Although Sunday at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez was above all Kimi Antonelli's day, there were naturally two other major storylines in the Formula 1 paddock: the tensions at Ferrari and how Fred Vasseur will manage them, plus Max Verstappen's sixth victory in Mexico.
📌 The Core Development
When the latter came up in the post-race press conference, the Dutchman immediately joked: "Yeah, they should actually call it the ‘Maxico’ Grand Prix. That would be great."
On a more serious note, there are several factors behind Verstappen's track record in Mexico. During Red Bull's Honda years, the Japanese manufacturer had a highly effective turbo at altitude – partly based on knowledge from the aviation industry – which often made Red Bull competitive in terms of engine performance.
🔍 Background & Sector Context
In addition, Verstappen himself is particularly adept at dealing with the low-downforce conditions that traditionally make Mexico a slippery affair, with drivers sliding around even more than normal.
While Red Bull made mistakes in Austin and, according to its drivers, stuck too stubbornly to the softer compounds and was not open-minded enough to react to what was happening during the race, the opposite proved to be the case in Mexico.
📊 Industry & Real-World Impact
Due to Charles Leclerc's five-second penalty, Red Bull immediately decided to pit at the same time, even though this was not entirely in line with its own pre-planned tyre strategy. After all, Verstappen had started on mediums and would normally have gone longer, but Red Bull understood that track position was crucial at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, where the effect of dirty air was significant and overtaking was also difficult because of the power unit regulations.
Benchmark Telemetry & EV Fuel Savings
Put top supercars and EVs to the test in The Pit Stop Lab — launch head-to-head 1/4-mile drag strip battles & compute EPA electric fuel cost savings.
⚡ Prefer Visual Stories on Mobile?
Experience this news piece in an interactive 5-slide visual format crafted for mobile devices & Google Discover.
🔮 Strategic Outlook & What Lies Ahead
Red Bull knew that if it stayed out longer, it would give Leclerc the advantage of several laps on fresh rubber. With a later pitstop, Verstappen would therefore have rejoined the track behind Leclerc. The four-time world champion would then have had the tyre advantage, but Red Bull opted for track position, much to Verstappen's satisfaction.
"I think Charles just pulled away. I could not really stay with him,” said Verstappen. “I did not have the pace to follow him, but at the same time, I was still around that five-second window. So, then the team, I think, did a really good job to follow him in."
