Carlos Sainz won his second Formula 1 grand prix of the 2024 season by taking a dominant win at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, Mexico, earning the victory Lando Norris by 4.705 seconds. It is the fourth win of Sainz’ F1 career.
Ferrari moves to second in the Constructors’ Championship after the team’s fifth win of the season.
Norris shrunk his points deficit to Max Verstappen to 47 after taking second, passing Charles Leclerc in the closing laps and surviving another close encounter with his championship rival.
Leclerc rounded out the podium, taking the fastest lap on new soft tires on the final lap.
The Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell completed the top five.
Verstappen, Kevin Magnussen, Oscar Piastri, Nico Hulkenberg and Pierre Gasly rounded out the points-paying positions.
Verstappen would beat the polesitter Sainz at the start of the race while in the back, Alex Albon and Yuki Tsunoda made contact, destroying both the Visa Cash App RB and Williams and bringing out the only safety car of the day.
After the safety car restart, Verstappen lost the lead to Sainz in turn 1, and his championship rival Norris quickly made a move to pass the Dutchman in turn 8. Verstappen forced Norris off the track and into the grass, earning him a 10-second penalty. Later on the same lap, Verstappen passed Norris off the track, collecting an additional 10-second penalty as a result.
His teammate Sergio Perez, who started in the rear, took a 5-second penalty for a false start, lining up illegally within his start box. While fighting up the field, Perez collided Liam Lawson in the No. 30 RB, resulting in damage to the sidepod of his Red Bull.
Verstappen and Perez pitted first of all teams in the field, serving their respective penalties, and most initial pit stops occurred around lap 30, though Lawson and Piastri both pitted at lap 40 and Franco Colapinto on lap 48.
Norris closed in on Leclerc for second after getting through lapped traffic better than the Ferrari, getting into DRS range with 10 laps to go.
Leclerc went wide on the final corner, saving the car but handing Norris second place.
Russell had a faulty wing during the race which allowed his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton to close in late. Hamilton and to pass Russell for fourth after a long battle.
Lawson broke a front wing late after contact with Colapinto. The New Zealander pitted to fix the damage and briefly…
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