2024 Formula 1 Preview & Review.

[Fortitude]

What Sergio Perez’s fans were singing at him on his return to the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Sergio Perez receives a hero’s welcome ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix. The report from Record says the ‘party has already started’ ahead of the 20th race weekend of the F1 season in Mexico.
24 Oct 2024
Ben Evans
FIA (Press Release)

Sergio Perez needs all the help he can if he’s going to retain his seat at Red Bull Racing beyond the end of this season. The Mexico City Grand Prix – previously known as the Mexican Grand Prix until 2019 – is preparing to host its 25th race in Formula 1.

Hundreds of people came out to welcome Perez at the Plaza Carso where Telcel – one of Perez’s biggest sponsors – is based. Perez’s name was sung throughout the event, and they reportedly didn’t stop signing his customary ‘Viejo sabroso’ chant. The term translates to ‘tasty old man’ and has followed Perez around for several years now.

‘Viejo sabroso’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/wha...ty-grand-prix/


F1 - 2024 Mexico City Grand Prix - Thursday Press Conference Transcript
PART ONE – Sergio PÉREZ (Red Bull Racing), Nico HÜLKENBERG (Haas), Pierre GASLY (Alpine)
PART TWO – Charles LECLERC (Ferrari), Zhou GUANYU (Kick Sauber), Felipe DRUGOVICH (Aston Martin)
24.10.24
FIA (Press Release)

Q: Checo, I feel we have to start with you. Just describe the build-up to this Grand Prix for you? It seems to get bigger and bigger every year. Sergio PÉREZ: It's pretty impressive. You always forget when you are on the other side of the world with so many races, you really forget the amount of support you have in your own country. And yeah, it's amazing. It's a great opportunity. It's a great experience every single Grand Prix. You know, it's crazy to think that this is the ninth Grand Prix that we've had. I was just joking with some of my sponsors yesterday, every year we used to do a football game for the for the lead up to the grand prix and now nobody can play because everyone has issues with the knees, with the back, you know, so everyone is aging so much! It's just great you know to look back at it and obviously this year again I think this Mexican Grand Prix, to me, I think it's the best in the world by quite a chunk.

Q:. Nico, let's come to you now. What a weekend for you and for Haas in Austin. Just give us your reflections on that, first of all. Nico HÜLKENBERG: Yeah, it's been very positive. Scored points twice, and with both cars in the Sprint. So, yeah, I think, you know, we feel very happy coming out of there. Also, you know, taking P6, obviously, at the moment in the championship. So we want to obviously hang on to that, repeat it as often as we can and take that momentum into this week and to next week and just keep building on that.

Q: Pierre, let's come to you now. Let's get a review from you about Austin. You were running upgrades on your car. Qualifying looked great. A few issues in the race. Just talk us through it?
Pierre GASLY: Yeah, I mean, best qualifying of the year. So I would say definitely some good positives to take away from the weekend. You know, looking back at a couple of months ago, we started in Bahrain on the last row. Still, we kept focusing on developing the package we have and, you know, eventually got to P7 last week in quali. So very pleased to see some good evolution with the car. The other side on Sunday, it wasn't a good race, not well executed. Unfortunately, we lost quite a bit of time with the pit stop, struggled a lot with the Hard tyre and lost the good start we had. So quite gutted not to convert this good quali into points, but at least there is definitely some hopes. you know encouraging signs that we we're going to be able to fight slightly further up the top for the remaining races.

Q: Felipe, why don't we start with you, because for a long time now, you've been scheduled to drive Fernando's car in FP1 here tomorrow. How excited are you by that? And what is the programme tomorrow?
Felipe DRUGOVICH: Yeah, so thank you very much, first of all. Very excited to be here. Yeah, I think the only thing that wasn't planned to be is actually the press conference. So, yeah, my best wishes to Fernando. Let's see how he gets on tomorrow. But, yeah, really excited. Tomorrow the plan is to, first of all, focus a little bit for the team. We're going to have some development runs. I'm just trying to help the team. gather some data, I think I'll be able to have some fun at the end, you know, pushing a little bit, but, you know, it's normally quite tricky, especially as a new track for me, so I need to take care of the car, but, yeah, hopefully it'll be a good session.

Q: Zhou, let's come to you now. It was quite a tough weekend for you in Austin. The race didn't quite pan out as you wanted. You didn't have the upgrades on your car, Valtteri did. What was he saying about them? And what can you expect from them this weekend when you'll have them as well?
ZHOU GUANYU: You know, firstly, I think, excited, of course, to try the new package. I think Austin, in general, we were still trying to extract everything we could. I think it wasn't easy, just seeing how difficult, let's say, the start of the weekend for us, but also with the short term of just FP1, then obviously not getting enough track time to try certain things, trying to extract them. So I think it's working like we expected in terms of numbers. But I did definitely expect to be a little bit more ahead than the pace was. But one thing I think was good is that in qualifying, it was, I think, both of us under two tenths to Q2, which is the closest we've ever been the last four five races. In a way it shows how much struggle we've been in but one another side I think it shows we have managed to close the gap, which is something nice to do. Unfortunately my race, definitely not going to go too much into detail on that, with a mistake in Turn 1 and that cost quite a bit. But even then I think points weren't possible that weekend. But I was just trying to give it always what I had. So this weekend is going to be completely different, which will be nice and jump in the car after let's say P1, from P2 onwards, trying to figure out, you know, what we go forward and, you know, what set-up we make, adjustments.

Q: Charles, let's come to you now. Tremendous weekend for Ferrari last time out. What chance a repeat here in Mexico?
Charles LECLERC: I mean, it's very difficult to predict this season race by race. Last weekend went extremely well for us. We were particularly strong in races and in race pace. In qualifying, we struggled a little bit more. However, on paper, Mexico should be quite a good track for us. But that doesn't mean we'll reproduce the kind of performance we've done in Austin, we just need to focus on ourselves, focus obviously on FP2 for me, I won't be doing FP1, Ollie will be in the car for FP1, and yeah, just try and maximise the result this weekend, and then we'll see where it ends up, but it's obviously a very important part of the season, only five races to go, and there's the Constructors’ title, that is still possible, so we'll give absolutely everything in order to try and take that one.

‘Thursday Press Conference Transcript’;

https://www.fia.com/news/f1-2024-mex...nce-transcript

[Fortitude]

Sergio Perez backed for F1 World Championship glory amid Mexican GP retirement rumours.
Sergio Perez has been backed to win the world title by his biggest fan – his dad.
24 Oct 2024
Sam Cooper
PlanetF1.com

Sergio Perez is by far the most successful Mexican in F1 history having scored six of the country’s eight wins and raced more than every other driver combined. But the title crown has eluded him with his highest position being P2 in 2023, a season where he finished 290 points behind team-mate Max Verstappen.

But if there is one man who still believes in the driver, it is his dad. Antonio Pérez Garibay is a frequent figure in the paddock and is never happier than when his son is doing well. Another trait of Perez Sr is heaping expectations on his son. Having previously said his son will not retire before winning the World Championship, Perez Sr has again stated his confidence in this happening.

“The best of Checo Perez is yet to come,” he told Mexican publication Récord+. “I am sure that in due time, Checo will have the weapons and tools to fight for the world championship. I am very excited and I can say that Checo will be world champion.” Perez has been under fire for over a year given his lacklustre form but for now, Red Bull bosses have not suggested he will be dropped.

‘Biggest fan – his dad’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/sergio...rement-rumours


Sergio Perez makes ‘terrible season’ admission as ‘massive change’ sought
24 Oct 2024
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com

Sergio Perez believes the Mexico City Grand Prix result could make a “massive” change to his F1 2024 season, which he deemed “terrible”. “Yeah, definitely, I know I’ve had a terrible season, a very difficult one,” he told media, including PlanetF1.com, in the press conference ahead of his home race at the Mexico City Grand Prix. It started really well, but, yeah, it’s been really, really difficult.”

“For me, you know, if I get a strong result, it can definitely change my season massively, in terms of personal feeling. So I’m really up for it,” he said, saying he hopes to be able to replicate his podium finish of 2021 by bringing his young son up with him. I think that moment will stay with me forever, having my son up there with me on the podium watching me,” he said.

“It’s something that I hope he remembers forever, if not I have the picture, at least, to show him when he’s old, you know? Those moments, I think it’s the ones that really matter to me, and I hope I can repeat that one this weekend.”

‘Strong result, it can definitely change my season massively’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/sergio...ity-grand-prix


Multiple drivers set to appear in Mexico City Grand Prix FP1 session
24 Oct 2024
FIA Formula 2 Championship - Official Site

There are several drivers from the 2024 grid that will be getting into the cockpit of F1 machinery this weekend in Mexico for the opening Practice session of the event. Along with those on the ’24 grid, there are a few familiar faces also taking part in the action around the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez this weekend.

After his first FP1 outing back in Monza, Andrea Kimi Antonelli will be back behind the wheel of the Mercedes W15, replacing Lewis Hamilton in first Practice ahead of his promotion to F1 full-time next season.

Over at Ferrari, Oliver Bearman will get back into the cockpit of the SF-24 for the first time since his impressive last-minute call-up in Jeddah. He will be taking over driving duties from Charles Leclerc for FP1 after several appearances for Haas earlier in the year.

‘Multiple drivers set to appear’;

https://www.fiaformula2.com/Latest/1...ix-fp1-session


Which F1 rookies are driving FP1 at the Mexican GP?
Half of the current F1 teams will field rookie drivers during FP1 at the Mexican Grand Prix - but who are the drivers getting the chance, and who is stepping aside?
24 Oct 2024
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365

FP1 Driver Team Driver Replaced
Pato O'Ward McLaren TBC
Oliver Bearman Ferrari Charles Leclerc
Kimi Antonelli Mercedes Lewis Hamilton
Felipe Drugovich Aston Martin Fernando Alonso
Robert Shwartzman Stake Zhou Guanyu

‘F1 rookies’;

https://racingnews365.com/which-f1-r...the-mexican-gp


Max Verstappen leaves presenter stunned with crude four-word comment during F1 Mexican Grand Prix build-up
Verstappen was participating in a pre-race event with Red Bull team-mate and home hero Sergio Perez.
24 Oct 2024
Ryan Smart
SPORTbible

Max Verstappen left a presenter stunned with a four-word comment during a pre-race event ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix. With five races left to go in the season - as well as two sprint races - the Dutchman is in the metaphorical pole position to claim his fourth consecutive title.

The Mexican Grand Prix is the home race for Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez, meaning the pair have taken part in various promotional events in the build-up to the race. One activity saw the pair aim velcro footballs at a large target, with Perez scoring several points from his attempt.

Unfortunately for Verstappen, though, some of his attempts didn't land - causing him to make an amusing comment to the female reporter at the event. He exclaimed: "My balls didn't stick!" The reporter and Perez laughed, before she replied: "Your what?" Perez commented: "You listen too much to what Jorge Campos [Mexican former goalkeeper] says."

‘The female reporter and Perez laughed’;

https://www.sportbible.com/f1/max-ve...54436-20241024


Start time for the 2024 F1 Mexican GP
From Friday, October 25 to Sunday, October 27, the Formula 1 Mexican Grand Prix will take place. Check here for all the F1 start times in Mexico City.
24 Oct 2024
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365

We return to the standard format with three practice sessions, qualifying, and the race. Red Bull often performs well in Mexico and will undoubtedly do everything possible this weekend to be faster than title contender McLaren. Can Verstappen, like last week, keep Lando Norris behind him?

Timetable Mexican GP
Session
Date Time
Free practice 1 Friday 25 October 20:30 - 21:30
Free practice 2 Saturday 26 October 00:00 - 01:30
Free practice 3 Saturday 26 October 19:30 - 20:30
Qualification Saturday 26 October 23:00 - 00:00
Race Sunday 27 October 21:00 - 23:00

‘Standard format’;

https://racingnews365.com/start-time...-f1-mexican-gp

[Fortitude]

Mexico City GP Preview | Can Verstappen put the final nail in Norris' coffin?
Can Verstappen secure his fourth title? Of course, the rhetorical question is mathematically not possible. However, a fact is that Max Verstappen could leave the Circuit of the Americas with a big smile on his face.
24 Oct 2024
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com

Now, there is a bit less pressure on Red Bull, as they had to deliver at COTA with their upgrades to the RB20. Moreover, rivals can also help Verstappen to a title, given Ferrari's great performance. After a difficult weekend, Mercedes could also now follow Ferrari in getting on top of their upgrade package that can help them to perform.

Now, in Mexico City, there is more stability in the Austrian team as well. Verstappen once again showed why he is a world champion as he defended the attacks from Norris' McLaren very maturely and in an intelligent way, as McLaren could only lick their wounds.

The next circuit will also be one where Red Bull have historically performed well and dealt well with the high altitude. Since 2017, Verstappen only failed to win on one occasion, in 2019, when it was Lewis Hamilton who crossed the finish line in P1. If Verstappen manages to finish ahead of Norris, given his Dutch rival's performance, that can truly be a final nail in the coffin for the British driver.

‘Final nail in Norris' coffin?’

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/30842...is-coffin.html


Eddie Jordan shares why he thinks Lando Norris might be ‘one of the best’ to never win an F1 championship
24 Oct 2024
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

McLaren driver Lando Norris watched his faint hopes of winning the Formula Drivers’ Championship slip further away after the United States Grand Prix. With six Grand Prix remaining going into the race at Austin, Lando Norris knew he needed to make up nearly nine points at every race weekend on Max Verstappen to stand a chance of securing his first title.

Why Eddie Jordan isn’t sure McLaren star Lando Norris will ever be a Formula 1 world champion. Reflecting on how he battled Verstappen at the Circuit of the Americas, Jordan said: “You know, Lando Norris has been brought up by an amazing, lovely, beautiful, caring family. And is there an argument to say that he’s too nice? Yes, possibly.”

“The fact is that Lando Norris will go down in the history books as being one of the most incredibly fastest drivers, possibly not to have won a world championship. And the reason being, he should have been out of sight on several of the races this year, where, there is not a chance Max had the car that he had.”

‘Slip further away’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/edd...-championship/


‘Norris lacks elite mentality of ruthless Verstappen to win F1 title’
In the latest episode of the Total Motorsport F1 Show, David Schiavone questioned whether Lando Norris has the mentality needed to snatch the title from his rival Max Verstappen
24 Oct 2024
Joe Krishnan


Lando Norris does not yet have an elite mentality like the ‘ruthless’ Max Verstappen to win the Formula 1 2024 drivers’ championship, according to an F1 expert. In a special guest appearance on the Total Motorsport F1 Show, editor-in-chief David Schiavone questioned if the Briton has the mentality needed to become a world champion after being outfoxed by Verstappen.

“Max is ruthless. All the best drivers… they’re ruthless, they’re winners,” Schiavone said. “In Hungary, where Norris and [Oscar] Piastri were involved in the ‘will they, won’t they’ over swapping positions, I thought if Norris is to be one of those ruthless drivers, he needs to be saying ‘sorry, I’m winning’. And he didn’t.”

“That for me said a lot, that his mentality is not quite there. Helmut Marko said it last week, he got criticised by Zak Brown this weekend. It’s a mini example that his mentality is not quite at the elite level.” He added: “With Verstappen, this is what he does. He’s in the advantageous position in that if he brakes later, and Norris goes ‘I’m going to crash into him’, Norris is the loser because Max is ahead in the championship,” he said. “So he’ll be like ‘if you crash into me, it’s a win for me’.”

‘Norris lacks elite mentality’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/lan...ppen-f1-title/


McLaren lodges right of review over controversial Norris penalty
Oct 25, 2024
Josh Suttill
The Race

McLaren is petitioning for a right of review into Lando Norris’s five second time penalty for passing Max Verstappen off-track in the 2024 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix. News on Thursday evening that McLaren is asking the FIA for a right of review comes as a shock as, on Sunday, Stella admitted any right of review into the incident would be unlikely to succeed.

The petition for a right of review will be heard at 2.30pm local time in Mexico on Friday via video conference with representatives from both McLaren and Red Bull present. The stewards will determine whether there’s a “significant and relevant new element which was unavailable to the party [McLaren] seeking the review at the time of the decision concerned”. Should McLaren be successful, it will trigger a second part of the hearing that will take place at a later date.

‘McLaren lodges right of review’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/m...us-gp-penalty/


McLaren know Norris’ penalty is likely to stand – so what do they hope to gain?
25th Oct 2024
Keith Collantine
RaceFans

But do McLaren seriously expect to persuade the stewards that Norris did not deserve a penalty for overtaking Verstappen off-track at turn 12 on lap 52 last weekend? Recent history suggests they shouldn’t.

Date of decision Team Event Incident Outcome
21 June 2019 Ferrari Canadian GP Sebastian Vettel rejoined the track in an unsafe fashion Failed

5 July 2020 Red Bull Austrian GP Lewis Hamilton failed to slow for yellow flags Succeeded

2 May 2021 Alfa Romeo Emilia Romagna GP Kimi Raikkonen failed to re-establish the correct restart order Failed

29 July 2021 Red Bull British GP Lewis Hamilton given a 10-second penalty for colliding with Max Verstappen Failed

9 August 2021 Aston Martin Hungarian GP Sebastian Vettel’s car disqualified for being underweight Failed

19 November 2021 Mercedes Brazilian GP Max Verstappen forced Lewis Hamilton off the track Failed

28 October 2022 Alpine United States GP Haas submitted protest against Fernando Alonso too late Succeeded

19 March 2023 Aston Martin Saudi Arabian GP Fernando Alonso failed to serve a five-second time penalty correctly Succeeded

18 April 2023 Ferrari Australian GP Carlos Sainz Jnr collided with Fernando Alonso Failed

2 July 2023 McLaren Canadian GP Lando Norris penalised for unsportsmanlike driving Failed

9 November 2023 Haas United States GP Track limits breaches Failed

5 May 2024 Aston Martin Chinese GP Fernando Alonso collided with Carlos Sainz Jnr Failed


What new evidence might McLaren have, and how likely is it to produce the desired outcome? New video evidence is unlikely to sway the stewards in this particularly case.

‘What do they hope to gain?’

https://www.racefans.net/2024/10/25/...-hope-to-gain/


Lando Norris’ ‘inexplicable' defence against Max Verstappen scrutinised
Martin Brundle's verdict on the opening lap of the United States Grand Prix between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.
23 Oct 2024
Connor McDonagh
Crash.net

Legendary F1 commentator Martin Brundle has described Lando Norris’ attempt at defending the lead from Max Verstappen on the opening lap of the United States Grand Prix as ‘inexplicable’.

Martin Brundle: “At the start of the Grand Prix everyone got away in unison and Norris knew he had to defend the inside line into the first corner. It had worked well for him on this line the day before. Inexplicably he still left reasonable space on the inside and Verstappen wasted no time in filling it."

“They both inevitably ran quite wide on the exit, Norris now off the track. The race director and stewards take a more lenient view on the opening lap as the cars are bound to be in multiple close contact throughout, and the incident wasn't even raised for the stewards to debate.”

‘Lando Norris’ ‘inexplicable' defence’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/105859...en-scrutinised


‘It’s racing’: Max Verstappen sends ‘kindergarten’ message to Lando Norris after US Grand Prix incident
22 Oct 2024
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Max Verstappen dismisses criticism over Lando Norris tactics at US Grand Prix. Norris said over the radio that he was ‘ahead at the apex’ and pointed out that Verstappen ‘also went off’ in defence. However, the stewards controversially ruled out that he’d left the track and gained an advantage. Addressing the incident in an interview with Canal+, Verstappen insisted ‘we’re not in kindergarten’. He maintained that his tactics constituted fair racing.

In addition to extending his lead to 57 points, he may also have landed a psychological blow. Norris wasn’t able to overtake him cleanly despite a clear pace advantage. “I didn’t push anyone out,” Verstappen said. “We didn’t touch. I tried to make the corner. I was on full lock. It’s racing. We’re not in kindergarten.”

‘Tactics constituted fair racing’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/max...prix-incident/

[Fortitude]

Mexico City GP: Russell sets the pace for Mercedes in FP1.
George Russell had a bright start to the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend, setting the top time for Mercedes ahead of Ferrari's Carlos Sainz in Free Practice 1 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez on Friday.
25/10/2024
Andrew Lewin
F1i.com

Russell finished the 60-minute session three tenths ahead of Sainz by the chequered flag, with Yuki Tsunoda third fastest for RB ahead of Max Verstappen and Nico Hulkenberg. After overcoming a typical bottleneck in the stadium section, it was Mercedes' George Russell who took an early advantage on the session with a time of 1:20.727s keeping him just 0.068s ahead of Red Bull's Sergio Perez.

This was over three seconds off Leclerc's 2023 pole time so there was still plenty more time to come from everyone. Soon Williams' Alex Albon took his turn on point clocking in at 1:19.812s as the track got cleaned up. This was over three seconds off Leclerc's 2023 pole time so there was still plenty more time to come from everyone. Soon Williams' Alex Albon took his turn on point clocking in at 1:19.812s as the track got cleaned up.

Russell also put together a very good lap, posting three purple sectors for a new top time of 1:17.998s which proved six tenths quicker than Sainz and eight tenths ahead of Verstappen, giving Mercedes the early advantage. Many teams seemed to be struggling to turn on the soft tyres with a single warm-up lap.

‘Russell sets the pace’;

https://f1i.com/news/522571-mexico-c...es-in-fp1.html


Mexico City GP: Free Practice 1 Results
26 October 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe

Full results from Free Practice 1 from the Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

Pos Num Driver Team Laps Best Diff
1 63 George Russell Mercedes 23 1:17.998
2 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 25 1:18.315 0.317
3 22 Yuki Tsunoda RB 24 1:18.699 0.701
4 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 14 1:18.839 0.841
5 27 Nico Hulkenberg Haas 18 1:18.904 0.906
6 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 24 1:18.958 0.960
7 31 Esteban Ocon Alpine 22 1:18.996 0.998
8 77 Valtteri Bottas Sauber 23 1:19.048 1.050
9 30 Liam Lawson RB 25 1:19.093 1.095
10 11 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing 22 1:19.094 1.096

‘Full results’;

https://speedcafe.com/mexico-city-gp...ice-1-results/


Mexico City Grand Prix: F1 free practice 1 results
Oct 25, 2024
Rhiannon Temporal
FormulaNerds

Bearman and Albon collide: A second red flag period is upon us, with Albon and Bearman coming to a stop at Turn 10. There is significant damage to both cars and this will result in an early end to the session for the duo. The Williams has ended up in the barrier, while the Ferrari pulled up a little further around the corner.

Looking at the replays, Albon gets a snap of oversteer as he approaches a slow moving Bearman. The young Brit has clearly tried to get out of the way, but the Thai driver isn’t happy with his placement. Overall, it is a rather unfortunate incident between the pair. This will be a slightly longer red flag period, with the barriers needing to be repaired.

Problems for Verstappen: On the team radio, the reigning world champion reports issues with his engine. The Dutch driver is going slowly and is complaining of a lack of power. With six minutes left in the session, Verstappen returns to the pits. As the battle for the championship continues, could there be trouble on the horizon for Red Bull’s contender?

‘F1 free practice 1 results’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/me.../?nowprocket=1


Verstappen and Albon trigger red flags in heavily disrupted Mexican GP practice
It was not the smoothest of sessions for all concerned in the opening session in Mexico.
25 Oct 2024
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365

It was a session that was red-flagged, however, after just four minutes due to a piece of debris on the track. At that stage, only eight drivers had posted a time, with Verstappen leading the way with a 1:20.970s on the hard compound. It is understood, however, from a radio message from Verstappen, that the debris was a result of him running over something. It resulted in his pit crew working on the car to ensure it was fit to return to the track.

After 22 minutes, the red flags were flying again, this time after a heavy crash involving Williams' Alex Albon. Albon, encountered a snap of oversteer exiting Turn 9, resulting in the right rear of his Williams smacking into the front left of the SF-24, forcing the Thai-British driver into a 360-degree spin that culminated in him crashing into a barrier. Albon described Bearman as an "idiot" over the radio, whilst the young Briton, who will be driving for Haas next year, simply stated, "He hit me!"

‘Red flags in heavily disrupted Mexican GP practice’;

https://racingnews365.com/verstappen...an-gp-practice


Full Mexican Grand Prix FP1 results | Russell takes P1 ahead of Sainz
25 Oct 2024
Olly Darcy
GPblog.com

George Russell set the earlier pace at the Mexican Grand Prix by taking P1 in the first free practice session. The Mercedes driver finished ahead of Carlos Sainz in P2, with the VCARB of Yuki Tsunoda rounding out the top three. In what was an incident-filled session that saw two red flags come out, it resulted in quite a topsy-turvy leaderboard.

However, Russell stayed at the top for the majority of the hour-long session, setting the pace on both the hard tyres as well as the soft tyres, just ahead of the Ferrari of Sainz. Tsunoda managed to find the pace on the soft tyres to move him up to the top three, finishing a tenth of a second quicker than the Red Bull of Max Verstappen, who was forced to finish earlier after he lost power.

Nico Hulkenberg then rounded out the top five in the Haas ahead of a mediocre McLaren of Oscar Piastri. Esteban Ocon and Valtteri Bottas also found their way into the top ten, both ahead of Liam Lawson in the other VCARB. Rounding out the top ten was Sergio Perez, and he will hope to find more pace to give his home fans something to cheer about.

‘Full Mexican Grand Prix FP1 results’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/30871...rand-prix.html

[Fortitude]

Sainz tops extended Mexico City Grand Prix FP2 as Russell crashes.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz went quickest in a 90-minute second practice session for the 2024 FIA Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix defined by Pirelli tyres testing and halted for a long period following a heavy crash for Mercedes’ George Russell.
26 Oct 2024
Racecars

At the start of the session McLaren’s Lando Norris set the early pace with a time of 1:19.895 using a prototype C5 compound Pirelli tyres designed for use in 2025. Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez then moved well clear with a lap of 1:19.150 set on the same compound.

Norris’ team-mate Oscar Piastri, using the 2024 C4, this weekend’s Medium tyre, then took top spot with a lap of 1:19.030, before Sainz eclipsed that by more than seven tenths of a second, using 2024 C4s to set a time of 1:18.276. He then worked his way down to a time of 1:17.809s before Russell brough the session to a halt.

The Mercedes driver clattered over the kerbs on exit in Turn 8 which caused his W15 to bottom out and he spun off at high speed. Russell hit the barriers hard but the Mercedes driver was fortunately unhurt, though he was taken to the medical centre for checks.

‘Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz went quickest’;

https://www.racecar.com/news/100897/...ussell-crashes


Mexico City GP: Free Practice 2 Results
26 Oct 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe

Full results from Free Practice 2 from the Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

Pos Num Driver Team Laps Best Diff
1 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 34 1:17.699
2 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 30 1:17.877 0.178
3 22 Yuki Tsunoda RB 30 1:17.878 0.179
4 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 31 1:17.887 0.188
5 4 Lando Norris McLaren 36 1:17.948 0.249
6 20 Kevin Magnussen Haas 34 1:18.239 0.540
7 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 36 1:18.279 0.580
8 77 Valtteri Bottas Sauber 32 1:18.351 0.652
9 11 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing 32 1:18.392 0.693
10 30 Liam Lawson RB 29 1:18.560 0.861

‘Full results from Free Practice 2’;

https://speedcafe.com/mexico-city-gp...ice-2-results/


Mexico City Grand Prix: F1 Free Practice 2 Results
Formula 1 visits Mexico City for the championship's 20th round and the second race of the triple header
Oct 26, 2024
Hannah May
FormulaNerds

Verstappen was out on the circuit and reported that his car still felt weird after his early issues in FP1. The Drivers’ Championship leader said that the brakes were not working properly. He said: “This noise is very disturbing, it can’t be normal.” Red Bull then told the Dutchman to box.

Red Flag: Just over 19 minutes into Free Practice 2, a Yellow Flag was shown – which quickly became a Red Flag – as George Russell hit the barriers at Turn 9 at force. The medical car was deployed due to the amount of g-load on impact. Russell was seen holding his stomach and ribs as he exited the W15. The medical car took him straight to the medical centre.

With 47 minutes remaining, Verstappen was back out on track. However, Red Bull called him back to the pits almost immediately as the issues persisted. Leclerc was on another flying lap and crossed the line with a time good enough to promote him to P4. Norris’ next quick lap attempt contained three yellow sectors, perhaps carrying more fuel at the start of his next practice run. News arrived from the pit lane that Verstappen’s Red Bull was fully stripped apart, including the floor removed. It was likely the end of his session due to the amount of work required.

‘Russell was seen holding his stomach and ribs’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/me.../?nowprocket=1


Mexican GP: Carlos Sainz tops FP2 after heavy George Russell crash
26 Oct 2024
Sam Cooper
PlanetF1.com

Carlos Sainz was the fastest man on track as the teams took to the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez for FP2 of the Mexican Grand Prix. It was an unusual second practice session with an extra 30 minutes added on as the drivers became guinea pigs to test tyres for Pirelli ahead of next season. Even with the extended session, the teams lost out on plenty of running after George Russell brought out the red flag with a little over 10 minutes on the clock.

Once the session did restart, there was a noticeable absence in the form of championship leader Max Verstappen whose FP1 engine troubles continued into the afternoon session. Having gone out for a few laps, Verstappen complained of a strange noise coming from his power unit and despite the lengthy stoppage caused by Russell’s crash, Red Bull were unable to get it fixed before the session end.

Another driver who did not feature was Alex Albon after his collision with Ollie Bearman in FP1. James Vowles told Sky F1 that the team were replacing pretty much the whole car and a job that size was not able to be completed before the end of Friday’s running.

‘The teams lost out on plenty of running’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mexica...024-fp2-report


‘One thing after another’ – Russell left frustrated by second big crash in a week as he spins off in Mexico City
26 Oct 2024
Formula One - Official Site

A dejected George Russell said it is “one thing after another at the moment” for himself and Mercedes after a high-speed crash brought his Friday running at the Mexico City Grand Prix to a premature conclusion. Russell led the way during first practice at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez but lost control of his Mercedes W15 through the Turn 8/9 curves early in second practice.

“I’m okay, definitely felt a bit winded after that one,” Russell said. “Honestly, I don’t know what happened. Just the car started bouncing on the ground and before I even had a chance to catch it, I was already spinning. It seems like it’s one thing after another at the moment. It’s frustrating. FP1 we were very strong, very fast. Tried to take the same line, cutting that corner and for whatever reason on this occasion in FP2 the thing just started going on me.”

‘One thing after another’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...IbChtvs7gwZK1n


Mercedes provide Russell health update after major crash
George Russell suffered a big accident in Free Practice 2 for the Mexican Grand Prix.
26 Oct 2024
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365

Mercedes has delivered an encouraging health update on George Russell following his big Mexican Grand Prix practice shunt. Early in FP2 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Russell got onto the kerb of Turn 9, and span at high-speed into the TecPro barrier on the right-hand side, impacting broadside.

It was his second big accident within a week following his United States GP qualifying accident, with the Briton seen to be holding his ribs after climbing from the car. He was taken straight to the medical centre by the medical centre for a check-up, but has since been released with Mercedes confirming on social media Russell was okay.

"Positive news on George Russell. He has been released from the medical centre and is back with the Team," said the statement. Mercedes reserve driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli is present in Mexico and drove Lewis Hamilton's car in FP1 to fulfill the second of Mercedes' mandatory rookie driver sessions.

"Positive news on George Russell”;

https://racingnews365.com/mercedes-p...er-major-crash


Verstappen's FP2 ends early after problems during Mexican GP weekend
26 Oct 2024
Nicole Mulder
GPblog.com

Max Verstappen finished his second free practice session early. The Red Bull Racing driver got out of his RB20 with over 35 minutes left in the session after persistent problems. Red Bull has since confirmed that Verstappen will not be back in action during this session. " Car 1 will not run again in FP2 as we investigate a PU issue further," reads Red Bull's statement.

Verstappen's early end to FP2 comes after he also reported problems during the first free practice session. There, Verstappen drove over a tool that had fallen onto the tarmac in the pit lane, causing damage to his floor. However, he also came in because of a problem with his power unit, which Red Bull later reported was nothing serious.

‘Verstappen's FP2 ends early’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/30881...-problems.html


Horner on possible grid penalty for Verstappen: "You are never safe"
26 Oct 2024
Matt Gretton
GPblog.com

For Max Verstappen, the first day of the Grand Prix weekend in Mexico City ended in disappointment. There were engine problems with his RB20, forcing him to retire early in FP2. Red Bull Racing team boss Christian Horner realises that a grid penalty is a possibility sometime this Formula One season.

Horner on possible grid penalty Verstappen. Prior to the second free practice session, Horner also addressed the possibility of a grid penalty. "I don't think you're ever safe, as we had just seen in the last session [FP1], but hopefully, that's just a small issue. I think it's something, probably more of a question for our engine partner [Honda] as to how comfortable they feel getting to the end of the year. But you're always always on the limit," Horner explained.

‘Horner on possible grid penalty Verstappen’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/30884...erstappen.html

[Fortitude]

Mexican GP: Oscar Piastri tops the times in McLaren FP3 one-two.
McLaren were the team on top in Mexico with Oscar Piastri setting the quickest FP3 time before the all-important qualifying session.
26 Oct 2024
Sam Cooper
PlanetF1.com

The timings set up what looks to be an intriguing battle for pole with Carlos Sainz making it three podium finishes from the practice sessions while Charles Leclerc was in sixth. Unsurprisingly, George Russell was the first man out on track as the Briton looked to make up for lost time following his heavy crash in FP2.

Overnight, Mercedes used their second of two permitted curfew breaks in order to get Russell’s car ready for the day’s running. Russell’s time of 1:17.341 put him eighth while Lewis Hamilton’s troubles with the car seemed to have subsided somewhat as he went fifth fastest.

Mercedes were not the only ones to break curfew as Red Bull sought to solve the engine issues that plagued Max Verstappen on Friday. Unable to produce a quick fix, the team opted to fit a different engine into the number one car for the rest of the Mexican GP weekend.

‘McLaren FP3 one-two’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mexica...024-fp3-report


Mexico City GP: Free Practice 3 Results
27 Oct 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe

Full results from Free Practice 3 from the Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

Pos Num Driver Team Laps Best Diff

1 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 16 1:16.492

2 4 Lando Norris McLaren 17 1:16.551 0.059

3 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 20 1:16.832 0.340

4 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 25 1:17.003 0.511

5 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 19 1:17.060 0.568

6 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 23 1:17.232 0.740

7 22 Yuki Tsunoda RB 18 1:17.302 0.810

8 63 George Russell Mercedes 27 1:17.341 0.849

9 20 Kevin Magnussen Haas 18 1:17.474 0.982

10 30 Liam Lawson RB 21 1:17.494 1.002

‘Full results from Free Practice 3’;

https://speedcafe.com/mexico-city-gp...ice-3-results/


Mexico GP: Max fourth in final practice session
26 October 2024
Stefan Meens
Verstappen.nl

At the start of the session, Max is one of the first drivers to head out on track after losing valuable running time in FP2 following power unit issues. The Oracle Red Bull Racing driver sets the pace in the opening part of the session during a six-lap stint on the soft Pirelli tyres.

After a quick stop in the pits, Max resumes his running plan with an eleven-lap stint, again on the softs. By this point, the Dutchman has dropped down the order to fourth with Mercedes’ George Russell and the two Ferraris of Sainz and Charles Leclerc having set the quickest times thus far.

With fifteen minutes remaining, the mechanics bolt on a fresh set of softs on Max’s RB20. The reigning champion utilises the extra grip and jumps to the top of the timing sheets. Unfortunately, he cannot enjoy P1 for long as both McLarens and Sainz’s Ferrari usurp Max before the sessions draws to a close with Piastri quickest.

‘Max fourth’;

https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/5638/


David Croft shares his ‘understanding’ on possible penalty for Max Verstappen after Red Bull engine change
26 Oct 2024
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer

In FP1 in Mexico, Verstappen reported a lack of power in his RB20 and return back to the pits. The 27-year-old ultimately went fourth fastest in the session, but only got to complete 14 laps. Verstappen did not leave the garage at all in FP2 and did not set a time. Heading into Saturday’s practice session, David Croft revealed on the Sky Sports F1 coverage that Red Bull have made an engine change to his car.

As a result, as Croft understands it, the Dutchman is ‘on the limit’ for power unit and could receive a penalty for the Brazilian Grand Prix. “Max Verstappen has taken a new engine out of his pool, one that has been used before, not necessarily brand spanking new, but certainly replacing the one that he had in his car yesterday. An air intake leak was causing them problems down at Red Bull,” said the commentator.

“And my understanding is that they are now right on the limit for power units for the rest of this season and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if a power unit penalty was coming their way, maybe at the next race in Brazil because Karun Chandhok, they don’t want to go to the final three races and have to change engines there and take a penalty, because overtaking is a bit more difficult.”

‘Possible penalty for Max Verstappen’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/dav...engine-change/


Advantage McLaren as Red Bull issues continue in crucial Mexican GP FP3
Oscar Piastri led a McLaren one-two in final practice ahead of this weekend's Mexico City Grand Prix.
26 Oct 2024
Nick Golding
RacingNews365

It is advantage McLaren ahead of qualifying for the Mexico City Grand Prix as Oscar Piastri led Lando Norris in final practice. Piastri topped the hour-long session after setting a 1:16.492s, whilst Norris was 0.059s adrift in second. The Woking-based team appear to be the team to beat, as Carlos Sainz was three-tenths adrift in third.

After a turbulent Friday, Red Bull's issues continued in Saturday's opening session, as Max Verstappen was fourth quickest and half-a-second slower than Piastri. However, the reigning world champion and team-mate Sergio Perez encountered grip problems throughout the session, which Verstappen complained about over the radio.

"Ah, this doesn't **** work," reported Verstappen over the radio. "There's no grip, front and rear." Perez was only P14 and 1.2s adrift in front of his home fans. Third practice was also important for Verstappen and Red Bull after the Milton Keynes-based team had to use parts in the Dutchman's engine pool to repair an issue from Friday.

‘Advantage McLaren’;

https://racingnews365.com/advantage-...mexican-gp-fp3


FP3 Highlights: 2024 Mexico City Grand Prix
26 Oct 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Watch highlights from third practice ahead of the 2024 Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix.

‘FP3 Highlights’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/video/fp...06346827032991

[Fortitude]

Sainz flies to Mexican GP pole ahead of Verstappen and Norris.
Carlos Sainz Jnr took pole position for the Mexican Grand Prix after beating Max Verstappen and Lando Norris by two tenths of a second.
26th Oct 2024
Will Wood
RaceFans

Russell and Hamilton sat in third and fourth after their first attempts, while Norris was only in fifth, eight tenths of a second slower than Sainz’s provisional pole time. Verstappen was under pressure to deliver with his final lap and successfully stayed within the white lines to post a 1’16.171, quick enough to beat Leclerc but not fast enough for pole position. Leclerc was unable to match his team mate with his effort, while Norris went third with his second effort.

Sainz went even faster than his own pole lap, taking his time down under the 1’16s to confirm pole position with a 1’15.946 by over two tenths of a second to Verstappen, who will join his former Toro Rosso team mate on the front row. Norris will start third ahead of Leclerc and the two Mercedes of Russell and Hamilton. Magnussen secured seventh place for Haas with Gasly in eighth. Alexander Albon will start ninth on the grid, with Nico Hulkenberg completing the top 10 after losing time on the exit kern at turn 12 on his final lap.

‘Sainz flies to Mexican GP pole’;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/10/26/...en-and-norris/


Mexico City GP: Qualifying Results
27 Oct 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe

Full results from Qualifying from the Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

Pos Num Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3 Diff

1 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:16.778 1:16.515 1:15.946

2 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1:16.803 1:16.514 1:16.171 0.225

3 4 Lando Norris McLaren 1:16.505 1:16.301 1:16.260 0.314

4 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:16.972 1:16.641 1:16.265 0.319

5 63 George Russell Mercedes 1:17.194 1:16.937 1:16.356 0.410

6 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:17.306 1:16.973 1:16.651 0.705

7 20 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:17.125 1:17.003 1:16.886 0.940

8 10 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:17.149 1:17.048 1:16.892 0.946

9 23 Alex Albon Williams 1:17.189 1:16.988

10 27 Nico Hulkenberg Haas 1:17.186 1:16.995

‘Full results from Qualifying’;

https://speedcafe.com/mexico-city-gp...fying-results/


F1 - 2024 Mexico City Grand Prix Post-Qualifying Press Conference Transcript
27.10.24
FIA (Press Release)

TRACK INTERVIEWS
(Conducted by James Hinchcliffe)

Q: We’re joined here by Lando Norris who is going to line up third on the grid tomorrow. Lando, first talk us through your run a little bit. You've had an incredible amount of pace so far through the weekend but did you leave a little bit on the table? Did you get everything you needed out of it in Q3? Lando NORRIS: It's always tough to say but I'm pretty happy with third, honestly. I feel like I got to the limit of the car quite quickly, which made us look good, but I struggled to get a little more out of it in the final two laps. So, Carlos and Max did good laps. They've been, specially Carlos, they’ve been very quick all weekend. Yeah, I'm happy with third.

Q: Another front row start for Max Verstappen. He's won the last three Grand Prix here in Mexico City. You're going to do it from outside of the front row tomorrow. But let's talk about Q3, that first run getting deleted. How much pressure does that put on you to get that second one absolutely perfect with no mistakes? Max VERSTAPPEN: Yeah, quite a lot. I mean, yesterday I barely did any laps, so... Yeah, we were playing a lot of catch-up. FP3 was not very good. So I was already, I think, under a lot of pressure to have a good qualifying, and then, of course, my lap time got taken away, so it added a little bit more pressure. But, yeah, very happy to be on the front row. I honestly didn't expect that to be possible.

Q: Congratulations. Carlos Sainz, sixth career pole position here in Mexico City for Ferrari. What a run you guys have been on. But first, just talk us through that lap? Carlos SAINZ: Yeah, very happy and a great couple of laps. You know, a lot of times around Mexico, you always have the feeling like you cannot put a lap together and it's extremely difficult with how much sliding there is. But today, honestly, my two laps of Q3 were pretty much identical, almost perfect. And yeah, I just put two really solid laps in Q3, enough for pole. And yeah, very happy because that's not normally the case around Mexico with how tricky it is.

‘Post-Qualifying Press Conference Transcript’;

https://www.fia.com/news/f1-2024-mex...nce-transcript


McLaren boss faults poor ‘execution’ during Mexico GP Qualifying
Lando Norris could only qualify third in Mexico, while Oscar Piastri was knocked out in Q1
27 Oct 2024
John Smith
Total Motorsport

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has voiced his concerns over the team’s performance during the 2024 Mexico GP qualifying, suggesting that better execution could have led to pole position. Stella expressed his disappointment with the way McLaren handled the decisive Q3 session, highlighting that the car had the potential for a front-row finish, but performance was left on the table at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

He also mentioned Oscar Piastri’s surprising Q1 exit after a mistake at Turn 12, which further hindered McLaren’s overall performance. “Overall, I would say the car during this qualifying session was competitive and in a condition to score pole position,” Stella explained to Sky Sports F1.

‘Poor execution’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...gp-qualifying/


‘We were just struggling too much’ – Perez identifies ‘main issue’ as he reflects on dispiriting home Q1 exit
26 Oct 2024
Formula One - Official Site

A dejected Sergio Perez pointed the finger at braking issues on his Red Bull RB20 after he suffered an early exit from qualifying on home soil at the Mexico City Grand Prix. “We were just struggling too much with stopping the car,” Perez said after jumping out of the cockpit.

“For example into the low speed I cannot brake, I cannot stop the car, as soon as I attack the braking I start sliding, that is definitely my main issue at the moment, it’s where I’m struggling the most and I think here it shows even more, every time I tried to attack the braking I’m just locking up.” Perez also went on to explain that the problem has “been there for the last three races, where I cannot stop the car."

He continued: “I’m having to modulate quite a lot my braking, and that’s something we can see in the data, but we are not able to fix it at the moment.” Perez admitted he and Red Bull will “discuss all the options” regarding the possibility of starting the race from the pit lane, but was overall deflated at the situation. “It’s obviously the worst place for it to happen, it’s super disappointing,” he said. “Still there is four races to go and we have to get on top of it as a team and I hope tomorrow we can enter to the points, but it’s going to be a very difficult weekend.”

‘We were just struggling too much’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...I4fmMK8BPeVyDZ


Christian Horner's response to Sergio Perez's Mexico GP shocker speaks volumes
Sergio Perez needs a strong result at the Mexican Grand Prix but qualified for his home race down in 18th place as he wilted under the pressure at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
27 Oct 2024
Daniel Moxon
The Mirror

Christian Horner said it was "massively disappointing" to see Sergio Perez wilt under the pressure in qualifying for his home race. He said: "We need to look into it, but the gap between the two cars is significant. Obviously, it is massively disappointing for him in front of his home crowd, but I am sure he will give it everything he has got tomorrow. He has a lot of work to do."

Perez was glum after trudging from the pit lane to the media pen after the end of Q1 and spoke of his frustrating having wrestled with his uncompliant RB20 to no avail. "I just could not get on top of the car," he lamented. Sky Sports F1 pundit Danica Patrick still believes Perez can redeem himself in the race, however. She said: "Sergio said he needs to get the most out of the car - I do not think we know exactly what that is. Is it Max's level? Is that exactly it, or is it something different? Because [Perez] has not been able to get there.”

"There is going to be an energy on Sunday, the crowd, there are already so many people here cheering for him. That will make a difference and, if he can get up to seventh or eighth, I think that will be a great progress day. He will need to build on that and have a good couple of races to finish the season."

‘So many people here cheering for him’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...exico-33978726


The battle into Turn 1, and Perez and Piastri looking to fight back – What To Watch For in the Mexico City Grand Prix
27 Oct 2024
Chris Medland
Formula One - Official Site

‘What To Watch For’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...3fjZQNhdNFq9O9

[Fortitude]

Carlos Sainz wins F1 Mexico City GP, Lando Norris and Max Verstappen clash again.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz dominated to convert pole position into a race win at the Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix, as Lando Norris and Max Verstappen clashed again.
28 Oct 2024
Motorsport Week

At the outset, Verstappen aced the launch to pull alongside Sainz and gain the inside line into Turn 1, which handed him the lead as the Ferrari cut across the chicane. The Spaniard ceded the position as he returned to the circuit, with Norris settling into third place in the McLaren while Leclerc maintained fourth in the second Ferrari.

Sainz had been able to close on Verstappen on the main straight, and on Lap 9 he made a spectacular lunge from a distance back to move down the Red Bull’s inside. Verstappen saw it coming and tried to cut back underneath, but despite Sainz clattering the kerb through Turn 2, the Spaniard maintained the position going to Turn 4.

There would be more drama at that exact corner on the next lap as Norris braked late to the inside to pull alongside Verstappen, who pushed the McLaren driver wide. Verstappen, still circling in third with Norris behind, was penalised a second time to put his impending time drop in the race to 20 seconds with less than 25 laps done.

‘Carlos Sainz wins F1 Mexico City GP’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...n-clash-again/


Mexico City GP: Race Results
28 Oct 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe

Full results from the Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
Pos Num Driver Team Laps/Diff
1 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 71
2 4 Lando Norris McLaren 4.705
3 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 34.387
4 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 44.78
5 63 George Russell Mercedes 48.536
6 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 59.558
7 20 Kevin Magnussen Haas 63.642
8 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 64.928
9 27 Nico Hulkenberg Haas 1L
10 10 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1L

‘Full results’;

https://speedcafe.com/mexico-city-gp-race-results/


2024 Mexico City Grand Prix: Verstappen handed two penalties after wheel-to-wheel battle with Norris
28 Oct 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

On Lap 10 Lando Norris went for a move on his championship rival Max Verstappen for second place. The Dutchman defended hard – too hard, according to the stewards who hit him with TWO 10-second penalties for forcing Norris off track.

‘Verstappen handed two penalties’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/video/20...08293397679972


Emotional Sainz “really needed” second win of season before leaving Ferrari
27th Oct 2024
Will Wood
RaceFans

Mexican Grand Prix winner Carlos Sainz Jnr says he is thrilled to have taken another victory in his final season for Ferrari this year. “Honestly, I really wanted this one,” Sainz said. “I really needed it also, for myself. I wanted to get it done. I’ve been saying for a while I wanted one more win before leaving Ferrari and to do it here in front of this mega crowd, it’s incredible. Now there’s four races left, I want to enjoy them as much as possible and if another one comes, I will go for it.”

After an early Safety Car, Sainz caught and passed Verstappen to take the lead into turn one with a bold move and was never headed for the rest of the race. “I didn’t prepare it, to be honest,” he explained. “I was just a bit annoyed at the start and having lost position to him and I thought ‘I need to surprise him one way or another’, because Max is super difficult to pass – he’s proven it many, many times. I was a bit far back, but I said ‘I have nothing to lose, I’m just going to send one down the inside’. I’ve been very confident under braking into turn one this weekend and I knew I could make it.”

‘Emotional Sainz’;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/10/27/...aving-ferrari/


Race Highlights: 2024 Mexico City Grand Prix
27th Oct 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Watch highlights from the 2024 Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix.

‘Race Highlights’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/video/ra...08587204365950


F1 Full results | Mexican Grand Prix: Sainz P1, Norris P2, Verstappen P6
27 Oct 2024
Nicole Mulder
GPblog.com

Carlos Sainz takes victory at the Mexican Grand Prix. The Ferrari driver led for the majority of the race, finishing ahead of Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc, who finished in P2 and P3, respectively. Max Verstappen was the biggest loser in today's Grand Prix, finishing all the way in P6 after 20 seconds worth of penalties due to dangerous driving while defending from Norris, forcing the McLaren driver off the track.

‘Sainz P1, Norris P2, Verstappen P6’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/30935...rand-prix.html


2024 Mexico City Grand Prix: Sainz crosses the line to take his second victory of the season
27 Oct 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Carlos Sainz takes the chequered flag to seal victory in Mexico for Ferrari.

‘Sainz crosses the line’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/video/20...06674478115698


Max sixth in Mexican GP: 'Biggest problem was the race pace'
28 Oct 2024
Misha van der Kroon
Verstappen.nl

After the race, Max was asked about the time penalties. He answered: “The problem is that when you are slower, you are put in that kind of difficult situations. I’m not going to give up easily. At the end of the day, it is not about agreeing or disagreeing on the penalty, twenty seconds is quite a lot. But the biggest problem of today is the race pace. We have to analyse it, because even without the penalties, we had no change at all to fight at the front.”

Max also briefly looks ahead to the next race in Sao Paulo, Brazil. “This was a bad day for us, but I know we can do much better than this. So, we just keep going at it. Austin was promising, but here it was really off. I just hope that in Brazil, we can be more competitive.”

'Biggest problem was the race pace';

https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/5640/


Horner delivers Verstappen verdict after penalties: 'Very dangerous territory'
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner felt the double penalty for Max Verstappen was "harsh".
28 Oct 2024
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365

Asked for his view on the incidents on Sky Sports F1, Horner said: "Max didn't leave the track at Turn 4, and then at [Turn] 7, Lando opened the door very late, and they both ran off there. "The problem is, I think we're going to get into very dangerous territory of at what point is a divebomb going to be okay. I think the FIA and the drivers need to sit down and decide what is acceptable and what isn't. I thought two 10-seconds [penalties] was a bit on the harsh side."

As to whether he needed to speak to Verstappen about his style of racing, Horner swerved the question to an extent. "You've always got to play to the rules, and we'll look and learn from this race," he added. "More important for us to understand today is we just didn't have the pace. We had good pace in quali yesterday but our race pace was nowhere compared to Ferrari and McLaren, so that's really where our focus will be over the next five days."

"Harsh";

https://racingnews365.com/horner-del...rous-territory

[Fortitude]

Sainz felt he ‘deserved’ one final win with Ferrari.
Carlos Sainz achieved on Sunday a deeply meaningful victory in the Mexico City Grand Prix, one that marks a significant moment in his final season with Ferrari.
27/10/2024
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

Reflecting on his emotions after the race, Sainz emphasized the importance of concluding his four-year tenure with Ferrari on a high.

"It's just a matter of that I think everyone knew I wanted one more race win with Ferrari. I felt like I also deserved it," Sainz said. "I've been driving well all year and I've been pushing flat out, keeping my motivation high even in a difficult circumstance, and wanting to give everything for this team.”

"I felt like I drove some really good races and one more I had to win. Eventually, it happened and it had to be in Mexico, in front of my family, which is great. It doesn't mean that I'm not going to try and win more. But it had to be here."

‘One final win’;

https://f1i.com/news/522982-sainz-fe...h-ferrari.html


Sainz explains brave maneouvre on Verstappen: 'It surprised him a bit!'
28/10/2024
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com

"I felt like this weekend was going to be a very good opportunity to win that race," Sainz began at the press conference. "I had a very good feeling coming into the weekend. Also, obviously very determined to win it. I knew coming into it that we might have a chance to win. And I've been focused, been on it all weekend. On top of that, I knew my family was coming and my best friends, my girlfriend, a lot of people were here to support me."

Verstappen could get off the line better than Carlos Sainz in Mexico, but the Spaniard managed to retake the lead. After he found himself in P1 again, he did not look back again. "Probably catching him a bit by surprise because I was quite far back but before Turn 1 I got a really good tow on DRS, but I saw that I was probably going to be a bit too far back. But then right in the last 100 metres, I felt like I had a good momentum and I've been feeling very confident braking into Turn 1 this weekend. The car has been giving me good confidence to brake late there and I just went for it and it happened," the Spaniard explained his overtake.

‘Brave maneouvre’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/30945...y-gp-2024.html


DRIVER OF THE DAY: Supreme Sainz drive earns your Mexico City vote
28/10/2024
Formula One - Official Site

What a weekend for Carlos Sainz. His first pole position of the year on Saturday and then a superb drive for his second win of the season on Sunday. His time at Ferrari may be drawing to a close, but the Spaniard is certainly showing them what they'll be missing when he departs for Williams in 2025. Here’s how the voting broke down…
Carlos Sainz - 27.2%
Lando Norris - 12.3%
Max Verstappen - 9.2%
Franco Colapinto - 8.1%
Charles Leclerc - 7.4%

‘Supreme Sainz drive’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...2wkUhYnX8J0VAv


Vasseur: Sainz's 'perfect drive' and 'perfect weekend'
27 Oct 2024
Sky Sports

Fred Vasseur praises Carlos Sainz for his 'perfect drive and perfect weekend' for Ferrari after he claimed victory at the Mexico City GP

‘Fred Vasseur praises Carlos Sainz’;

https://www.skysports.com/watch/vide...erfect-weekend


Sainz: ‘I was determined to win one more before the end of the season’
28/10/2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Carlos Sainz was beaming after he raced to victory for Ferrari in Mexico City.

‘Determined’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/video/sa...09050815524237


Ferrari happy to fly under the Formula One radar in team title fight, says Fred Vasseur
Oct 27, 2024,
The Straits Times

MEXICO CITY – Ferrari are in a perfect situation flying under the radar in the battle for the Formula One constructors’ title, team principal Fred Vasseur said, after Carlos Sainz took pole position at the Mexico City Grand Prix on Oct 26. Following a one-two finish last weekend in Texas, the Italian team trail defending champions Red Bull by only eight points and are 48 points behind leaders McLaren.

With Sainz starting ahead of Red Bull’s championship leader Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris, and with Charles Leclerc in fourth, Ferrari are the only title contenders with both cars inside the top 10 for the Oct 27 race, which took place after press time.

‘Fly under the Formula One radar’;

https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...s-fred-vasseur


‘I really wanted this one’ – Sainz overjoyed as he achieves goal of ‘one more win’ before Ferrari exit with Mexico masterclass
27 Oct 2024
Formula One - Official Site

Carlos Sainz was full of smiles after the Mexico City Grand Prix as the Ferrari driver avoided the drama around him to convert a spectacular pole position into a statement victory.

Ferrari’s points haul moves them above Red Bull and up to second in the constructors’ standings, with leaders McLaren only 29 points ahead – Leclerc underlining their desire to end a title drought that stretches back to 2008.

“We are working super well as a team,” Leclerc added. “I think it’s been quite a few races now that we’re coming back to the level we should be at. It’s amazing to see. Obviously the constructors’ is still our target and with weekends like this we are getting closer to it. I hope we can continue in that direction and get that constructors’ title, which is very important.”

‘Constructors is still our target’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...BD0hIXrla9S6P4

[Fortitude]

Red Bull's unusual telemetry reveal in defence of Verstappen.
Horner arrived at his usual post-race media session armed with telemetry showing data from Turn 4 of Norris's fastest lap of the grand prix compared to the same corner on the lap he clashed with Verstappen.
Oct 28, 2024
Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race

"It was very harsh to give two 10-second penalties," said Horner. "I think there's something more fundamental. There's been a reaction to last weekend, and I think it's very important for the stewards and the drivers to sit down, because if I show you here on the GPS [showing the run down to Turn 4], what you can see is that the orange line is Lando's fastest lap of the grand prix, [from] the point he is braking for Turn 4 and then obviously executing the corner.”

"What you can see is that on lap whatever it was that's been the incident with Max, he is 15km/h faster, and later on the brakes, than his fastest lap of the grand prix. He wouldn't have made the corner. He would have run off track. You can see from his onboard steering. And of course at this point of the race he's got probably 80kg more fuel than at the point that he's done his fastest lap."

‘Lando Norris's McLaren, 15km/h faster, and later on the brakes, than his fastest lap of the grand prix. He wouldn't have made the corner’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/r...is-mexican-gp/


Christian Horner presents ‘15km/h’ GPS data claim about Lando Norris’s driving
Red Bull boss makes Lando Norris data claim to argue against Max Verstappen's double penalty in Mexico.
28 Oct 2024
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net

Christian Horner brought data to argue against Max Verstappen’s penalties at the F1 Mexico City Grand Prix, but confirmed Red Bull will not appeal the decisions. Verstappen was handed two 10-second penalties for forcing F1 title rival Lando Norris off track on two occasions on the same lap during Sunday’s race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

After running Norris wide at Turn 4, a lunge on the McLaren driver caused both to once again go off the circuit at Turn 7. Verstappen recovered to finish sixth but saw his championship advantage shrink to 47 points over Norris, who claimed second. Red Bull team principal Horner presented to media including Crash.net a data print out claiming to reveal that Norris had carried more speed into Turn 4 when battling Verstappen than at any other point in the race.

‘15km/h GPS data claim’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/105919...orriss-driving


Marko points to the stewards after Verstappen's penalty: 'Making example'
28 Oct 2024
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com

Marko: 'Penalty was harsh': "I think the second ten-second penalty was a very harsh decision, but you have to accept it, what the stewards are doing and that's it, but on the other side we had a problem on Friday, so we didn't have any long runs on this hard tyre or on the medium tyre, so if the race would have been normal the maximum would have been P3 or P4. So we just didn't have the speed," Marko told Viaplay after the race.

According to the top advisor, Verstappen should not have done anything differently in his battle against Lando Norris. "No, I think with all these discussions about the incident in Austin, I think they tried to make an example, and as I said, it was too harsh, the two penalties," the Austrian concluded.

'Making example';

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/30944...erstappen.html


Max Verstappen: Red Bull boss Christian Horner says penalties 'very harsh' in Lando Norris incidents and makes data defence
28 Oct 2024
Sky Sports

Christian Horner suggests telemetry data shows Lando Norris would not have made the corner himself in the first of two controversies and calls for swift improvement to driving guidelines.

Speaking in his post-race briefing with the written media in Red Bull's hospitality unit, Horner took particular issue with Verstappen's first 10-second penalty which stewards said was because the Dutchman had forced Norris off the track at Turn Four.

The Red Bull team principal used print-outs of telemetry traces from that corner comparing how the Briton's approach to the corner on that lap compared with his fastest of the race and suggested the McLaren would not have stayed on the track himself on lap 10 with the speed he was carrying.

‘Calls for swift improvement to driving guidelines’;

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...s-data-defence


Max Verstappen points finger at Red Bull after Mexico GP penalty
Max Verstappen was handed two 10-second penalties for incidents with Lando Norris at the 2024 Mexico GP
28 Oct 2024
Adam Dickinson
Total Motorsport

“Honestly, 20 seconds is a lot but I’m not going to cry about it, and I’m also not going to share my opinion,” Verstappen told members of the press, including Total-Motorsport.com. “We didn’t touch, we’re just racing hard. The biggest problem that I have is that today was a bad day in terms of race pace, that was quite clear again on the mediums and on the hard tyres.”

“I felt that turn four was a bit more of like a question mark. Turn seven is what it is. That’s it. Honestly, those two things are also not my problem. The problem is that we are too slow, and that’s why I’m being put in those kind of positions, that is my problem. I just drive how I think I have to drive. Last week that was alright, this week, 20 20-second penalty. It is what it is, life goes on. It’s also not in my interest. I just keep racing.”

“To get back to sixth was all right. But then I couldn’t even fight the Mercedes cars in front,” Verstappen added. “I just had no grip. I was just sliding a lot, I couldn’t brake. So yeah, it was very tough one. Austin was more promising, here again it was a bit more tough, so it’s a bit odd, but a few things to look at and hopefully, of course, Brazil we can be more competitive. Still 47 points [championship margin] so hopefully we could just be a little bit more competitive.”

“20 seconds is a lot but I’m not going to cry about it”;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...co-gp-penalty/


Lando Norris' Team Radio After Max Verstappen Forced Him Off Track
28 Oct 2024
Nick Sutherland
Give Me Sport

At the time of the controversy, Norris was clearly fuming with Verstappen, even fearing that he could be seriously injured, as audio from his team radio revealed. Lando Norris was Furious After Being Forced Off the Track By Max Verstappen, 'I'm going to end up in a wall,' exclaimed the McLaren star.

Relaying his immediate reaction to his team, Norris held nothing back. "I was ahead the whole way through the corner. This guy is dangerous. I just have to avoid a crash. It's the same as last time. I'm going to end up in a wall in a minute! Yeah, he overtook off the track and pushed me off!"

'I'm going to end up in a wall';

https://www.givemesport.com/norris-v...dio-mexico-f1/


Windsor can't understand the stewards: 'Verstappen did nothing wrong there'
28 Oct 2024
Jarlo van der Vloed
GPblog.com

Peter Windsor has been critical of the two incidents between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris at the Mexican Grand Prix. "In the first one, Max didn't actually go off the track. Max just used all the road and in my book if you’re on the inside, you are entitled to use all the road."

"If the guy wants to try and pass you on the outside, then so be it. But of course, that isn't the rulebook. I think from Max's point of view, it was not very good judgement really. It was pretty clear, after what happened in Austin, that the logical thing would've been then to drop back and give Lando the position. But he didn't," Windsor said.

The two drivers clashed again on lap 11. Now it was Verstappen who was the attacking driver. He made an overtaking attempt at turn seven, with both drivers going off track. Again, Verstappen received a 10-second time penalty for this. Unlike the first incident, this one was fully justified, according to Windsor: "Then I think he made a big mistake. He went into the esses, into turn 7, the first left, where you never pass. Lando was sort of in the middle of the road and Max went BOOM down the inside."

'Verstappen did nothing wrong there';

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/30960...erstappen.html