Max Verstappen completely dominated F1 during the 2023 season. (Image: Getty)
MEXICO CITY, Oct 29 (Reuters) – Red Bull’s triple world champion Max Verstappen became the first Formula One driver to take 16 victories in a season when he won a crash-halted and action-packed Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday.
On a nightmare afternoon for Mexican team mate Sergio Perez, who retired after colliding at the first corner with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, the Dutch 26-year-old also equalled French great Alain Prost’s haul of 51 career wins.
Only three drivers have won more races in the history of the sport and Verstappen could have passed Sebastian Vettel, next in his sights on 53, by the end of the season.
The win was also his 14th in the last 15 races and a fifth in six editions of the grand prix at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
“We are experiencing an incredible season. Today, we had to start P3 but I think the pace of the car was very, very good,” said Verstappen, who set the previous record of 15 last year and has already secured his third title in a row.
“Seventeen, 18, 19? I don’t know,” he added when asked about his next goal with three races remaining. Red Bull have won all but one of the 19 so far.
Mercedes’s Lewis Hamilton finished second, with a bonus point for fastest lap, and pole-sitter Leclerc was third in a race red-flagged and restarted just before the halfway point when Haas’s Kevin Magnussen crashed heavily.
STORMING START
Ferrari had locked out the front row but Verstappen made a storming start to seize the lead down the inside, with Leclerc caught in the middle between the two Red Bulls and making wheel contact with Perez trying to go past on the outside.
The Mexican’s car was tipped up and went airborne, landing heavily on the runoff. He made it back to the pits but was retired.
“I had nowhere to go,” said Leclerc, who was booed by the crowd on the podium.
The blank left Perez only 20 points clear of Hamilton in the battle for second place overall, with three grands prix and a sprint to come.
Second is a priority for dominant Red Bull who have never yet finished a season with their drivers first and second.
lewis Hamilton started sixth but was third at the re-start and passed Leclerc for second on lap 40 with a daring move that kicked up a cloud of dust as he went two wheels over the line to get past.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz ended up fourth, with McLaren’s Lando Norris a stunning fifth after starting in 17th place and putting in the drive of the day.
The Briton was let through by team mate Oscar Piastri, who finished eighth, to attack and pass AlphaTauri’s Daniel Ricciardo and then Mercedes George Russell.
Russell had to settle for sixth and Ricciardo, who qualified in fourth place, scored his first points of the campaign for AlphaTauri in seventh.
Alex Albon was ninth for Williams and Esteban Ocon 10th for Renault-owned Alpine after being let through by team mate Pierre Gasly to attack and pass Haas’s Nico Hulkenberg.
HAAS CRASH
The race was halted for barrier repairs after 34 of the 71 laps when Magnussen’s Haas crashed heavily following a suspected right rear suspension failure.
The Dane climbed out and sat on the wall while the shattered car’s rear brakes caught fire and the safety car was deployed before red flags were waved.
The race resumed from a standing re-start, with Verstappen accelerating into the distance and Leclerc second on the hard tyres but seven-times world champion Hamilton right behind on mediums.
Verstappen had seized the safety car period as an opportunity for a cheap second pitstop and some fresh hards while Leclerc had pitted just before Magnussen’s accident.
Aston Martin suffered a double retirement, with Lance Stroll spinning off after contact with Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas and Fernando Alonso failing to finish for the second time in the space of seven days.
AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda clashed with Piastri and spun, blowing his chances of points.
Writing by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Ken Ferris, Clare Fallon and Lincoln Feast.
