The Mexican GP was a messy one! We saw several DNF's on the board, time penalties, point penalties, a few cheeky hand gestures - it really had it all! If you missed it, or just want to relive the top moments, buckle up as we review the race!
It was a short-lived race for Albon and Tsunoda
Yuki Tsunoda found the wall before turn one.... [Image credit: f1oversteer.com]
After also crashing in qualifying Yuki Tsunoda might have just jinxed himself when he congratulated the team on managing to get his car fixed in time to make the race. After contact with Alex Albon, which would also result in his retirement, the Visa Cash App RB didn't make it further than the starting straight.
He may not have scored points this weekend, but he's certainly climbed the damage cost leaderboard!
Generally it was a bad weekend for the Red Bull family...
Yuki might have been the first Red Bull disappointment but he certainly wasn't the first upset of their weekend. Perez qualified a dismal P18 at his home race and that set the tone for his weekend. Even the usually pro-Perez Mexican media struggled to find positives in his performance, summing up with 'The only good news: it’s over.'
Perez's seat looks ever more unstable as the season progresses [Image credit: Red Bull Content Pool]
Red Bull's usual golden child in Max Verstappen also had a difficult one. Being awarded 20 seconds in race time penalties and a 2 penalty points (he now has 6) for forcing Lando Norris off the track and gaining an advantage. As expected, Red Bull disagree with the decision, one that likely cost Verstappen the win. Team Principal Christian Horner went as far as to bring telemetry data out to the press to defend his driver - quite the unusual move, but in the words of his rival Toto Wolff, he had it printed out!
Horner defending Verstappen post-race [image credit: https://www.formula1.com/]
And what would a dramatic family weekend be without a bit of in-family arguing? Liam Lawson and Sergio Perez certainly didn't find much to agree on this weekend, with the two making contact at turn four and sending increasingly frustrated messages about each other as the race went on. Lawson didn't hold back as the newest member, shooting the Mexican driver the middle finger as he overtook - a move he has since apologised for but did at the time feel a bit like rubbing salt into a wound, particularly given his part in the terrible weekend Perez had.
Ferrari's weekend success almost didn't happen
It was another great weekend for the Ferrari team. With Carlos Sainz dominating in the lead for most of the race and Charles Leclerc finishing on the podium in third. However, a significant wobble on lap 63 will have shaved years of any Ferrari fan. Leclerc lost the rear of the car and was mere centimetres from ending his race in the barriers.
Leclerc keeping everyone on their toes as he almost wiped out!
Luckily, great skill and a chunk of luck, kept him in the race and meant that Ferrari are now second in the constructors, with an immediate 25-point lead on Red Bull and McLaren right on the horizon, just 29 points ahead.
Did Someone say a carlando 1-2?
There's plenty of iconic F1 duo's out there, but Carlando might just be the most popular. So seeing the two previous McLaren teammates on a podium together was definitely a fan pleaser!
The bond seems to extend to the teams, with both having some very fun, post-race moments and crashing each others celebratory photos. Perhaps they've also had that "in da clerb, we all fam" clip all over their social media too* - either way seeing the two teams joke about with each other would have been unimaginable in previous years - and I'm all for it!
Zac Brown kicked off the mixed team celebrations with Sainz later responding [Image credit: https://www.sportskeeda.com/]
Sainz got his (final?) Ferrari win
There were some quite sad pre-Mexico interviews with Carlos Sainz. He spoke about the bitter-sweet feeling of Ferrari being on track to be championship contenders next year, the role he's played in getting the team there and the challenge of knowing he won't be there to reap that reward if it does happen. You really do have to feel for him, even with a great seat lined up at Williams. He might not be able to win the World Driver Championship, but he did have the opportunity to tick off another wish - at least one more win for the team. And it was a win in style, dominating the race and taking the chequered flag with ease.
He celebrated with a dinner with his nearest and dearest - His family, girlfriend Rebecca Donaldson and Lando (of course). Before being videoed having the apparent time of his life out in Mexico. A well-earned celebration!
Carlos embodying a certain Toto Wolff in his celebrations post-win! [credit @f1clubhub on TikTok] And if you don't get that reference please enjoy!
What were your key moments? Let us know in the comments below!
*Since I wrote this Ferrari have posted with this audio! I knew it!
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