The frantic end to the Formula 1 season continues this weekend in Mexico, where world champion Max Verstappen will be feeling a little less pressure than last week.
Having raced a Sprint weekend in Texas, this is the second of six races in an eight-week span to end the campaign and Verstappen was able to extend his championship advantage over Lando Norris to 57 points in Austin.
The Red Bull looked superb early in the weekend, with Verstappen winning the Sprint race and unluckily missing out on pole position for the main event.
However, he still finished behind Norris in the Grand Prix, but inherited third place when the McLaren driver was penalised for overtaking the Dutchman outside the track limits.
Norris will be hopeful of bouncing back in Mexico City, but they both have work to do to catch Ferrari judged on last weekend, as Charles Leclerc led a dominant 1-2 for the Scuderia in Austin.
Mexican Grand Prix Tips
Race winner – Charles Leclerc at 11/4
Number of classified drivers – Over 18.5 at 10/11
talkSPORT BET welcome offer – Get £20 in free bets
Leclerc to lead charge as Ferrari target title
While all the attention has understandably been focused on the championship chase between Verstappen and Norris, an even closer battle is being fought for the Constructors’ title.
McLaren hold the edge by 40 points over Red Bull, but Ferrari’s superb weekend in Austin has seen them close to within eight points of the Milton Keynes-based outfit.
Leclerc himself is only 22 points behind Norris but, while snatching the drivers’ championship looks like a pipe dream for the Monegasque, his team are right in with a chance of a first title since 2008.
Norris and Verstappen between them have won just two of the last nine Grands Prix, while Leclerc has won twice in the last four races among his five podiums in the last six.
His win in Texas was one of the easiest of his career and the irresistible race pace the car displayed bodes very well for the run-in.
Ferrari ended last season strongly, too, with Leclerc and Carlos Sainz claiming four second places between them in the final five races of 2023 and they look poised for another flying finish.
Leclerc is at his best when confident, and he should have no shortage of that after last weekend’s showing.
Impressive reliability rate should continue
The safety car made its first appearance during a Grand Prix since Canada 10 races ago when Lewis Hamilton lost control of his evil-handling Mercedes on lap three in Texas.
However, despite an eventful race with wheel-to-wheel battling and spins aplenty, the seven-time world champion remained the only retirement.
It was the sixth time in seven races that at least 19 cars were classified as finishers, with George Russell’s disqualification hours after the fact in Belgium the only outlier, and the odds look generous for the run to continue in Mexico.
The first corner can be a scene of carnage, but the modern cars are like tanks compared to the machines of yesteryear and it takes a lot to put them out of action.
In addition, Mexico features plenty of run-off area, so a car getting beached in gravel, as Hamilton did last weekend, is highly unlikely and more than one non-finisher would be a surprise.
talkSPORT BET welcome offer – Get £20 in free bets
18+ New customers only. Opt in & bet £10+ via mobile on any sports at 2.00+ odds within 7 days. No Cash out. Get 4x £5 Free Bets on selected markets. Free bets expire in 7 days. Card payments & Apple Pay only. T&Cs apply, see below. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
Never chase their losses
Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
GamCare – www.gamcare.org.uk
Gamble Aware – www.begambleaware.org
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org
