© Getty ImagesRace Changing Moments - Mexican Grand Prix 2023There were good, bad and downright heart-breaking moments in Mexico, here’s the rundown of what happened.
The2023MexicoCityGrandPrixwasafantasticexampleoftheagonyandecstasyofFormulaOneracing.ThereweremorereasonsforMaxtocelebrateashebrokerecordsonceagainbydominatingtheracefromturnone.AnditwasapainfulSundayforChecoashehadtoretirethecarattheendoftheopeninglap.
Let’s unpack the weekend of highs and lows at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez…
Sergio’s home race turned into a nightmare for the Bull. At lights out the Mexican powered off the line and looked to get his nose ahead of the other drivers as he took the outside line. It was reminiscent of Max’s start at the 2021 race in Mexico, however, as Checo went to turn he misjudged Charles Leclerc’s braking point and collided with the Ferrari driver. His RB19 left the ground and landed heavily. He managed to limp back to the pits, but the car had to be retired. Checo’s frustration was clear for all to see with his head in his hands as he being moved into the garage. After the race though, Checo said nobody was to blame and that it was a “racing incident.” And that, “If you don’t go for a gap, what’s the point in you being here?”
A Race To Forget© Getty Images
At the start of the race, Max pulled away from the grid and without any slipstreaming or DRS was alongside the two Ferraris before turn one. He was able to get ahead of Sainz and then take the inside line for the first corner. From there he took the lead away from Leclerc who had kept in front due to going off the track, but had to give the place back.
The Dutch Lion Setting The Pace© Getty Images
The starts weren’t done though. After Magnussen’s suspension failure on lap 33, the race was red flagged. It was a standing start with Max on a set of scrubbed hard tyres but once again, Max was able to pull away from the pack and keep the lead.
After the race, Team Principal Christian Horner was quick to praise the Team on the strength of the launches. “Our starts haven’t been our strongest this year, there has been a variance to them. The control guys did a great job today. Great starts with Checo and Max in the first run and then obviously the restart and Max getting that blinder as well,” he said.
Max and Christian both hinted after the race that the Team had a strategy they wanted to use, but were unable to due to the red flag. However, the strategy team did an excellent job of thinking on their feet when the Safety Car was deployed. With Max leading the race, the Team called him in for fresh rubber and with a 2.4s stop Max was back on track in P1 behind the Safety Car. Although the race was red-flagged a lap later, the stop hadn’t hurt Max as it didn’t cost him track position.
Max Grinds Turn 3© Getty Images
With medium tyres that had dropped off a cliff, Max came into the pits at the end of lap 19 for a set of fresh white-walled hard tyres. When he returned to the action, he was in P7, but he was soon making his way back towards the front.
The Dutchman was patient and used the long start/finish straight, and his RB19 rocket ship, to his advantage. On lap 22 he took George Russell at turn one, a lap later he did the same to Oscar Piastri. He then took Daniel Ricciardo on the straight at the start of the 25th lap. He was back in the lead by lap 32 showing, as Christian put it, “his total and utter dominance of the race.”
Watching On From Our Favourite Spot© Vladimir Rys
It has been a season like no other for Max and the Team. At the moment is seems that a new record is broken every week – and there are still three more races to come!
The Mexico City Grand Prix was Max’s 16th win of the year, which broke his own record for most victories in a season. It was a sensational and dominant drive and even Max, who usually only talks about the next race said: “To win 16 races in a season is something I never thought would be possible, this season has been unbelievable.”
Max’s Race Engineer Gianpiero ‘GP’ Lambiase summed it up perfectly when he said to Max over the radio: “Another day, another win, another record!”
Win 16 Of The Season© Vladimir Rys
