The 2024 Formulation 1 season continues to ship.
An exhilarating Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix supplied the most recent set of twists and turns but on this dramatic season, as Carlos Sainz Jr. held off a late cost from Lando Norris to take his second win of the season, and the second-straight win for Ferrari after Charles Leclerc’s win per week in the past in Austin. Leclerc needed to accept third behind Norris after holding on to second for a lot of the race.
However the story may be the two-way struggle that’s shaping up between McLaren and now Ferrari for the Constructors’ Championship, because the outcomes Sunday dropped Crimson Bull into third place in that battle with simply 4 race weekends remaining.
The run from the beginning grid to Flip 1 on the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix is the longest on the Formulation 1 calendar. Protecting nearly 1,000 meters, that distance was on the minds of the game’s largest names heading into Sunday’s Grand Prix. It was on the thoughts of pole sitter Carlos Sainz Jr., because the Ferrari driver hoped to seize his second win of the season and push Ferrari nearer to the highest of the Constructors’ Championship standings. It was on the minds of Max Verstappen alongside him, and Lando Norris behind him, the 2 rivals vying for the Drivers’ Championship within the season’s closing act. It was on the thoughts of every driver on the grid, as they questioned what chaos these 990 meters would provide heading into the primary flip of the race.
That opening lap did provide some chaos, as Yuki Tsunoda and Alexander Albon got here collectively in an incident that knocked each drivers out of the race. However up entrance, it was Verstappen who wrestled the lead away from Sainz by the primary set of turns, and it was Verstappen who remained within the lead when the security automotive peeled onto the observe because of the Tsunoda/Albon incident, slowing down the tempo for a second.
When racing resumed, Verstappen wouldn’t maintain the lead for lengthy. Sainz ultimately grabbed the lead again, and in a replay of among the chaotic moments of the USA Grand Prix per week in the past one other bruising battle between Norris and Verstappen ended with Charles Leclerc charging forward of the rivals, as one of many two major contenders for the Drivers’ Championship was hit with a penalty for the change.
Final week it was Norris, this week it was Verstappen, who was handed a pair of ten-second penalties for the change with Norris, which all however ended his hopes of returning to the highest step of the rostrum.
Within the last laps it seemed as if Ferrari was going to attain one other one-two, as Sainz and Leclerc had pulled away from the sphere. However Norris slowly reeled Leclerc in, and on Lap 63 a wobble from Leclerc popping out of Flip 17 opened the door for Norris to cost into P2.
“It was a tough one,” stated Leclerc trackside after the race. “On the finish we did the most effective race we might do in the present day … it’s a great weekend general for the workforce.
“The Constructors’ [Championship] remains to be our goal.”
Norris then threw every thing he had at Sainz, who was seven seconds forward of him within the race’s last laps, however the McLaren driver couldn’t shut the hole in time, settling for second behind Sainz, and forward of Leclerc.
“It was a really robust race,” stated Norris after the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix. “However Carlos drove a extremely good race, so congratulations to Carlos and Ferrari. They have been nice in the present day.”
“I knew what to anticipate,” stated Norris concerning the battle with Verstappen. “I didn’t need to count on such a factor as a result of I respect Max lots as a driver. However I used to be able to count on one thing like this. Not very clear driving for my part.”
However the man of the hour was Sainz.
“It’s unimaginable to see this crowd. I’ve been feeling their help all week,” stated Sainz after the race. “I wished another win earlier than I go away Ferrari, and to do it in entrance of such a mega crowd is unimaginable.”
With these outcomes, McLaren leaves Mexico Metropolis nonetheless within the lead with 566 factors on the season, however it’s now Ferrari behind them with 537 factors, 29 factors behind.
Crimson Bull now sits in third, with 512 factors on the yr.
Within the Drivers’ Championship struggle, Norris pulled a bit nearer to Verstappen. The Crimson Bull driver leads that title chase with 362 factors on the yr, adopted by Norris with 315 factors, Leclerc with 291 factors, and Piastri in fourth with 251.
