Winners and Losers from the Mexico City Grand Prix

Max Verstappen’s stunning form continued at the Mexico City Grand Prix. The Dutchman snapped his record for most wins in a season, but while he was all smiles, it was less fun for others. We’ve picked out the winners and losers from Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

Winner: Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen dominated the 2022 Formula 1 season, winning the Mexican Grand Prix for the fourth time in five years to secure a record 14th win. The Red Bull driver also broke the record for most points in a season (Lewis Hamilton scored 413 in 2019) as he moved on to 416, just 31 short of Mercedes’ total tally for 2022. His triumph tied Red Bull’s team record of 19 consecutive races on the podium (set across 2010-2011) and was the first win for a pole-sitter in Mexico for five years.

Losers: Ferrari

 

Ferrari finished fifth and sixth in Mexico, with Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc finishing ahead of the drivers for the second year in a row. While this was Sainz’s best finish in Mexico – and the first time he has got beyond the second lap since Singapore – Ferrari were never in contention for a podium, let alone a win. They are now 40 points.

Winner: Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton may not have secured his first win of the season – and thus continuing a record that has seen him triumph at least once in every campaign he has contested since his debut in 2007 – but it was the closest he’s come all year.

Second was his eighth podium of the season and second P2 in a row, helping him move into fifth in the drivers’ championship, 15 points adrift of Mercedes teammate George Russell. Only Verstappen and Charles Leclerc have outscored him since the Canadian Grand Prix 12 races ago.

Loser: Yuki Tsunoda

Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda started the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team’s race weekend with a strong effort, leading the pack in 11th place after splitting the McLarens. He was also quick on the medium compound tires, but a collision with Daniel Ricciardo – who was handed a 10-second time penalty – ultimately forced his retirement. It was Tsunoda’s fifth retirement of the season, and with teammate Pierre Gasly failing to score too, it dented the Italian squad’s hopes of challenging Haas for P8 in the Constructors’ standings.

Winners: Mercedes

The Silver Arrows demonstrated the pace to challenge Red Bull for victory. While they ultimately missed out and failed to get two cars on the podium despite starting second and third, their relentless development push is paying dividends. George Russell nabbed the fastest lap of the race in the closing stages, giving them healthy points haul that raises hopes they may be able to snatch P2 from Ferrari in the constructors’.

Loser: Fernando Alonso

Quick off the mark! ⏱

Fernando Alonso clocked the best start reaction time in Mexico City 👏@awscloud #MexicoGP #F1Insights pic.twitter.com/aq0LLqPPSG

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 31, 2022

Not for the first time in 2022, Fernando Alonso suffered a mechanical issue that dropped him out of the points, the Spaniard failing to see the chequered flag for the fifth time this season.

The Alpine driver reckons these issues have cost him 70 points, which would put him seventh in the drivers’ championship, 40 clear of Lando Norris.

His DNF meant McLaren was close to the gap of seven points in the fight for P4 in the championship with two races.

Winner: Daniel Ricciardo

He was able to claw his way into the points and up to seventh before building a lead big enough to negate his 10-second penalty for the collision with Tsunoda.

It was only his second points finish in the last eight races and a stark reminder that on his day, Ricciardo still has what it takes to compete at the highest level in F1.

Losers: Haas

Mick Schumacher’s best lap in qualifying, which before it was deleted for track limits was comfortably good enough for the top 10, showed that Haas have improved their one-lap pace.

But they were nowhere on Sunday, with neither Schumacher nor teammate Kevin Magnussen having the performance to challenge for a point.

It means they remain one point clear of AlphaTauri and 13 adrift of Aston Martin in the fight for seventh in the constructors’ championship.

Winner: Sergio Perez

Just look at the scenes in Foro Sol as Perez overtakes Leclerc during Sunday's race 😍#MexicoGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/yGMHGRYGEe

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 31, 2022

An electrical issue hampered Sergio Perez in qualifying on home soil, but he lifted himself into a podium position in the race.

And while the Mexican didn’t challenge for the win he so craves, a second successive podium here delighted his faithful fans – and his father, who was living his best life celebrating!

The decent points haul moves him back into second in the drivers’ championship, five points clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc with just two races to go.

Losers: Aston Martin

Aston Martin’s run of three races in the points came to a stuttering end as the green cars lacked the performance to fight at the sharp end.

Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll lamented a lack of grip, the duo sliding through the weekend and failing to wrestle complete control of the AMR22. They trail Alfa Romeo by four points in the fight for P6 in the constructors’ championship.

Winner: Valtteri Bottas

Valtteri Bottas smashed it out of the park in qualifying, the Finn making the most of an upgraded Alfa Romeo to qualify inside the top six comfortably.

However, a poor start saw him lose two places and crucially fall behind the slower Alpine of Alonso, which hampered his early progress.

That said, he did manage to hold off Pierre Gasly in the closing stages to salvage a point, ending a run of 10 races without a top-10 finish.