10 things we learned from the Mexican Grand Prix, brought to you by Bahrain International Circuit
1. Ferrari’ s current form looks set to last:
At one stage in yesterday’s race, it looked like Ferrari were set to complete back-to-back first and second place finishes, having only achieved that feat twice in the last decade prior to Austin. Whilst that wasn’t to be, as Lando Norris second stint enabled him to overcome Leclerc, it was a dominant performance from Ferrari, which arguably has the fastest car on the grid currently. It showed that in Austin and continued that form into Mexico, as Carlos Sainz never looked in trouble throughout the race, even with a late charge from Lando Norris.
2. Carlos Sainz is driving like he has nothing to lose. And it’s working:
Carlos Sainz is leaving Ferrari at the end of the season to make way for Lewis Hamilton’s arrival. Whilst the Spaniard prepares for his new life at Williams, his recent run of form has been superb. An untroubled win at the weekend, comfortably ahead of his teammate, means that he has now won more than one race in a season for the first time in his career. Perhaps he feels like he has something to prove? What is certain, and something that he admitted over the weekend, is that he is racing like someone with nothing to lose, not least because both Norris and Verstappen around him cannot afford any kind of error in their title fight.
3. Verstappen is worried about Red Bull’s race pace:
After the race, Max Verstappen was asked for his opinion on his two 10 second penalties in the race. Normally, you would have expected a fairly robust defense by the world champion of his own actions. Unusually, that was not forthcoming and instead he said he was far more worried about the performance of his car. The reality is that he has not won a race since Spain in June and certainly compared to the current version of the Ferrari and McLaren cars, this Red Bull is off the pace.
4. There are signs for optimism at McLaren after a blip in Austin
There were concerns from McLaren fans after Austin that Ferrari might begin to create a gap at the front, but Lando Norris showed in his second stint that his pace was up there. Whilst it was an error from Leclerc that enabled Norris to take second place, the Englishman had swiftly narrowed the gap in the previous few laps and an overtake would have been inevitable. Following that, his pace was up there with Sainz and with a few more laps may well have had a chance of victory.
5. Driving standards regulations are very much in focus
Verstappen and Norris were at it again, with some close racing attracting the attention of the stewards. The result this time was somewhat different compared to last weekend as Verstappen was given two separate ten second penalties. Recent incidents have led to many believing that some of the rules need clarifying. George Russell, who is a director of the Grand Prix Drivers Association, said over the weekend that it was important for drivers, the Stewards and the FIA to come together to agree any amendments.
6. Haas continues to show improvement
Hass had another points finish, with an impressive 7th and 9th place, with Magnussen in particular doing a stellar job of keeping Oscar Piastri at bay towards the end of the race. As a result, they are sixth place in the championship with 46 points. For context, they only managed 12 points in the whole of last season.
7. Red Bull could achieve a rare feat if Verstappen wins the Championship
It is relatively common that the drivers’ world championship trophy and constructors’ trophy find their way back to the same team factory every year. With the way things are going, 2024 could be very different. Red Bull are now third in the constructors’ championship. If Max Verstappen wins the drivers’ title, it could be the first time since 1983 that a driver has achieved that feat whist his team finished third or lower.
8. Perez has a weekend to forget
It was heartbreaking for Sergio Perez in his home race. Not only did he get eliminated after the first round of qualifying, he was penalized at the start of the race for being in the wrong place in his grid box and then a coming together with Liam Lawson put to bed any odea of a fight for points. Such a weekend will only add to the pressure on the Mexican.
9. Liam Lawson and Sergio Perez probably aren’t going out to dinner together any time soon
After their coming together on lap 19, Sergio Perez did not hold back when it came to his opinions of Liam Lawson. After the race he said that he believed Lawson could be more humble and didn’t have the right attitude for F1. Lawson was brought in two races ago to replace Danial Ricciardo and is hoping for a drive at some stage in future at the senior Red Bull team. Thats probably another reason why the two drivers may have an extra edge in their competition with each other.
10. Mexico remains a top-class F1 venue, with or without a home driver
The Mexican race promoter was in a buoyant mood, despite the home hero’s struggles. That optimism was well placed on the basis that they attracted a huge crowd of over 400,000 fans over the weekend. In addition to some incredible racing, the event always produces an impressive festival atmosphere which you get a real sense of whether you are there in person or watching on television.
* Laurence Jones is senior manager, Marketing and Communications, Bahrain International Circuit
l.jones@bic.com.bh
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