Home
Carlos Sainz continued Ferrari's winning run with a momentary win at the Mexico City Grand Prix 2024. This marks Ferrari's first win at the venue since 1990 and the fourth for the Spanish driver. This was Ferrari's second consecutive Grand Prix win as Charles Leclerc won the United States Grand Prix a week before. Max Verstappen of Red Bull faced a tough race after starting on the front row alongside Carlos Sainz. Verstappen received two 10-second penalties for aggressive encounters with McLaren’s Lando Norris, who later labeled the Dutch driver as “dangerous” over team radio. Ultimately, Verstappen finished sixth, losing some ground in the championship as Norris secured second place, cutting Verstappen’s lead to 47 points with just four races remaining.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took the final podium spot, having initially battled closely with Sainz before falling to third as Norris overtook him in the closing laps. Despite not achieving a Ferrari one-two, Leclerc did earn an additional point for setting the fastest lap.
The race began with Verstappen briefly taking the lead from Sainz on the long opening straight, but a safety car deployment after a first-lap collision between Yuki Tsunoda and Alex Albon neutralized his advantage. Following the restart, Sainz regained the lead, overtaking Verstappen with DRS on lap nine. Verstappen’s penalties, served on lap 27, pushed him down to 15th place, necessitating a challenging recovery effort.
"P1! I’m incredibly happy! Scoring another win here in Mexico is even more special, as it’s almost a second home with the support of these fans! Congrats to the entire team! We’re getting closer in the Construtors’ WC. We’ll fight until the end," Sainz wrote on his X
Verstappen's another miss
The race featured another intense battle between Verstappen and Norris, with stewards taking a strict stance after recent controversies in Austin. Sainz crossed the finish line comfortably ahead of Norris by 4.7 seconds, while Leclerc finished 34.3 seconds behind his Ferrari teammate. Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin retired on lap 15 due to cooling and brake issues, marking a disappointing end to his milestone 400th Formula One race.
FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO 2024
Race Results
1. Carlos Sainz - 1:40:55.800 (25 points)
2. Lando Norris - +4.705s (18 points)
3. Charles Leclerc - +34.387s (16 points)
4. Lewis Hamilton - +44.78s (12 points)
5. George Russell - +48.536s (10 points)
Oscar Piastri from McLaren impressed by climbing from P17 to P6, while Pierre Gasly secured the final point for Alpine in P10. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll finished 11th, just ahead of Franco Colapinto from Williams in 12th. Colapinto received a 10-second penalty for causing a collision with Lawson late in the race, though it didn’t affect his finishing position.
Esteban Ocon finished 13th for Alpine, followed by Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu in 14th and 15th, respectively. Lawson ended the race in P16, while Perez, unfortunately, was the last classified racer in P17. Alonso’s retirement came early in the race due to technical issues, while Albon and Tsunoda were both out after an opening-lap collision.
Race Recap
After a thrilling qualifying session that saw Sainz claim pole position amidst several surprises, race day unfolded at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. A last-minute alteration saw Ocon start from the pit lane due to a power unit change.
As the race began under sunny skies, most drivers chose the medium compound tires, with only a few, including Lawson and Perez, opting for hard tires. Verstappen got off to a strong start, briefly taking the lead before Sainz reclaimed it. However, chaos ensued when Tsunoda collided with Albon at Turn 1, leading to a safety car.
During the safety car period, Perez was investigated for a false start and ultimately received a five-second penalty for being incorrectly positioned on the grid. Once the safety car left, Verstappen managed to build a gap to Sainz but soon found himself under pressure from Norris and Leclerc.
On lap nine, Sainz regained the lead from Verstappen. As the race progressed, Verstappen received a 10-second penalty for forcing Norris off the track. He later received another penalty for leaving the track at Turn 8, leading to a total of 20 seconds of penalties during his pit stop on lap 27.
Despite the setbacks, Verstappen fought hard to recover positions, but his efforts were hampered by Norris's strong performance. Meanwhile, Perez continued to struggle, engaging in battles further down the field.
In the final laps, Norris cut the gap to Sainz but was unable to catch him before the checkered flag waved.
Sainz celebrated his fourth career victory, thanking the enthusiastic crowd, saying, “Gracias Mexico! It’s incredible to see this crowd... Honestly, I really wanted this one, I really needed it... Now, four races left, I want to enjoy as much as possible and if another one comes, I will go for it.”
ADVERTISEMENT
