The 2024 Mexican Grand Prix at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez was a thrilling race filled with intense battles and notable moments and plenty of key results that have impacted both Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championship races.
Carlos Sainz of Ferrari emerged victorious, securing his fourth career win, after he secured an impressive pole position in qualifying on Saturday. His teammate, Charles Leclerc, finished on the podium in 3rd place, having qualified fourth and gaining one position during the race.
Meanwhile, Max Verstappen’s rivalry with McLaren’s Lando Norris took center stage, leading to a series of controversial incidents and two 10-second penalties for Verstappen. After the earlier penalties, Verstappen grabbed sixth place in a damage reduction effort, while Norris held his pace to finish in second place.
Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and George Russell also clashed in an
aggressive, closely fought contest. Hamilton finished fourth, ahead of his teammate who came in in fifth position.
Home favourite Sergio Pérez faced a challenging race, clashing with Liam Lawson and falling out of contention for points, marking a difficult outing amid a tough season. This was hardly the outcome the Mexican would have hoped for at his home track. Pérez ended Sunday’s race in a disappointing 17th position, and as the last qualified finisher, while Lawson was 16th.
Kevin Magnussen of Haas delivered a standout performance, securing seventh and earning valuable points for his team. His teammate, Nico Hulkenburg also secured points, delivering a ninth place finish for the American team. This keeps Haas’ 6th place in the Constructors’ Championship secure for another race.
Meanwhile, veteran Fernando Alonso celebrated his 400th race weekend. Although he faced setbacks and failed to make a significant impact on the standings as he was forced to retire the car, his interviews over the weekend showed his continued passion for racing.
The last point available went to Pierre Gasly in 10th place, having dropped down the grid from eighth, where he qualified. Esteban Ocon reached 13th place, which is impressive considering he started from the pitlane.
Despite a bumpy start to the weekend, Piastri put in a solid performance to secure points for McLaren. Only able to reach P17 in qualifying and therefore being knocked out in Q1, he drove well on Sunday to finish the weekend in eighth place.
In contrast, Lance Stroll was unable to increase Aston Martin’s point tally, finishing in 11th place. Franco Colapinto, despite receiving a 10 second penalty for an incident with Lawson, finished behind Stoll in 12th. Although he did not finish in the points, his consistent good results only push him further towards being the favourite for a full-time place on the grid in the future.
Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu had a better weekend than others, climbing to 14th and 15th place respectively. However, Stake continues to hold last place in the Constructors’ Championship standings, having won no points so far this season.
Alonso along with Alex Albon and Yuki Tsunoda were the three retirees. They will all hope for a better end to the final race of the triple header next weekend in Brazil.
This race highlighted Ferrari’s resurgence in performance, now being just a few points behind McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship standings. Sainz’s win adds to a thrilling season, having knock on effects in the tight Drivers’ Championship battle between Verstappen and Norris, as his teammate, Leclerc tries to remain in contention.
Written by Millie and Alexandra.
Featured Image Credit: ferrari.com
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