Mexican Grand Prix: Safety car out after FIRST CORNER crash

Sainz ahead of Leclerc in Mexico — Photo: © IMAGO

Mexican Grand Prix

Mexican Grand Prix: Safety car out after FIRST CORNER crash

All the action from the early stages at the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix

Simmey Hannifin Donaldson Chief Editor

Sunday 27 October 2024 22:00

A chaotic start to the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix saw an early safety car brought out after a first lap crash.

Two cars collided on the long run down to turn one at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, with an almighty fight for slipstreams down into the first corner.

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Max Verstappen did manage to get ahead of the Spaniard, but the real incident that caught the eye was contact between the Visa Cash App RB of Yuki Tsunoda and the Williams of Alex Albon further down the order.

Tsunoda went flying into the barriers down the straight as a result of the collision, with Albon's Williams also forced to park up at the following corner with damage.

Sergio Perez disaster in Mexico

It has already been a disastrous weekend for Perez in front of his adoring crowd after putting in a shocking performance in qualifying on Saturday.

The Red Bull driver’s best effort was only good enough for P18 in qualifying on Saturday, leaving the 34-year-old with plenty to do at the race start.

Perhaps as a result, it appears the Mexican may have been a tad eager as the lights were preparing to go green.

As a result of his false start, Perez was given a five-second penalty by the FIA, making his task at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez all the more great.

The only consolation for Perez is that the vast majority of the race still remains.

Red Bull Max Verstappen Sergio Perez Yuki Tsunoda Williams Sebastian Vettel