Red Bull’s double world champion Max Verstappen won the Mexico City Grand Prix on Monday (AEDT) to set a Formula 1 record of 14 victories from a single season, as well as the most points scored.
And Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo pulled off several dramatic overtakes on the soft tyres to finish seventh, his third-best result for the season, despite receiving a 10-second penalty mid-race.
Race winner and record-breaker Max Verstappen.Credit:Getty Images
Ricciardo turned on the show of the day in Mexico City, including besting teammate Lando Norris, despite his 10-second penalty for causing a collision with Yuki Tsunoda.
The clash earned Ricciardo a “what the f— is he doing” from Tsunoda, who had to retire.
But being told of his time penalty didn’t dissuade the Australian.
“I didn’t respond, I was pretty dark,” he said.
“But then I felt like I still had really good pace, so got on with it and managed to somehow make it work.”
Ricciardo won the fan vote for driver of the day and his familiar smile was broader than ever, though he reiterated that he would not be on the grid in 2023.
“I can confidently say I won’t be on the grid behind a wheel,” he told Sky Sports.
“But I still want to be in the sport, I want to be working with a team, still with the ambition to be back on the grid in ’24.
“That said, it’s honestly where my head’s at as well.
Daniel Ricciardo was voted driver of the day by fans.Credit:Getty Images
“I feel like a bit of time away from a race seat will actually do me good and then try to rebuild on something for ’24.”
Verstappen led from pole position at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, stopping on lap 26 of 71 to switch from soft to medium tyres and taking the chequered flag 15.186 seconds clear of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.
“It’s been an incredible year so far, we are definitely enjoying it and we’ll try to go for more,” said Verstappen, who clinched his second title in Japan on October 9 and had an untroubled afternoon.
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez finished third in front of his cheering home crowd after a race that was low on thrills and all about tyre strategy.
Verstappen’s win was the 25-year-old’s fourth in Mexico and the podium was the same as last year.
In Austin, Texas, last weekend he had pulled level with German champions Michael Schumacher (2004) and Sebastian Vettel (2013) on 13 wins in a season.
There are more races now than then, however, with the 2022 season featuring 22 compared to 19 in 2013 and 18 in 2004.
Verstappen also took his points tally to 416 – 136 more than Perez who moved up to second overall and three more than the previous record set by Hamilton in 2019.
It was also a ninth win in a row and 16th from 20 races for Red Bull, who wrapped up the constructors’ title in Texas with three rounds to spare, but Mercedes showed they were getting closer.
Reuters, AAP
