2021 Formula One Mexican Grand Prix

Sergio Perez - Red Bull Contentpool.jpg
Formula One is on track this weekend in Mexico and the race kicks off a triple-header with driver and constructor championships still in contention.

Over the next three weeks, Formula One will compete in Mexico, Brazil and Qatar. Just five races remain in a 2021 season that has been among the most exciting and tightly contested in memory.

Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez will host the 10 teams and 20 drivers this weekend, including championship rivals Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, who are now separated by 12 points after an exciting US Grand Prix two weeks ago. For perhaps the first time this season, the championship momentum seems to strongly favour one driver. The back-and-forth battle between these two is certainly far from concluded, but many believe that Hamilton’s inability to catch Verstappen in the closing laps at Austin may be a microcosm of what will play out for the remainder of the year.

Another battle that seems to now favour one side is the constructor's championship, which Mercedes seems to be in control of at this stage. A mid-season surge by Mercedes’s Valtteri Bottas coincided with a mid-season slump by Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and has resulted in Mercedes holding a 23-point edge over Red Bull. The possibility of mechanical issues, penalties, weather and other influencing factors still looms large over both the driver’s and constructor's championship, however, and even a single DNF by a Red Bull or Mercedes driver could have a major impact on the respective championships.

The compelling battle between Ferrari and McLaren carries on into Mexico, with just 3.5 points separating the teams. This rivalry has lasted almost the entire season, with neither team able to pull away in the standings. Unsurprisingly, the four drivers that comprise the teams are behind only the duos at Mercedes and Red Bull in the driver’s standings.

Further back in the field, Kimi Räikkönen and George Russell are down to less than a half dozen races in their respective seats, with the latter moving up to replace Bottas and join Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, while the former will end his impressive career and retire.

Do you expect any changes in the standings after Mexico? Let us know your thoughts on the Mexican Grand Prix in the comments below.

Picture: Red Bull Contentpool
About author
Mike Smith
I have been obsessed with sim racing and racing games since the 1980's. My first taste of live auto racing was in 1988, and I couldn't get enough ever since. Lead writer for RaceDepartment, and owner of SimRacing604 and its YouTube channel. Favourite sims include Assetto Corsa Competizione, Assetto Corsa, rFactor 2, Automobilista 2, DiRT Rally 2 - On Twitter as @simracing604

Comments

Damn, Max was flying. Too bad the mercs are way too fast on straights, Checo couldn't get near even with DRS.

The way mercs used Bottas, lol poor dude.
 
Premium
Lesson learned: you can win a race at the first corner :roflmao: Oh, and nobody in the planet is more happy today than Checo's dad. Kudos to Hamilton's prowess. Miserable day for Bottas. Championships are going down to the wire. Loving this season!
 
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Poor track is Mexico, overhyped because of the stadium section.

If Danny had not clipped Bottas would have been interested to see what Perez would have done then. But will never know.

Impressed by the way Max was able to get the power down in that RB on the restart, no way you can beat that.
 
Lesson learned: you can win a race at the first corner :roflmao: Oh, and nobody in the planet is more happy today than Checo's dad. Kudos to Hamilton's prowess. Miserable day for Bottas. Championships are going down to the wire. Loving this season!
This will encourage the online F1 drivers, it must be
 
Lesson learned: you can win a race at the first corner :roflmao: Oh, and nobody in the planet is more happy today than Checo's dad. Kudos to Hamilton's prowess. Miserable day for Bottas. Championships are going down to the wire. Loving this season!
Not really to the wire... If Mercedes cannot catch up with Red Bull in the next two races, this championship will be over in Saudi Arabia.
 
Damn, Max was flying. Too bad the mercs are way too fast on straights, Checo couldn't get near even with DRS.

The way mercs used Bottas, lol poor dude.
Bottas messed up everything at T1.
Squeezing Hamilton instead of Max.
Than he braked 50 metres to early.
So got hit from behind Ricciardo.
Than he couldn't pass Ricciardo.
So all blame and misfortune is his own fault.
 
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Bottas messed up everything at T1.
Squeezing Hamilton instead of Max.
Than he braked 50 metres to early.
So got hit from behind Ricciardo.
Than he couldn't pass Ricciardo.
So all blame and misfortune is his own fault.
I know, but it was funny to see them pitting Bottas for fastest lap, only to pit him again because the first time it didn't work out.
 
Bottas messed up before T1, leaving the racing line to Verstappen while Hamilton's car covered the inside. He's a very quick hotlapper for sure, but that's all.
 
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Bottas messed up before T1, leaving the racing line to Verstappen while Hamilton's car covered the inside. He's a very quick hotlapper for sure, but that's all.
both Mercedes were outclassed by a superior Verstappen overtake of the year!
 
Max drove like a champion today, well deserved victory, Sir Hamilton also drove well but came up short. It is starting to look good for Max, but it is not over yet, 4 more races, good show.
 
Must say other than lap one it was a pretty uneventful race. That being said, the support displayed by the fans and Checo being on the podium certainly made the weekend for me. The scenes with his dad after the race were wonderful. Max and Checo do seem to have pretty good chemistry and with Sergio hitting his stride at a critical time of the year hopefully they can win the constructors title.
 
Premium
Bottas messed up before T1, leaving the racing line to Verstappen while Hamilton's car covered the inside. He's a very quick hotlapper for sure, but that's all.

EXACTLY my thoughts.. and this race made it very clear. He braked way too early not even trying to defend from Verstappen. And Ricciardo collecting his rear in T1 is also to blame on him for that early braking.

Later in the race from the footage they showed you can see he is not preparing well for an overtake move. He seems to be just hotlapping behind or tries something that won't work out of frustration. Compare that to a Alonso for instance that puts his car where it needs to be to prepare for an overtake. I thought he was going to overtake Ricciardo when he was on the fresh mediums, but not even then.. and you can see how easily Ricciardo defended by just putting his car on a slightly defensive line.

Bottas is indeed really quick, especially in difficult conditions but he is not a racer at all. That will change with Russell next year!
 
Premium
Bottas messed up everything at T1.
Squeezing Hamilton instead of Max.
Than he braked 50 metres to early.
So got hit from behind Ricciardo.
Than he couldn't pass Ricciardo.
So all blame and misfortune is his own fault.
Can only agree with you on these points. Really I have no idea what Bottas was thinking at the start of the race allowing Max a slipstream and clear run in to T1 on the racing line.

Compare this start with the one from 2019 when the two Ferrari's locked out the front row - Vettel just moved it over and gently pushed Hamilton on to the grass. No way he was allowing him to get the run.

Bottas maybe a super driver on his day but his race craft is questionable at best. When the Merc was the fastest car he was a great guy to be teammate to Hamilton but now I wonder if his form is going to cost Mercedes both championships.
 

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