The 2024 Formula 1 season continues to deliver.
A thrilling Mexico City Grand Prix offered the latest set of twists and turns yet in this dramatic season, as Carlos Sainz Jr. held off a late charge from Lando Norris to take his second win of the season, and the second-straight win for Ferrari after Charles Leclerc’s win a week ago in Austin. Leclerc had to settle for third behind Norris after holding on to second for much of the race.
But the story might be the two-way fight that is shaping up between McLaren and now Ferrari for the Constructors’ Championship, as the results Sunday dropped Red Bull into third place in that battle with just four race weekends remaining.
The run from the starting grid to Turn 1 at the Mexico City Grand Prix is the longest on the Formula 1 calendar. Covering almost 1,000 meters, that distance was on the minds of the sport’s biggest names heading into Sunday’s Grand Prix. It was on the mind of pole sitter Carlos Sainz Jr., as the Ferrari driver hoped to capture his second win of the season and push Ferrari closer to the top of the Constructors’ Championship standings. It was on the minds of Max Verstappen alongside him, and Lando Norris behind him, the two rivals vying for the Drivers’ Championship in the season’s closing act. It was on the mind of each driver on the grid, as they wondered what chaos those 990 meters would offer heading into the first turn of the race.
That opening lap did offer some chaos, as Yuki Tsunoda and Alexander Albon came together in an incident that knocked both drivers out of the race. But up front, it was Verstappen who wrestled the lead away from Sainz through the first set of turns, and it was Verstappen who remained in the lead when the safety car peeled onto the track as a result of the Tsunoda/Albon incident, slowing down the pace for a moment.
When racing resumed, Verstappen would not hold the lead for long. Sainz eventually grabbed the lead back, and in a replay of some of the chaotic moments of the United States Grand Prix a week ago another bruising battle between Norris and Verstappen ended with Charles Leclerc charging ahead of the rivals, as one of the two main contenders for the Drivers’ Championship was hit with a penalty for the exchange.
Last week it was Norris, this week it was Verstappen, who was handed a pair of ten-second penalties for the exchange with Norris, which all but ended his hopes of returning to the top step of the podium.
In the final laps it looked as if Ferrari was going to score another one-two, as Sainz and Leclerc had pulled away from the field. But Norris slowly reeled Leclerc in, and on Lap 63 a wobble from Leclerc coming out of Turn 17 opened the door for Norris to charge into P2.
“It was a difficult one,” said Leclerc trackside after the race. “At the end we did the best race we could do today … it’s a good weekend overall for the team.
“The Constructors’ [Championship] is still our target.”
Norris then threw everything he had at Sainz, who was seven seconds ahead of him in the race’s final laps, but the McLaren driver could not close the gap in time, settling for second behind Sainz, and ahead of Leclerc.
“It was a very tough race,” said Norris after the Mexico City Grand Prix. “But Carlos drove a really good race, so congratulations to Carlos and Ferrari. They were great today.”
“I knew what to expect,” said Norris about the battle with Verstappen. “I didn’t want to expect such a thing because I respect Max a lot as a driver. But I was ready to expect something like this. Not very clean driving in my opinion.”
But the man of the hour was Sainz.
“It’s incredible to see this crowd. I’ve been feeling their support all week,” said Sainz after the race. “I wanted one more win before I leave Ferrari, and to do it in front of such a mega crowd is incredible.”
With these results, McLaren leaves Mexico City still in the lead with 566 points on the season, but it is now Ferrari behind them with 537 points, 29 points behind.
Red Bull now sits in third, with 512 points on the year.
In the Drivers’ Championship fight, Norris pulled a bit closer to Verstappen. The Red Bull driver leads that title chase with 362 points on the year, followed by Norris with 315 points, Leclerc with 291 points, and Piastri in fourth with 251.
