Max Verstappen wins 2021 Mexican GP ahead of Hamilton and Perez

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen wins a record third career Mexico City Grand Prix ahead of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull team mate Sergio Perez – who became the first Mexican driver to take a Formula 1 podium at their home race.

Valtteri Bottas’s shock pole position was short-lived as Verstappen swept around the outside of the two Mercedes into the first corner on the opening lap. Bottas was then tipped into a spin by McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo into Turn 2 to leave Verstappen leading Hamilton then Perez behind the Safety Car, which was called back for a Lap 5 race restart, as Bottas dropped to the back of the field.

“The fans here, they’ve been incredible. [The start] was all about trying to break as late as you can, and it made my race as I could just focus on myself. Still a long way to go, but of course it’s looking good.“- said, Max Verstappen after winning record third Mexican GP.

Lewis Hamilton should be happy with P2 given the Red Bull’s pace advantage in the race, The Brit kept fast charging local boy Sergio Perez behind him for the last 11 laps in the race.

Lewis said after the race, “Congratulations to Max, their car was fastest this weekend and there wasn’t a lot I could do about it. I gave it everything, a great fight with Sergio at the end. It just shows how fast their car was, he was applying that pressure and just kept going.“

Sergio Perez becomes the first Mexican to stand on the podium at his home race after charging to P3. And also he become first Mexican to lead the home grand prix on lap 34, when his teammate pitted for new hard compounds.

“Obviously I wanted more, today I wanted to get the 1-2 for the team. I wanted to give my heart for the people, I could actually hear them when I was going through here!”– said, the Happy Mexican after the race.

Pierre Gasly qualified P5 but finished a comfortable fourth after Bottas’s spin, while Carlos Sainz took sixth behind Charles Leclerc (P5) in the race, the Spaniard losing out to his Ferrari team mate at the start.

Sebastian Vettel took seventh for Aston Martin, ahead of Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Raikkonen in P8.

Fernando Alonso took ninth for Alpine having started 12th, but was hampered by a slow Lap 40 pit stop. That left Lando Norris 10th from 18th, the McLaren driver having made it to P7 by Lap 45, when he pitted from mediums to hards.

Norris’s team mate Ricciardo, however, could only take 12th after Lap 1 contact ruined his hopes of scoring points from P7 on the grid and promoted Leclerc, Vettel and Raikkonen a place apiece.

What Toto Wolff and Christian Horner has to say about the race ?

“You have to congratulate Red Bull, the pace was on another level. I don’t think we could have won the race been if we’d stayed ahead at the first corner. For Lewis second was damage limitation. Valtteri spinning out was very painful. You have to take it on the chin.”- said, Toto Wolff, Mercedes Team Principal.

“I was surprised they gave him the room, but Valtteri was very fair. I thought Max had missed his braking he went so late.” – said,Christian Horner, Red Bull Team Principal.