Right here is our full textual content transcript from the twentieth spherical of the 2024 System 1 championship, the Mexico GP:
The solar is shining down on the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez for the 2024 Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix, the place there’s big anticipation forward of the longest run right down to Flip One of many 12 months. Carlos Sainz begins on pole place after a surprising Q3 lap and he has championship chief Max Verstappen on the entrance row for firm, with title chaser Lando Norris in third. Don’t rule out Charles Leclerc for being within the combine from fourth, whereas there are large unknowns at Mercedes, as George Russell and Lewis Hamilton are on the third row.
In the direction of the again, there’s a big quantity of labor for Oscar Piastri in seventeenth and Sergio Perez in 18th after they have been knocked out in Q1.
Brundle: Ferrari are basically quick round right here
Sky Sports activities F1’s Martin Brundle on Charles Leclerc and Ferrari forward of the Mexican GP:
Carlos Sainz forward of the race:
“I believe from the second row of the grid, there’s half an opportunity he can be main popping out of the primary nook. “The Ferrari is basically quick round right here. It’s simple to suppose they don’t have anything to lose as a result of it’s about Max vs Lando however Ferrari fancy their probabilities to win the Constructors’ Championship, to allow them to’t afford to lose a automotive.”
You’ll be able to’t assist however really feel for Carlos Sainz. Driver of the weekend. Most of the time neck and neck with Charles Leclerc all 12 months. However within the peculiar place of figuring out he’s leaving a frontrunning workforce on the finish of the season.
“That’s the goal, to depart on a excessive,” right now’s polesitter tells Sky Sports activities F1, with simply 5 races left at Ferrari earlier than he leaves for Williams. “Maximise my possibilities of getting on that podium, with a win. That’s what I’ve been doing and I wish to give it my all in these previous couple of races with the workforce. It could have been simple to lose a little bit of motivation, that battle in me, figuring out I’m leaving on the finish of the 12 months, however I’ve managed to maintain myself in test and I’m able to take any alternatives. Feeling very comfy all weekend within the automotive, I believe every thing is working very well. Actually I can not look ahead to the race, I believe it must be an thrilling one, particularly that run right down to Flip One. Clearly breaking the tow is necessary, however on the identical time it’s very tough to foretell how your rivals are going to begin. I’ll look within the mirrors and see the place they’re!”
The entire front-runners have new hards and mediums left, however Crimson Bull have two new mediums – maybe desirous about the potential for a Security Automotive which might result in a two-stop race. But it surely must be a reasonably easy race strategy-wise. Medium-Arduous is the way in which to go for the highest drivers.
Mediums for a lot of the grid, together with everybody within the prime 11. RB’s Liam Lawson in twelfth is the primary driver on the hards. Valtteri Bottas (fifteenth), Franco Colapinto (sixteenth), Sergio Perez (18th), Zhou Guanyu (nineteenth), Esteban Ocon (pit lane) are all on the hards too. No person is on the softs.
Lap 1/71: We’re racing in Mexico Metropolis and Max Verstappen will get a greater begin and edges Carlos Sainz broad at Flip One. The Spaniard cuts the nook however provides the place again. Lando Norris stays in third with Charles Leclerc in fourth and Lewis Hamilton has acquired by George Russell. Yuki Tsunoda crashes! The RB driver acquired caught up into that nook and spins round, with a wheel coming off! He’s out. He mentioned he’s OK. That’s good to listen to. Alex Albon was additionally hit there… and he’s out of this race too! We now have a first-lap Security Automotive.
Lap 3/71: The Security Automotive continues to be on the market because the marshal sweep away the particles and clear Yuki Tsunoda and Alex Albon’s automobiles.
Lap 4/71: Amidst the chaos, one driver who managed to achieve loads of locations is dwelling hero Sergio Perez. The Crimson Bull man has risen 5 locations to thirteenth… BUT race stewards are investigating him for a false begin! Fellow Q1 exitee Oscar Piastri stays seventeenth.
Lap 5/71: So Verstappen leads from Sainz, Norris, Leclerc and Hamilton. These laps beneath the Security Automotive will assist the tyres, like we noticed in Austin final Sunday, so the drivers can push extra and never fear about tyre degradation as a lot. Perez advised his Crimson Bull workforce it was a “nice begin” on workforce radio – however stewards have simply confirmed he has a five-second penalty. It wasn’t for the beginning itself, however the place he lined up on the grid.
Lap 7/71: The Security Automotive is on this lap. Max Verstappen will lead the sphere away. Max Verstappen goes for it earlier than the ultimate couple of corners and will get a pleasant hole to Carlos Sainz. No overtakes within the prime 10 down into Flip One.
Lap 8/71: Sainz stays inside one second of Verstappen. And crucially which means Carlos Sainz has DRS on Max Verstappen. Lando Norris is correct there too and Charles Leclerc seems to be like he has tempo. We count on a four-way scrap for the win, until Mercedes present some velocity, with Lewis Hamilton in fifth.
Lap 9/71: Carlos Sainz dives down the within into Flip One and leads the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix! He nearly gathers the automotive up at Flip Two then makes use of the advantage of additionally having DRS on the run right down to Flip 4 to remain forward of Verstappen.
Lap 10/71: Lando Norris goes for it across the exterior of Flip 4 however Max Verstappen edges him broad and Norris cuts the nook. Norris tries to let him via at Flip Eight however Verstappen and himself each go off the monitor and Charles Leclerc overtakes each of them. REMARKABLE.
Lap 12/71: Sergio Perez has dispatched each Aston Martins and is as much as eleventh. He does although, bear in mind, have a five-second penalty to serve.
Lap 13/71: Wow. Max Verstappen has a 10-second time penalty for “forcing one other driver off the monitor”. That driver was Lando Norris.
Lap 15/71: George Russell swoops across the exterior of Lewis Hamilton to take fifth place. Hamilton coated the within however Russell had sufficient velocity to get by on the first nook.
Lap 16/71: Proper, again on the entrance. It’s a Ferrari one-two after the mess of Verstappen and Norris. Sainz leads Leclerc by two seconds, with Verstappen one other two seconds behind and Norris 1.5 seconds adrift of the championship chief. The primary driver to achieve 400 GP weekends in F1 sadly gained’t end it within the automotive. Fernando Alonso is again within the pits, retiring from the race. Disgrace.
Wow, fairly the battle between Sergio Perez and Liam Lawson – the 2 males considered within the working for the Crimson Bull seat in 2025! Perez, within the Crimson Bull, tries to go Lawson, within the sister workforce RB automotive, up the within of Flip 4 and the pair tangle on the exit. It seems to be like Perez misplaced a number of aero bits off his automotive. “What is that this fool doing?” says Perez. “Is he okay?”
Lap 20/71: Wow, Max Verstappen has ANOTHER 10-second time penalty. This time it’s for leaving the monitor and gaining a bonus at Flip Eight. Meaning his first penalty was in actual fact for the primary incident at Flip 4.
Lap 22/71: Out in entrance, Carlos Sainz has a 3.2-second lead over Charles Lecelrc with Max Verstappen one other 4 seconds again.
Lap 22/71: One other feisty battle happening on this race is between Piastri and Colapinto, with the Argentine forcing the McLaren the good distance across the first chicane. Piastri makes the transfer stick up into Flip 4. Sergio Perez, in the meantime, has pitted – with loads of injury to his sidepods. He’s out and in, so simply an early cease.
Lap 24/71: Lando Norris is again inside one second of Max Verstappen. Will he be courageous sufficient to make a transfer on the monitor? Lap 25/71: We simply heard George Russell say “wow” when advised of Verstappen’s penalty – and one other driver that might profit is Oscar Piastri. His comeback continues, now working eleventh after overtaking Lance Stroll.
Lap 26/71: Lando Norris is correct there however chooses to not go for a lunge into Flip One on Max Verstappen. He is aware of Verstappen is pleased to be very aggressive this afternoon.
Lap 27/71: Max Verstappen comes into the pit lane and serves his 20-second time penalty. A Crimson Bull mechanic places a fan over the automotive to try to cool it. Verstappen comes again out down in fifteenth place…
Lap 27/71: Lando Norris now has clear air however is six seconds behind Charles Leclerc. Let’s see what tempo Norris has acquired and whether or not he can do something in regards to the Ferraris.
Lap 29/71: Lewis Hamilton is the most recent driver to pit – a 3.1s cease from Mercedes. He comes out behind Colapinto, in tenth. Carlos Sainz is clearly in a league of his personal proper now, by far the quickest driver within the subject and he leads by seven seconds over team-mate Charles Leclerc.
Lap 30/71: Max Verstappen breezes previous Esteban Ocon and is into eleventh place. Many drivers forward of him are but to cease, so he’ll quickly be again into the factors.
Lap 31/71: Lando Norris now is available in, it’s a fast cease from McLaren and he’s out into loads of free air, dropping just one place to Russell within the course of. Will Ferrari reply?
Lap 32/71: No shock there, Ferrari reply immediately after Norris and Leclerc pits. He’s round 4s forward of the McLaren on exit.
Lap 33/71: Carlos Sainz stops and is now on the exhausting tyres. He has a nine-second lead over Charles Leclerc, who’s 5 seconds in entrance of Lando Norris.
Lap 36/71: An unfair battle there as a fresh-tyred Max Verstappen encountered Franco Colapinto’s Williams, but to cease. Verstappen surges previous effectively earlier than Flip One, and he’s as much as eighth. A good distance behind his top-five rivals, although.
Lap 37/71: We’re into the second half of the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix. Carlos Sainz leads by eight seconds from Charles Leclerc, with Lando Norris one other 5 seconds again. They’re all simply managing issues in the meanwhile.
Lap 39/71: Max Verstappen will get previous one other a type of who haven’t stopped but, Liam Lawson, on the principle straight for seventh place. He does, although, report on workforce radio that his tyres aren’t working. With 32 laps nonetheless to go, that gained’t be music to Crimson Bull’s ears.
Lap 42/71: No points for Liam Lawson as he breezes previous Sergio Perez on the house straight to take sixteenth place. Sergio Perez is final of the drivers nonetheless within the race however carrying injury after his conflict with Lawson earlier.
Lap 45/71: Carlos Sainz is 6.5 seconds forward of Charles Leclerc, who has been a pair tenths faster in the previous few laps. Lando Norris continues to be 5 seconds behind Leclerc.
Lap 46/71: There are sprinkles of rain across the monitor, however nothing vital but.
Lap 48/71: Max Verstappen’s tough race continues – and in the meanwhile he’s dropping chunks of time to the entire prime 5, he’s 11s behind Hamilton in fifth. He’ll be trying in his mirrors earlier than lengthy, notably with Piastri’s cost. He now runs ninth after Colapinto lastly pits.
Lap 51/71: George Russell barely covers the within into Flip One as Lewis Hamilton is correct there now. This might be an amazing battle between the Mercedes pair.
Lap 53/71: Lando Norris is lower than 4 seconds behind Charles Leclerc within the battle for second. He’s slowly catching.
Lap 54/71: Lewis Hamilton jinks to the precise approaching Flip One however shouldn’t be shut sufficient to make a transfer on George Russell. Hamilton will quickly start to get pissed off.
Lap 55/71: Russell has to cowl at Flip 4 this time as he properly retains Hamilton behind. Will Mercedes be pleased for this battle to proceed?
Lap 57/71: Oscar Piastri will get by Nico Hulkenberg and is into eighth. Subsequent up the highway is Kevin Magnussen however he’s seven seconds forward of him. Max Verstappen is one other eight seconds away.
Lap 57/71: That is getting very attention-grabbing now. Lando is beneath 3s behind the Ferrari of Leclerc. Higher but, the hole is definitely 2.4s with 14 laps remaining! Speedy tempo late within the stint from the McLaren.
Lap 58/71: Lando Norris is now simply two seconds behind Charles Leclerc. Recreation on right here for second place.
Lap 59/71: Norris is sort of one second behind Leclerc, who’s advised he wants his “greatest driving” now.
Lap 60/71: The hole is precisely one second between Leclerc and Norris now. However, nonetheless no DRS for Norris as he can’t get beneath that one-second mark.
Lap 62/71: New quickest lap from Lando Norris and he lastly will get DRS. He’s inside one second of Charles Leclerc. You get 15 factors for ending third, and 18 factors for second. Each level issues right here.
Lap 63/71: Leclerc will get an enormous aspect via the ultimate nook however one way or the other retains it out of the limitations. That might have been a large accident! Norris will get via although after Leclerc goes broad. WOW. The McLaren driver is eight seconds behind race chief Sainz.
Lap 64/71: Lando Norris takes six tenths out of Carlos Sainz within the final two laps and is seven seconds behind. With eight laps to go, that isn’t sufficient however Norris is flying!
Lap 64/71: For what feels just like the fiftieth lap, Lewis Hamilton continues to be caught behind team-mate George Russell, unable to get by with DRS. Possibly the upgraded Mercedes has much less straight-line velocity than Russell’s older spec? They’ve nonetheless acquired a snug buffer to Verstappen behind in sixth, so there’s no want for workforce orders.
Lap 66/71: Sainz ups his tempo and the hole is 7.4 seconds with six laps to go. The Ferrari driver is doing sufficient right here to win this Mexico Metropolis GP.
Lap 66/71: There we go. Ultimately, Russell’s resolute defence involves an finish as Hamilton passes the opposite Merc earlier than Flip One, getting a greater exit onto the straight.
Lap 67/71: Franco Colapinto stays across the exterior of Liam Lawson at Flip One and has the within for Flip Two, however the pair make contact. Lawson brakes his entrance wing and is compelled to pit.
Lap 68/71: Norris is 6.8 seconds behind Sainz, so it is going to take a number of errors from the Ferrari driver to lose it from right here.
Lap 69/71: Norris shouldn’t be giving up although. One other new quickest lap on these outdated, exhausting tyres. Super tempo on this stint from Norris. Hole down to six.1 seconds.
Lap 70/71: Charles Leclerc pits for some smooth tyres to try to get the additional level for the quickest lap. Leclerc goes out and in of the pits in third place. Liam Lawson has simply set the brand new quickest lap of the race again in seventeenth after his pit cease for a brand new entrance wing and tyres.
Carlos Sainz wins the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix and it’s his first victory since Melbourne again in March. Lando Norris takes second and Charles Leclerc completes the rostrum with the quickest lap of the race. He’ll get a bonus level for that. Lewis Hamilton is fourth with Mercedes team-mate George Russell in fifth.
Max Verstappen has come dwelling in sixth behind the 2 Mercedes, after a irritating and controversial afternoon by which he took two separate 10s penalties for clashes with Lando Norris. His title lead has been minimize to 47 factors, with 4 rounds remaining. Carlos Sainz is off to Williams on the finish of this 12 months. Was this his final win for Ferrari? Or can he add one other one within the ultimate 4 rounds?
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