Carlos Sainz wins his second grand prix of the Formula One season, as Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc tighten their position for the drivers championship fight against Max Verstappen.
Written by: Henry Quach🇻🇳
Image via: Eduardo Verdugo (AP Photo)
With a mariachi remix of the Formula one theme, fans were welcomed to the 25th anniversary of the Mexico City Grand Prix, with 71 laps on the schedule. This weekend’s qualifying session had ended with Spanish Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz driving the fastest lap of the session and earning pole position, the most favorable starting position.
To start the race, all 20 drivers completed the warm-up formation lap, then were signaled by FIA starter Christian Bryll to start the timed, light-based countdown, namesake of the famous “lights out and away we go!” starting announcement. This tests the drivers’ reaction time to the iconic five red lights, allowing them to either gain or lose their original race position and causing a lot of pressure in the early goings.
The drivers were ready to put on a show for the fans of Mexico. With 71 laps officially underway, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen immediately took the lead of the race.
Soon after, a safety car was called for a crash when Visa Cash App Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda spun out after Williams driver Alex Albon clipped his car. Within the opening moments of the race, Tsunoda had crashed into the barriers.
Depending on the seriousness of the crash, a safety car may be called in order to reset the track and allow the race to resume in an organized way.
Safety cars can change the complexion of the race. Teams create plans for strategies and tire changes ahead of time and they don’t always account for the presence of a safety car.
By lap nine there was a battle between Verstappen and Sainz for first place, and after an advantage with a great move around the corner, Sainz retook the lead.
Next, a battle between Norris and Verstappen occurred causing both of them to go off the track and moving Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc up to second position. Vertsappen then fell into third place with Norris trailing behind in fourth place.
On lap 15, Mercedes driver George Russell took fifth place from his teammate, Lewis Hamilton. A lap later, Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso retired his car due to irreparable damages.
A battle started to brew for second place in lap 62 between Leclerc and Norris, but then Leclerc lost grip in his tires and drifted off track, allowing an easy overtake for Norris.
By the final lap, Sainz had taken the win, marking his second win of the F1 season. Norris took second place, and Leclerc finished in third.
All ten F1 teams will have their second to last race in America, traveling to Sao Paulo, Brazil for the Brazilian Grand Prix. Then, the team's head into an autumn break as the FIA forces all teams to shut down their factories and prohibits modifications to cars while the teams and drivers relax with their loved ones.
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