --- Nico Hulkenberg
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
----- CONSTRUCTOR'S ----- 696 - Red Bull Racing 487 - Ferrari 447 - Mercedes AMG 153 - Alpine 146 - McLaren Mercedes 53 -- Alfa Romeo Racing 49 -- Aston Martin Racing 36 -- Haas Ferrari 35 -- Scuderia AlphaTauri 8 --- Williams Mercedes
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
RACE REPORT Max Verstappen put together another masterclass from pole position to win the Mexico City Grand Prix and break the record for most victories in a single Formula One season with fourteen. The Dutchman nailed his start and went left to cover off the threat of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton behind and then went on to not forfeit his lead apart from the pit-stop. Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez split the two Mercedes cars as well from fourth on the grid, with Russell going backwards as the field negotiated the first sequence of corners on the opening lap. The race then teetered into an affair of tyre strategy for the frontrunners and then behind there were multiple DRS trains in the rest of the points paying positions. Both Red Bull and Mercedes ran opposing strategies with the world champions on the soft tyres, while the Silver Arrows started on the mediums. The onus was on Red Bull to stop twice, however with Perez pitting on Lap 24 and Verstappen on Lap 26 – they were comfortably able to take mediums to the end. Something that Mercedes drivers Hamilton and Russell rued, as they found no pace being on the hard tyre in their second stint. Mercedes missed the opportunity during the brief Virtual Safety Car caused by Fernando Alonso retiring, to bring in Russell for softs to attack Perez. Though they did pit afterward and go for the fastest lap in fourth. Finishing behind Perez, who’s result ahead of the lonely Ferraris puts him back into second in the championship. The lonely Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc rounded out the top six, with it evident that Ferrari were running on low power throughout. Behind them though, with another mechanical failure for Alonso – McLaren took the points over Alpine, despite Esteban Ocon finishing eighth. Daniel Ricciardo put in a stunning drive, going long on the first stint with the medium tyres and then switching to softs. The driver of the day performance wasn’t blemished by the 10-second penalty received for a collision with Yuki Tsunoda, which put the Japanese driver out of the race. McLaren teammate Lando Norris was ninth behind Ocon, with Valtteri Bottas scoring his first points since the Canadian Grand Prix – after a stellar qualifying result.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
POST-RACE INTERVIEWS - Hosted by Marc Gené VERSTAPPEN - "Staying in the lead after Turn 1 definitely helped us out a lot." "It was a very long stint on the medium, but we made it work." "It's been an incredible year so far and we'll try to go for more." HAMILTON - "I was so close in that first stint, but the Red Bull were ultimately fast today and had the better tyre strategy." "Not sure it was the [hard tyre] right tyre at the end." "Good to be up here to separate the two." PEREZ - "I gave my best today at the start." "Unfortunately we had a bit of a bad stop." "As soon as I got behind him [Hamilton], it was really difficult to follow."
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
RESULTS FROM THE 71-LAP MEXICO CITY GRAND PRIX 1 M. Verstappen 2 L. Hamilton 3 S. Perez 4 G. Russell (Fastest Lap) 5 C. Sainz 6 C. Leclerc 7 D. Ricciardo* 8 E. Ocon 9 L. Norris 10 V. Bottas 11 P. Gasly 12 A. Albon 13 G. Zhou 14 S. Vettel 15 L. Stroll 16 M. Schumacher 17 K. Magnussen 18 N. Latifi RET F. Alonso RET Y. Tsunoda *10-second time penalty for Daniel Ricciardo, but doesn't affect his finishing position.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS THE MEXICO CITY GRAND PRIX! The Dutchman breaks the record as well for most wins in a single F1 season with his 14th. Lewis Hamilton has to settle for second in his Mercedes. And another podium on home soil for Sergio Perez, well done Checo!
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 71/71: FINAL LAP
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 70/71: Ricciardo now has a 10-second gap over Ocon, so this could go down as a sensational drive from the Aussie for P7 if he keeps that gap. Russell pits as well to go for the fastest lap. He won't be happy about Mercedes' hard tyre strategy.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 69/71: Verstappen with his 14.4-second gap over Hamilton does not look like he is having tyre issues.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 68/71: Gasly all over the rear of Albon, with DRS coming into pay for the Frenchman. They are fighting over P11.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 67/71: Russell now demanding to pit, while Mercedes remain firm that the Red Bull's medium tyres will be more gone at the end of the race. Not long to go now either.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
VIRTUAL SAFETY CAR ENDS Well that was brief.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 66/71: VIRTUAL SAFETY CAR No one has taken this opportunity to pit.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
VIRTUAL SAFETY CAR DEPLOYED
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 65/71: Alonso's problems look like they are going to be terminal! He's on the run off at Turn 1 and this may see a VSC deployed.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 64/71: Problems on the Alpine of Alonso being reported here. Bottas is beginning to close in on the ninth placed car, with a 1.1 second deficit.