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
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
