F1 Mexico Grand Prix LIVE: Lando Norris up to second as Carlos Sainz leads
F1 live updates from the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez as the world title battle continues with Max Verstappen on front row and Carlos Sainz on pole
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The F1 weekend reaches its climax in Mexico City tonight with Lando Norris set to continue his rivalry with Max Verstappen following the highly contentious battle in Austin.
Verstappen has won five of the last six races at Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez and will be aiming to edge one step closer to a fourth world championship title.
Charles Leclerc produced a sensational drive to claim victory at the US Grand Prix with Ferrari impressing with a one-two thanks to Carlos Sainz. The Scuderia are contending a fierce battle with McLaren and Red Bull for the constructors’ championship, with qualifying set to be vital here. Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes will bid to banish a nightmare weekend last time out in Texas.
Follow live updates from the Mexican Grand Prix with The Independent:
Almost time for the green light
The drivers are drinking in the atmosphere ahead of the race start. Will Max Verstappen extend his lead or can the Ferraris back up their victory from the US?
‘I’m losing all the time’ says Hamilton
“I’m losing all the time, that’s why I’ve been so bad in qualifying all year, it’s a normal thing, I’m used to it,” Lewis Hamilton told Sky Sports after qualifying on Saturday evening.
“It doesn’t feel like it [gives me potential], we’ve done everything, we’ve worked so hard in the background, like everybody does, to get the car in a nice place, it was feeling good in P3, let’s not touch anything, all we changed was just the rear wing.
“It’s a drastic difference, every time I get to qualifying the car is completely different, I can’t pinpoint why, it is what it is, I hope I can strike a balance tomorrow.
“There’s so much to play for tomorrow, I’ll try and do a good job.”
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez on the crowd at his home grand prix:
“It is an amazing feeling and makes me look back on my career and makes me feel extremely proud to have the best car in the world.
“It wasn’t an ideal place for it to happen but we will try and do everything today and hopefully we can score some points.”
F1 Driver Standings
A reminder of how the top of the driver standings looks as we approach the start of the Mexico GP.
1 - Max Verstappen - 354pts
2 - Lando Norris - 297pts
3 - Charles Leclerc - 275pts
4 - Oscar Piastri - 247pts
5 - Carlos Sainz - 215pts
McLaren lose bid to have Lando Norris penalty overturned following Max Verstappen incident
McLaren have failed in their bid to overturn Lando Norris’ penalty from the United States Grand Prix.
The team invoked a “right of review”, asking the stewards to look again at the turn 12 incident in Austin, where Norris was handed a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage while overtaking Max Verstappen in the closing stages.
That demoted the British driver below his title rival as the Dutchman extended his championship lead to 57 points.
McLaren lose bid to have Norris penalty overturned following Verstappen incident
The British driver was handed a five-second penalty in the United States Grand Prix which put him behind title rival Max Verstappen
Ocon starts from the pits
Esteban Ocon was knocked out in Q1 on Saturday so Alpine have taken the chance to change the battery pack under parc ferme conditions.
That results in a pit lane start for the Frenchman. Less than an hour to go until the green light.
Martin Brundle calls for F1 rule change after Norris and Verstappen clash
Martin Brundle believes F1 needs to change its driver guidelines after a clash between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen at the US Grand Prix.
The two title contenders were involved in a controversial incident on lap 52. Norris overtook Verstappen outside the racetrack before being hit with a five-second penalty, demoting the Brit to fourth and elevating the Red Bull driver to the podium.
“As far as I’m concerned, the six-page Guidelines (therefore not regulations), which have been signed off by the FIA, the drivers’ association (GPDA), and the teams, are a blueprint to dissuade overtaking, especially around the outside,” Brundle said, in his Sky Sports column.
“There are key reference points that are hard to define for both drivers and stewards, such as where exactly is the apex of any given corner across the entire width of the track, along with specific front axle and car mirror positions in a fast-moving event such as a racing overtake.
“I don’t know what happened to the ‘let them race’ approach from a while back which worked reasonably well.”
Norris ‘not at’ Verstappen’s level
Lando Norris has admitted he is not at the same level of Max Verstappen as the two men attempt to win the Forumla 1 world title.
Norris said: “Max is the best in the world in this style of defence and attacking. So I have to be at his level and at the moment I am not quite at the level I need to be at.
“It’s a shame to say, but it’s probably the truth. At the same time, it’s a chance for me to learn and progress.”
Sergio Perez’s F1 clock is ticking – and impact on Mexico Grand Prix future could be huge
It is difficult to remember the last time Sergio Perez’s seat at Red Bull was not under intense scrutiny and pressure. Perhaps at the start of this season, after four podiums in the first five races, and with the stance of Christian Horner’s juggernaut as the sport’s No 1 outfit on track in no doubt at all. Now though, the sands have shifted.
With five races left in 2024, Red Bull are second in the constructors’ championship: 40 points off McLaren in first but just eight points ahead of Ferrari in third. Max Verstappen, chasing a fourth-straight drivers’ title, has accrued over 70% of Red Bull’s points himself. Perez, however, is a mammoth 204 points behind his teammate, languishing eighth in the individual table.
It is, by far, the biggest margin between teammates in the sport. Yet still, the 34-year-old remains in his post ahead of his home race in Mexico City this weekend. His 2021 podium at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, with his adoring father watching on, is undoubtedly a career highlight.
Perez’s F1 clock is ticking – and impact on Mexico Grand Prix future could be huge
Mexican hero Perez’s spot at Red Bull is under intense scrutiny – again – and his future may have an impact on the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez as a grand prix venue in the future
Max Verstappen qualifies ahead of Lando Norris but ‘question marks’ set up Mexico City thriller
Max Verstappen edged out title rival Lando Norris as Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz claimed pole position at the Mexico Grand Prix.
Norris trails Verstappen by 57 points in the drivers’ championship with five races remaining and 146 points up for grabs and needs to start making major inroads into the Dutchman’s advantage.
McLaren failed in their bid to overturn Norris’s controversial penalty which demoted him behind Verstappen in Austin, Texas, last weekend – a result the British driver labelled a “momentum killer” in his pursuit of a maiden title.
Verstappen edges out Norris but ‘question marks’ set up Mexico City thriller
Carlos Sainz claimed pole but Verstappen joined the Ferrari on the front row after a fine drive once again in the Red Bull
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