The Best Moments Of The Freakishly Good Mexican Grand Prix
1. Where’s Hamilton off to?
It was like something you do on an open lobby F1 2016 race. Lewis Hamilton locked up and went straight on at the first corner on the opening lap of the race, completely ignoring the chicane and emerging with quite a healthy lead.
How he didn’t get a penalty, we do not know…
But, because of several collisions further back, the Safety Car was deployed and his advantage was cut. Nico Rosberg and Max Verstappen clashed, causing the Mercedes to also cut the chicane, while Esteban Gutierrez tagged Pascal Wehrlein into Marcus Ericsson.
We didn’t see it until a little way into the race but Fernando Alonso made an epic save on the first lap when he was forced onto the grass by countryman and friend Carlos Sainz Jr. They’ll probably be having words later on…
4. Zzzzzz
As we saw last year at the Mexican GP, things quickly calmed down through the pit stop phase. Gaps opened up and battles fizzled out, but we all hoped it would come together at the end as strategies merged.
Nico Hulkenberg tried his best to fend off Kimi Raikkonen (Hulk vs. Iceman) but the Ferrari driver went around the outside at Turn 4, with minor contact sending the Force India into a smokey spin. He dropped to seventh.
After a failed move by Verstappen, Rosberg scampered off into the distance. Vettel tried to pass the Red Bull on lap 70 but he went straight across the first chicane (‘Hamilton’ style). Daniel Ricciardo then tried to get in on the act at the next corner but he tagged wheels with Vettel and the Ferrari remained ahead.
Things got heated on Vettel’s team radio, with the FOM bleep machine getting worked hard to cover up some of the fruity language. Vettel was fuming, but that was set to change…
8. Post-race drama
Verstappen had made it up to the pre-podium green room with Hamilton, who won the race, and Rosberg before he learned that he had been given a five-second time penalty for gaining an advantage by cutting the chicane when Vettel tried to overtake. His mood quickly soured…
Rosberg now has a 19-point lead over Hamilton in the title fight, ahead of the penultimate race weekend in Brazil in two weeks.
What was your favourite moment? Let us know in the comments!
Update
Vettel was given a 10-second penalty after the race for moving under braking during his battle with Ricciardo and fell to fifth. Ricciardo was promoted to the podium, the third driver to be classified P3 on Sunday…
Comments
Missed most of it as the aerial at my grandparents house broke for the first half
Justice has been serve…. (a little bit)
Vettel used to be one of my favourite personalities in F1 but after that he’s out of my good books. There was no need for all the expletives used and insulting another driver is completely unnecessary.
I think you shouldn’t blame Vettel for using whatever language he wants but more the F1 Director for passing on those radio messages… You don’t seem to see the root of things… Such as Verstappen not letting Vettel in front! And I bet that if it was you in that position you would feel robbed, frustrated and so pissed off that you could punch someone in the face… Atleast I would!
Agree 100% i used to respect the man but lately all his whining and insulting other drivers (max repeadly) i have lost most of my respect for him.
Starts with a bang,
Middle is boring,
End is sweary and interesting,
Sounds like a particularly memorable altercation with a lathe. Don’t ask.
#engineeringlife
If you get it, you don’t need to ask lol
no one deserved to be on that podium, Lewis- first corner cut, Nico- corner cut, Vettel- moving under braking and being a corner cu*t
But they all drove pretty good races apart from them incidents
Vettel’s move was not dangerous and was very perfectly legal, it made for great racing, you just can’t complain at all this is what f1 needs, Rosberg got shoved off the track and really didn’t need max to make him dnf because this was the championship
I think Hamilton didn’t get penalized because the safety car came out and cut out any advantage he might have had. Stewards might have also considered the carnage that would have occurred if he had tried to get back on track, considering it’s the first turn of the first lap
Nico had to cut the corner. Verstappen wasn’t giving him any room.
How did Hamilton not get a penalty on that first corner?? i know he locked up but that was a big section he cut lol
Cant understand why Hamilton didnt get a penalty but Verstappen gets one…
Verstapen gets a penalty…?!
WE ARE DOOMED!
the crassh!!!
I want to see Ocon and Wehrlein fight :/. Weh never have chance on start :(
the crash!!
I know this is a car site, but when i saw this, i just had to post it.
Unfortunately, the picture would not load. You will all now have to live with the regret of never seeing this great picture.
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