Verstappen cruises to victory in Mexico to open up 19-point championship lead

The
24-year-old
had
already
moved
from
third
to
first
by
the
first
corner,
which
saw
Valtteri
Bottas
–
who
had
started
in
pole
position
–
drop
down
to
last
after
being
hit
from
behind.

Verstappen
was
rarely
troubled
after
that,
claiming
a
19th
career
win
and
ninth
of
the
season
by
more
than
16
seconds
ahead
of
Lewis
Hamilton
in
second
and
Red
Bull
team-mate
and
home
favourite
Sergio
Perez
in
third.

Hamilton
‘shocked
as
everyone’
after
Bottas
and
Mercedes
outpace
Red
Bull
in
Mexico

The
race
started
in
dramatic
circumstances,
Verstappen
blitzing
past
Bottas
and
Hamilton
before
the
first
turn
to
take
an
immediate
lead.

Things
quickly
deteriorated
for
Bottas,
who
dropped
to
18th
after
Daniel
Ricciardo
clipped
him
as
he
navigated
the
first
turn
–
an
incident
that
took
Yuki
Tsunoda
and
Mick
Schumacher
out
of
the
running.

Verstappen
wasted
little
time
stamping
his
authority
on
the
race
after
the
safety
car
departed
on
lap
four,
opening
up
a
3.3-second
advantage
by
the
10th
lap.

That
lead
had
reached
8.5
seconds
by
lap
27,
before
a
pit
stop
gave
the
home
fans
reason
to
celebrate
when
Perez
briefly
became
the
first
Mexican
to
lead
a
lap
at
his
country’s
grand
prix.

Verstappen
soon
resumed
his
position
at
the
front
of
the
pack
and,
with
a
comfortable
win
looking
likely,
attention
turned
elsewhere
for
drama.

That
came
in
the
shape
of
the
battle
for
second,
with
Perez’s
team
confidently
telling
the
31-year-old
he
would
catch
Hamilton
inside
the
remaining
24
laps.

Despite
falling
just
short,
he
could
at
least
celebrate
becoming
the
first
Mexican
driver
to
finish
on
the
podium
in
this
grand
prix.