Verstappen targets all-time F1 win record - What to expect at the Mexico City GP
Verstappen targets all-time F1 win record - What to expect at the Mexico City GP
F1 arrives in Mexico City with both the drivers' and constructors' championships already resolved, but there is still plenty of action and intrigue you can expect from the weekend.
Max Verstappen secured a record-equalling 13th win of the season at the United States Grand Prix after recovering from a painfully slow 11.1-second pit stop.
The attention now shifts to the fight for second, with Charles Leclerc's P3 at the Circuit of the Americas enabling him to jump two points clear of Sergio Perez.
But on home soil, Mexican Perez will be determined to put on a show for his adoring fans.
With an awful lot still to play for, here's what to expect at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
READ: Ricciardo concedes "nothing's guaranteed" after McLaren exit
Verstappen targets win record
Following his success in the United States, Verstappen jointly holds the record for the most F1 wins in a season with Michael Schumacher [2004] and Sebastian Vettel [2013].
To put this into context, Lewis Hamilton's best record across a season is 11 wins - a feat he has achieved four times since 2014.
Verstappen's current win percentage for the year is tied with Vettel's personal best from his final championship-winning season at 68.42 per cent, a stat that will increase to 72.73 should he win the remaining three races, falling short only of Alberto Ascari's 75 per cent record from 1952.
Budget cap comes to a head
Red Bull and the FIA correctly put discussions over a minor breach of the budget cap on hold following last weekend's announcement of the passing of team owner Dietrich Mateschitz.
But earlier in the weekend, it had been hoped that a lid could be put on the topic that weekend after Red Bull was offered an 'Accepted Breach Agreement' [ABA] by the FIA.
Despite a number of meetings taking place between team principal Horner and FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem, there was no resolution.
It is likely that Red Bull will confirm its decision on the ABA this weekend, with a timetable of what comes next to be dedicated by this outcome.
Aston Martin also expects to conclude its budget cap dealings this weekend.
READ: Leclerc determined to prevent Verstappen 'era of dominance'
Hamilton's best victory chance so far
Mercedes is three races from ending a season without a win for the first time since 2011, but the Mexico City Grand Prix represents possibly the best opportunity to break this duck yet.
In the United States, Lewis Hamilton was an easy target for Verstappen given the draggy nature of the Mercedes W13. But this weakness will become a strength in Mexico, with the altitude rewarding high downforce levels.
On a single lap, Mercedes has still been lacking compared to Red Bull and Ferrari but in race trim, this gap has been steadily shrinking.
Team principal Toto Wolff has expressed his 'cautious optimism' for the event, but armed with a new front wing upgrade, could Mercedes simultaneously end Red Bull's eight-race winning streak and keep Hamilton's win-a-year record alive?
Perez and Verstappen deny Red Bull team orders
Red Bull may now be focused on securing second place in the drivers' standings for Perez, but don't expect Verstappen to be moving over to assist his team-mate on Sunday.
Possibly more important in this matter is the fact that Perez has stated that he wants to win his home race on merit and not by being gifted success.
As Verstappen stated, if the two drivers are first and second in the closing stages on Sunday, Perez will already be outscoring Leclerc - his main objective for the weekend.
Aston Martin to interrupt Alpine-McLaren battle
Aston Martin endured a dreadful start to the season before introducing a radical upgrade package at the Spanish Grand Prix which briefly saw its car nicknamed the 'Green Red Bull'.
But only recently have the on-track results reflected the off-track efforts, with 28 of the team's 51 points registered in the last three races.
Aston Martin now trails sixth-placed Alfa Romeo by just a point after climbing rapidly from ninth to seventh.
Such has been the improvement of Aston Martin that Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll have been battling with the McLaren and Alpine drivers. With the two teams battling furiously over fourth in the standings, further interruptions in Mexico could swing the battle considerably.
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F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
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