Race 20 - 2023 Mexican GP

[Matthew]

Since there was no thread to discuss the Mexican Grand Prix so I have decided to make one. Let's discuss everything happening at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

[airshifter]

https://www.grandprix247.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/autodromo-hermanos-rodriguez.jpg


Five F2 drives get into the seats for FP1 for their first laps in an F1 car.

FP1 and FP2 nothing really unexpected, other than everyone started twitchy on a green track and some remained twitchy. The Mercs look a bit lost still, and Fred looked well planted until the car snapped and sent him around. Even for Alonso that was a good save, the snap was quick and without warning. Both sessions had results with some seemingly out of place drivers, such as Albon 2nd quickest in FP1, and Danny Ric taking the AT to good results in both sessions, running 8th in FP1 and 6th in FP2. Bottas 4th in FP2, another one that makes you scratch your head.

The usual suspects seem to be making their way towards the front of the field. Though it's an interesting track, not a lot of passing opportunities and a short lap.

[airshifter]

One of the strangest qually sessions in years. It seems like the rapidly changing track temp had the drivers and teams scratching their heads with every turn of the wheel, and few of them really got it "right" in time to set the grid to represent the order of cars and drivers. I'll have to watch again, but I think Lewis was the only one to improve his time on the second run in Q3, and he commented that he couldn't get enough heat into his tires.

Hard to say if Ferrari were sandbagging of if it just came to them. Either way, they were quick enough to take them to the top, and that's what counts on qually day. And for Danny Ric to put that AT in front of everyone else except Max.... amazing stuff. Yuki ran well also, but due to the penalties didn't run through Q2 other than to give Ricciardo an initial tow. Both Alfa Romeo cars in the top 10 as well, so Mexico sure is shaking things up.

Shame for Albon, he got it into the top 10 only to find he had breached track limits and was demoted.



No penalties for all the drivers impeding in the pit lane, but they will have to sort that mess out somehow. Introducing the minimum times on track made sense to a point, but if the let it just happen in the pit lane it's still bound to screw up some drivers and teams.

[Used to be Starter]

Mexico City is always interesting as the elevation impacts both set up and engine power. Those who guess right are rewarded.

[N. Jones]

Sergio went too deep trying to go for the win.

[F1nKS]

Sergio went too deep trying to go for the win.

That was too bad. He had a really, really great start. I was even better than Max's which was good. But the adrenaline got him I think. If he had been on the inside he might have gotten away with it.

Good to see Ricciardo being up there in the points.

[Used to be Starter]

One thing which was very apparent at this race for both Max and Checo was how much better the Red Bulls are at launch than anyone else. Maybe credit some of that to the driver, but it's been pretty consistent all season.

[airshifter]

Overall an interesting race. Max gets a blinder start, Checo bins it trying to recover too many positions at turn one, and strategies came into the picture at race end.

I'm still a bit confused on the FIA investigating Leclerc for driving in an unsafe condition, yet they didn't throw the flag. It's almost as if they pretended the flag didn't exist, yet wanted to call the Ferrari into question because they didn't know what to do. Based on the investigation, they gave no penalty.

Bottas being given a time penalty for the collision with Stroll was odd at best. I'm going to look for more angles but it seemed to me at that point Lance caused the contact.

Yuki, Yuki, Yuki. With a clean race he should have been up there with or ahead of Ricciardo even. But it was not to be, and he made a mess of things with the McLaren that he should have had time to get by. Live and learn I guess.


Easily controlled race by Max, even though they didn't get to play out their strategy. Great drives by Lewis, Lando, and Ricciardo as well, staying out of trouble and making the best of things. I thought for sure the mediums after the red flag were a bad call, but they worked out great. Toto said they expected to have to manage much more, but had extra life left towards race end, and could pick up the pace. Lando pulled some clean and quick passes once on those last tires, and made the best of a poor start. All things considered, Ferrari did better than some expected, not falling back too far on race pace.


Not the weekend at all for AMR.

With Sergio tossing his chances in turn one, the fight with him and Lewis in the WDC might be coming to Lewis. We will see, but I think Sergio is deep in his own head at this point, and even a better car might not keep him in the number two spot.

[Matthew]

Sergio went too deep trying to go for the win.

He had a great chance of a podium finish but he wasted his chance by being reckless in the very first corner of the race.