Components 1 World Champion Max Verstappen is continuous his historic season in F1, with a record-breaking 14th victory of the yr on the Mexican Grand Prix.
Michael Schumacher’s season in 2004, and Sebastian Vettel’s in 2013, beforehand shared the document for many wins in a single season with 13 every.
In Mexico, ‘Tremendous Max’ has gone one higher. He began on pole and was near-faultless within the sizzling circumstances. 7-time World Champion and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton completed in second, with hometown hero Sergio Pérez ending third.
The win places Verstappen – who has already received the 2022 Driver’s Championship with two races to go – on 416 championship factors.
This complete additionally breaks the document for many factors in a single F1 season, beforehand held by Lewis Hamilton for his victorious 2019 season.
“What an unbelievable season”
The Dutchman hardly ever missed a beat with the race in Mexico Metropolis, solely dropping his lead briefly throughout a tire change.
A resurgent Hamilton put up an excellent struggle, setting a blistering tempo early on, however Verstappen pulled away within the second half of the race, finally crossing the road 15 seconds forward of his long-time rival.
Talking after the race Verstappen was elated, saying “what an unbelievable season.”
“It’s an unbelievable environment. We love to come back right here. It’s been an unbelievable yr thus far. We’re undoubtedly having fun with it and we are going to attempt to go for extra.”
Max Verstappen
The win cements Purple Bull’s place atop the 2022 Constructors Championship, 200 factors away from the next-nearest group, Ferrari.
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Their complete of 696 factors already sits on the fifth-best of all time, with Mercedes presently holding the document of 765 in 2016. Will we see Purple Bull break the document for many factors in a single season? They’re already on a roll and it’s mathematically potential…
Mercedes’ tyre points
Sturdy finishes from each Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell noticed them shut the hole to solely 40 factors behind Ferrari within the constructor’s standings.
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That being stated, each drivers mirrored that Mercedes’ tire technique was not as sturdy as Purple Bull’s. The pair began on medium tyres, with Verstappen beginning with softs.
After 29 laps, Hamilton modified to onerous tyres which noticed Verstappen, then-on mediums, begin to lengthen his lead.
After the race, George Russell commented that driving on the onerous tyres was similar to “driving on ice.”
Standout performances
Elsewhere, Daniel Ricciardo confirmed why he nonetheless deserves a spot in F1 subsequent yr after placing in a mega drive to complete in seventh.
It was one in every of his finest drives this season, with ‘The Honey Badger’ overcoming a ten-second penalty within the race for clipping the automobile of AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda.
However the penalty was no massive deal for Danny Ric – in truth it arguably fired him up – with the Australian ending greater than 10 seconds forward of eighth-placed Esteban Ocon, on his approach to being voted ‘Driver of the Day’.
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In the meantime, hometown hero Pérez hoped to seize the fifth win of his profession in entrance of his house followers. Beginning in fourth, the Mexican driver managed to realize one place, splitting the Mercedes vehicles of Hamilton and Russell. Nonetheless, followers had been fairly stoked to see ‘Checo’ on the rostrum.
With an electrical environment in Mexico Metropolis, one might solely think about the scenes if he’d topped the rostrum this yr…
The ultimate two races of the 2022 Components 1 World Championship are the São Paulo Grand Prix on the 11-Thirteenth of November, after which the season finale Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on the 18-Twentieth of November.
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