Pink Bull’s double world champion Max Verstappen received the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix on Sunday to set a Formulation One file of 14 victories from a single season, in addition to probably the most factors scored.
The Dutch driver led from pole place on the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, stopping on lap 26 of 71 to change from gentle to medium tyres and taking the chequered flag 15.186 seconds away from Mercedes’s Lewis Hamilton.
“It has been an unbelievable 12 months to this point, we’re positively having fun with it and we’ll attempt to go for extra,” mentioned Verstappen, who clinched his second title in Japan on Oct. 9 and had an untroubled afternoon.
Pink Bull’s Sergio Perez completed third in entrance of his cheering dwelling crowd after a race that was low on thrills and all about tyre technique.
Verstappen’s win was the 25-year-old’s fourth in Mexico and the rostrum was the identical as final 12 months.
In Austin, Texas, final weekend he had pulled degree with German champions Michael Schumacher (2004) and Sebastian Vettel (2013) on 13 wins in a season.
There are extra races now than then, nonetheless, with the 2022 season that includes 22 in comparison with 19 in 2013 and 18 in 2004.
Verstappen additionally took his factors tally to 416 — 136 greater than Perez who moved as much as second total and three greater than the earlier file set by Hamilton in 2019.
It was additionally a ninth win in a row and sixteenth from 20 races for Pink Bull, who wrapped up the constructors’ title in Texas with three rounds to spare, however Mercedes confirmed they had been getting nearer.
BETTER STRATEGY
“I used to be so shut in that first stint however I believe the Pink Bull was clearly too quick right this moment and finally, possibly that they had the higher tyre technique,” mentioned Hamilton, who felt he ought to have began on softs as a substitute of mediums earlier than switching to hards.
“I am undecided (onerous) was the correct tyre on the finish.”
George Russell misplaced out firstly, lining up on the entrance row for Mercedes however dropping two locations to fourth as Hamilton muscled previous his workforce mate with Perez additionally seizing the chance to go third.
Russell completed fourth, pitting on the penultimate lap to disclaim Perez the bonus level for quickest lap.
Each Mercedes drivers complained in regards to the technique however had been assured from the pit wall that Pink Bull’s medium tyres would lose efficiency — a hope that proved to be optimistic.
“That medium appears fast mate, they will go to the tip,” mentioned Hamilton over the radio 10 laps from the tip, accepting it was recreation over.
The race was already a four-driver battle after 20 of the 71 laps, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc ending fifth and sixth however far off the tempo and the latter near being lapped.
“This weekend we had been simply sluggish,” mentioned Sainz, who completed 58 seconds behind Verstappen.
Daniel Ricciardo placed on the present of the day, reeling off overtakes on the gentle tyres and ending seventh for McLaren regardless of a 10-second penalty for inflicting a collision with AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda.
His efficiency received the Australian, who’s leaving McLaren on the finish of the season with no different drive lined up, the vote for driver of the day by followers and that acquainted smile was broader than ever.
Esteban Ocon was eighth for Renault-owned Alpine, after workforce mate Fernando Alonso retired with an engine failure, with McLaren’s Lando Norris ninth and Valtteri Bottas again within the factors for Alfa Romeo in tenth.
“Unbelievable. What a season, what a season,” complained Alonso earlier than he pulled off and parked up on lap 65, triggering a quick digital security automobile whereas the Alpine was pushed away by marshals.
Formulation One mentioned 395,902 spectators attended over the three days, in comparison with 371,779 final 12 months.