Max Verstappen won the Mexico City Grand Prix after starting fifth and resisting late pressure from Lewis Hamilton. The Red Bull driver crossed the finish line just 0.799 seconds ahead of the Ferrari, claiming his third victory of the season.

An opportunity on the opening lap

Verstappen’s weekend had included a penalty following his incident with Liam Lawson and a missed opportunity in qualifying. His race began much better: a strong launch moved him into third before the battle between Hamilton and Charles Leclerc allowed him to pass the Briton.

Red Bull then capitalised on Leclerc’s five-second penalty. Calling Verstappen into the pits on the same lap as the Ferrari allowed the Dutchman to take the lead while his rival served the sanction.

Hamilton keeps the pressure on

Taking first place was only part of the job. Valtteri Bottas’ heavy crash brought out a red flag, requiring Verstappen to defend his position at a standing restart. A later collision involving Arvid Lindblad and Oscar Piastri triggered another Safety Car.

Hamilton stayed close, but Verstappen avoided giving him a decisive opening. The small margin at the finish underlined how little room there was for a mistake during the closing phase of the race.

Red Bull completes the execution

Afterwards, Verstappen acknowledged Ferrari’s pace and explained that he had taken the opportunity created by its drivers fighting each other. He also credited his team’s decision to stop alongside Leclerc.

Ferrari’s difficulties alone did not guarantee the win. Red Bull still needed a strong start, the correct pit-stop call and clean execution through the interruptions. Verstappen delivered those elements while keeping Hamilton behind.

The fight for second continues

While Kimi Antonelli secured the world championship with third place, Verstappen’s victory moved him into second in the standings. He has 261 points, just two more than Hamilton, leaving their contest open with four races remaining.

Mexico therefore changed the order immediately behind the champion as well as delivering another win for Red Bull. The team heads towards the final rounds with a result that demonstrated its ability to turn a difficult grid position into victory when an opportunity appears.

Sources: Formula1.com · FIA