3 hours Ago
Verstappen Fights Back After Penalty
The Red Bull driver had to begin from fifth after picking up a penalty in Saturday's qualifying. That hardly slowed him down. He made a sharp start and was running second within moments, slipping past Lewis Hamilton when the Briton and Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc nearly touched wheels.
The close call cost Leclerc a five-second penalty, and not everyone was happy about it. Verstappen joked that he thought penalties had gone up to ten seconds these days, while Hamilton claimed the stewards were practically gifting the race to Leclerc.
Red Bull then played its cards well. Aware that Leclerc would have to serve his time, the team brought Verstappen in at the same moment as the Ferrari driver. That put him ahead on track, with both men on identical tyres. Over the radio, the team asked him for one of his famous Mexico stints, and he delivered.
Ferrari's Costly Red Flag Mistake
Ferrari's afternoon took a turn for the worse when Valtteri Bottas crashed off the circuit. The team called Hamilton in for a stop, assuming it was a safe moment. But the FIA had already waved the red flag, which stopped the race and gave every crew time to work on their cars for free. Hamilton's stop was wasted. He rejoined in second place when he could have been leading, and that mistake ended up deciding the outcome.
Half an hour later, the race got going again, and Verstappen kept his lead. Hamilton pushed hard and stayed close, even when a safety car came out soon after, but there was no way past. Verstappen held firm to claim his sixth victory at this circuit.
Antonelli Makes History
Hamilton took second, while Antonelli finished third, and that was more than enough to wrap up the title. Verstappen moved up to second in the standings, now sitting just behind the new world champion.
