MAX VERSTAPPEN’S brilliant win in Mexico City drove another nail into Lewis Hamilton’s title challenge.
It was somewhat fitting that the mega-city was celebrating their Day of the Dead festival – Hamilton’s campaign looks killed off after another hammer blow from Verstappen.
The Dutchman pulled off a sensational overtake on Hamilton and pole-sitter Valtteri Bottas at the start – and never looked back.
In fact, his faultless drive in this race turned it into a zzzziesta rather than fiesta, as he convincingly pressed home his advantage.
He said: “What a race! Unbelievable pace in the car. A great job, let’s keep it up.”
Until now, Hamilton and Verstappen had traded places in the championship table, but back-to-back wins for the Red Bull man has seen him open up a 19-point gap at the top.
Verstappen, who took his third win in Mexico, said it was ‘straightforward’: “It is still a long way to go in the championship, but it is looking good.”
Mercedes were dumbstruck they had managed to secure a one-two in qualifying. Red Bull had been the quicker car all weekend and it proved to be a false dawn.
Most read in Sport
Verstappen made a sensational start from third place on the grid.
Just a day earlier, he’d said that he preferred qualifying in third, rather than second, as he was on the clean side of the grid.
And he was proven right.
He benefited from the slipstream behind Hamilton and swooped to the left and ducked around the Brit and into first place at turn one.
Bottas was too early on the brakes and Daniel Ricciardo clipped the rear of his Merc, sending him into a spin, dropping the Finn to the back of the field.
It resulted in chaos behind as Yuki Tsunoda and Mick Schumacher were caught out and sent crashing out of the race.
Race stewards deployed the safety car as the mess was cleared from the track, but any hopes Mercedes had of seeing Hamilton jump Verstappen at the restart were quickly dashed.
Verstappen stamped his right foot on the gas pedal in his Red Bull and started powering away from his title rival.
After just two laps of proper racing, he’d opened up a gap of 2.5 seconds over Hamilton, who simply could not believe his eyes, telling his team over the radio: “He’s quick!”
By lap 21, the gap was up to 7.5 seconds as ice-cool Verstappen reported that he was having no issues with his Red Bull.
By contrast, Hamilton was already struggling with his tyres, which were beginning to overheat.
Another disgruntled radio message from the current world champion soon followed as he again told his team: “These guys are obviously too fast for us.”
Nervous Hamilton soon turned his attention to his mirrors, as Perez’s Red Bull was getting closer.
Again on the radio, he said: “I can’t pull away from him.” Fearing the worst, Mercedes pressed the button and called in Hamilton for fresh tyres on lap 30.
The stop was solid from Mercedes but he was released back on to the track behind Charles Leclerc.
The Ferrari man then pitted, releasing Hamilton, who started lapping quicker than Verstappen although he remained comfortable in front.
I was just grateful to finish second
Lewis Hamilton
Hamilton’s pace caught the attention of the Red Bull pitwall, as Verstappen was called in for his stop on lap 34.
It was quick and clean from Red Bull but enough to promote Perez into the lead of his home race.
The Mexican lapped up the support from his home fans before he too was called in for tyres on lap 40.
When he made his way back on track, he was third behind Hamilton, while Verstappen had now stretched out a ten-second lead over the Mercedes.
FIGHT TO THE FLAG
In a dash to the finishing line, Perez started reeling in Hamilton’s advantage.
He was within a second with nine laps to go and Hamilton was given a warning that his brakes were overheating.
Perez too took his time to cool his car in preparation for a last-gasp attempt to dislodge Hamiton from second place.
But he could not find a way past the Brit, who clung on for second place.
Hamilton, who sat in his Mercedes for some time after the race in parce ferme.
He said over the radio: “I gave it everything. I just didn’t have the pace.”
In his voice, there was the air of resignation. He knows the title is slipping from his grasp.
He later added: “That car was far superior this weekend and there was nothing we could do with it. I was just grateful to finish second.”