F1 Mexico Grand Prix LIVE: Carlos Sainz wins from pole position ahead of Lando Norris
F1 live updates from the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez as the world title battle continues with Lando Norris cutting the gap Max Verstappen
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Carlos Sainz took a well deserved victory at the Mexico Grand Prix winning the race from pole position ahead of Lando Norris who made vital ground in the drivers championship on leader Max Verstappen.
Verstappen started the race on the front row and overtook Sainz heading to the first corner but a crash for Yuki Tsunodo brought out the safety car. After the restart Sainz swept past Verstappen as Norris looked to gain ground on the Red Bull.
The two title rivals tussled for position with Verstappen being very aggressive and forcing Norris off the track to maintain his position behind Sainz. It was one of two serious errors that caused the Red Bull driver to be penalised by 20-seconds which effectively forced him out of the race.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc safely positioned himself behind Sainz but lost second place to Norris in the closing stages and had to settle for third.
Relive the updates from the Mexican Grand Prix with The Independent:
Martin Brundle calls for F1 rule change after Norris and Verstappen clash
Martin Brundle believes F1 needs to change its driver guidelines after a clash between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen at the US Grand Prix.
The two title contenders were involved in a controversial incident on lap 52. Norris overtook Verstappen outside the racetrack before being hit with a five-second penalty, demoting the Brit to fourth and elevating the Red Bull driver to the podium.
“As far as I’m concerned, the six-page Guidelines (therefore not regulations), which have been signed off by the FIA, the drivers’ association (GPDA), and the teams, are a blueprint to dissuade overtaking, especially around the outside,” Brundle said, in his Sky Sports column.
“There are key reference points that are hard to define for both drivers and stewards, such as where exactly is the apex of any given corner across the entire width of the track, along with specific front axle and car mirror positions in a fast-moving event such as a racing overtake.
“I don’t know what happened to the ‘let them race’ approach from a while back which worked reasonably well.”
Norris ‘not at’ Verstappen’s level
Lando Norris has admitted he is not at the same level of Max Verstappen as the two men attempt to win the Forumla 1 world title.
Norris said: “Max is the best in the world in this style of defence and attacking. So I have to be at his level and at the moment I am not quite at the level I need to be at.
“It’s a shame to say, but it’s probably the truth. At the same time, it’s a chance for me to learn and progress.”
Sergio Perez’s F1 clock is ticking – and impact on Mexico Grand Prix future could be huge
It is difficult to remember the last time Sergio Perez’s seat at Red Bull was not under intense scrutiny and pressure. Perhaps at the start of this season, after four podiums in the first five races, and with the stance of Christian Horner’s juggernaut as the sport’s No 1 outfit on track in no doubt at all. Now though, the sands have shifted.
With five races left in 2024, Red Bull are second in the constructors’ championship: 40 points off McLaren in first but just eight points ahead of Ferrari in third. Max Verstappen, chasing a fourth-straight drivers’ title, has accrued over 70% of Red Bull’s points himself. Perez, however, is a mammoth 204 points behind his teammate, languishing eighth in the individual table.
It is, by far, the biggest margin between teammates in the sport. Yet still, the 34-year-old remains in his post ahead of his home race in Mexico City this weekend. His 2021 podium at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, with his adoring father watching on, is undoubtedly a career highlight.
Perez’s F1 clock is ticking – and impact on Mexico Grand Prix future could be huge
Mexican hero Perez’s spot at Red Bull is under intense scrutiny – again – and his future may have an impact on the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez as a grand prix venue in the future
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