2018 Mexico F1 GP

[Nitrodaze]

https://cdn-4.motorsport.com/images/amp/2erKboPY/s6/f1-mexican-gp-2016-sergio-perez-sahara-force-india-f1-vjm09.jpg
https://image2.redbull.com/rbx00593/0001/2/600/459/2016_f1_mexican_gp_circuit_map.png

With barely time to properly digest the US GP, we are back to the Autodromo Hermandes Rodriguez at Mexico city. Some 6500 feet above sea level, the rarefied air of this altitude will tax the hybrid engines and sap power. Chassis excellence would be the differenciating factor at this race. It is all about downforce this weekend. Due to the rarefied air, drag is reduced and closer racing and higher top speed are possible. This kind of levels the playing field for the top three teams which brings Redbull firmly in the mix for the fight for the win at this race.

Racing has been taking place in Mexico city since 1962 with Jim Clarke the first winner of this race. Incidentally, Jim Clark has the most win of this track with 3 wins. The Lotus has the most constructors win of the track with four Lotus car wins.

One race lap is 4.3km with a full race covering a distance of 305.4km from lights to flag over 71 gruesome and sweaty laps. It is typically a very bumpy track. The fastest lap of the track is held by Vettel at 1:16:488 to take pole in 2017. Max Verstapenn is the last winner of this track in the same year. Max Verstapenn and Lewis Hamilton are the only two drivers to win this race in the current generation of drivers on the grid.

Vettel and Hamilton crashed into each other in the opening lap of this race in the 2017 season, sending both driver to the tail of the grid. Vettel muscled his way up to forth with Hamilton only able to get his wounded car up to ninth. Which was enough for for him to win the 2017 drivers title.

It is going to be a cracking race as the Redbull are set to ruffle the feathers of Mercedes and Ferrari as they gun for the win which could put the Redbull win tally at four and one better than they were able to manage last season.

[N. Jones]

So, so happy this track is back.

[The Black Knight]

So, so happy this track is back.

Turn 6 wrecks my head as do turns 13&14. Nice for the spectators in all but they ruin the flow to what is an otherwise really nice track.

[N. Jones]

Turns 13 - 16 were not there at one time but I have no complaints. This is a good track like COTA. I would love to see these two back up with Canada as a North American swing.

[airshifter]

I couldn't watch qually due to our TV packages, but it sounds like it had some great driving.

Ricciardo squeezes out Max for the top spot, with Hamilton in third and Vettel in fourth. With that long tow on the start I'd say it's possible that the Merc or Ferrari get past a car or maybe both, but I also suspect that Lewis will just take the line that seems safe and try to stay out of trouble. This first turn might collect a car or two, especially with Vettel behind two of the latest of late brakers.

Interesting that for this race only 5 teams make the top 10 starters, and not much mixing up of teams from the top to bottom of the grid.

[Starter]

Mexico is one of the tracks which I like (though I thought it was better before the stadium section was added). The altitude causes a few problems for teams and engine management is a key factor. The Mexican fans are wild about the race and its always a good time. It would be fun to go back - I was there for CART.

[Nitrodaze]

Ricciado wipes the smile off Verstapenn's face with a scintillating lap. The top six were two seconds faster than Vettel's lap record from 2017. We are set for another drag race to the first corner with Verstapenn likely to want to steal the lead from Ricciado, Hamilton and Vettel jockeying for the slipstream of the Redbulls to slingshot into the lead.

The straight line speed of the Mercedes and Ferrari is likely to give the Redbulls some problems along the pit straight, with the Redbulls exerting their strength at the first corner. It is going to be a colossal race from lights out to the end of the first lap. You don't wanna miss this one.

[Nitrodaze]

Mexico always reveals the order of the quality of the chassis on the grid. Clearly Mercedes has the 3rd best chassis behind Ferrari, whom are behind the Redbull.

[gm99]

Ricciardo has to be the most unlucky man in F1 this season :(

[Nitrodaze]

CONGRATULATION LEWIS !

LEWIS HAMILTON - 2018 DRIVER WORLD CHAMPION

5 TIMES WORLD CHAMPION and modern day F1 legend

[Nitrodaze]

Max Verstapenn - Back to back winner of the Mexico GP. I think Gasley, Leclerc, Russell and Norris are getting a great view of what they shall be up against post the Hamilton era. Shame he did not get to be the youngest pole seater. What a race at the front, wow. Ferrari did well to snatch two podium positions, unfortunately Vettel could not steal the win fron Redbull and Verstapenn. Great to see Van Doorne finally pick up two points.

[airshifter]

Quite the race with tires once again playing a major hand in how things worked out.

Danny Ric was slow off the line, but both Max and Lewis were blazing fast. For a second or two I thought Lewis was going to challenge on the outside of turn one, but did the smart thing for his race and got on the brakes a little early. Not that it would have mattered much, because it seemed like Max dove in fairly deep to make sure he got the corner.

Seb once again driving like there was nobody else on track. That move on Bottas could have gotten ugly really quick.

From there it seemed like the battles at the front were mostly down to tires. I think they all could have turned faster laps, though the Merc seemed to be struggling more than the Ferrari and RB. Really it's amazing that Ricciardo and Kimi were making the one stop work until Ricciardo's car gave up. That guy just can't get a break this year. I think it looked like he had a really good chance of holding off Vettel, but we will never know. Kimi makes it back onto the podium with the strategy that I thought would never work.

Some good battles through the midfield as well, once again strategy playing a major hand. Good to see both Saubers in the points, but a shame that Perez had a car let go after it was appearing he would at least get in the points and give his home town crowd some excitement.

Alonso now had no chance of leaving F1 with the most racing laps. That's a bummer, especially with his team mate making it into the points.


Lewis did what we thought Lewis would do. Kept calm, didn't worry too much about his final position, and walked away with the WDC that he has rightfully earned through his performance in previous years. Will he make it to 6 or 7? Only time will tell, but the driver ability seems to be there. The only thing that might slow that down is if Merc are behind other cars in development in the next couple of years.

[The Black Knight]

The inevitable happened and Hamilton became champion.

Great race for Max. Delighted that he won

Absolutely zero sympathy for Daniel Ricciardo. His qualifying celebrations after getting pole were over exuberant to a fault. He knew that was Max’s last realistic chance to get the youngest pole sitter record and, while beating him was perfectly fine, as his teammate, he should have held back his completely over the too reaction out of respect, so I am quite happy that karma bit him in the ass on Sunday.

Awful to race for Mercedes overall, but the WCC is already over as well. It’s just a matter of reeling in the points. It’ll happen one way or the other.

Tip the hat to Vettel for his behaviour after the race.

[journeyman racer]

Absolutely zero sympathy for Daniel Ricciardo.
That's a shame. He was relying on your support...



His qualifying celebrations after getting pole were over exuberant to a fault.
lololololol It's the same as Ricciardo normally is. The only people who got offended are ********* who underestimated him and thought Verstappen was entitled to pole.




He knew that was Max’s last realistic chance to get the youngest pole sitter record and, while beating him was perfectly fine, as his teammate, he should have held back his completely over the too reaction out of respect, lolololololololololololololololololololol

Out of respect? He did nothing wrong and nothing bad happened. Having read that you're a Schumacher and Hamilton fan, and therefore have a superficial and trivial interest in motorsport, it's no surprise to me that you got offended over something so trivial and superficial.

I hope you gave Verstappen a comforting text message before his bed time? haha



so I am quite happy that karma bit him in the ass on Sunday.
Oh no. No, no, no, no, no! There's no karma biting him on the ass. If anything there was "reverse karma".

For at least a couple of weeks, there would've been expectation that RB were going to get pole and the team would've assumed that it'd be Verstappen. There would've been talk within the team about what they were going to do to celebrate and publicise the trivial accomplishment of Verstappen becoming the youngest ever pole winner. There would not have been any consideration that Ricciardo would challenge for pp, never mind get it.

Daniel would've been aware how much he was underestimated. Based on the reliability of the car since it was announced he was going to Renault, it was an unlikely possibility he would finish the race. As much as Newey tries to build cars that can't last the distance, not even he is capable of his ultimate goal of designing a car that can't complete a lap. So if he wasn't going to finish the race, Ricciardo was always going to at least qualify.


So with the help of the racing gods, Ricciardo went out and said "**** YOU!" The same way Jos beats the crap out of his partners.

It was a wonder pole. Kind of like Hamilton's, except without driving the best car in the field. Reminds me of Mansell 1990 British GP.

[Bagwan]

That's a shame. He was relying on your support...



lololololol It's the same as Ricciardo normally is. The only people who got offended are ********* who underestimated him and thought Verstappen was entitled to pole.



lolololololololololololololololololololol

Out of respect? He did nothing wrong and nothing bad happened. Having read that you're a Schumacher and Hamilton fan, and therefore have a superficial and trivial interest in motorsport, it's no surprise to me that you got offended over something so trivial and superficial.

I hope you gave Verstappen a comforting text message before his bed time? haha



Oh no. No, no, no, no, no! There's no karma biting him on the ass. If anything there was "reverse karma".

For at least a couple of weeks, there would've been expectation that RB were going to get pole and the team would've assumed that it'd be Verstappen. There would've been talk within the team about what they were going to do to celebrate and publicise the trivial accomplishment of Verstappen becoming the youngest ever pole winner. There would not have been any consideration that Ricciardo would challenge for pp, never mind get it.

Daniel would've been aware how much he was underestimated. Based on the reliability of the car since it was announced he was going to Renault, it was an unlikely possibility he would finish the race. As much as Newey tries to build cars that can't last the distance, not even he is capable of his ultimate goal of designing a car that can't complete a lap. So if he wasn't going to finish the race, Ricciardo was always going to at least qualify.


So with the help of the racing gods, Ricciardo went out and said "**** YOU!" The same way Jos beats the crap out of his partners.

It was a wonder pole. Kind of like Hamilton's, except without driving the best car in the field. Reminds me of Mansell 1990 British GP.

That's what I was going to say .