Last Updated on October 28 2024, 11:41 am

With the Aurodromo Romanos Rodriguez now silent and the volunteers collecting the discarded hot dog wrappers, the Formula One Mexican Grand Prix has been and gone for another year. Who knows whether this was the last ever home Grand Prix for Sergio Perez but the Mexican appeared to be drinking in the atmosphere as the a capella rendition of the national anthem rang out around the stadium.

The TJ13 WhatsApp group was high with anticipation for the Grand Prix on Sunday and the joke was shared, ‘how much worse could Checo be this year in Mexico City than his first corner wipe out from 2023?’ The answer came swiftly as Perez lined up his RB20 after the formation lap.

Sergio was visibly more than a foot beyond the front line of his grid slot, a mistake even a rookie in his first Grand Prix would avoid. This appeared some kind of omen for Checo as his day went from bad to worse.

 

 

 

Unusual clash between RB and Red Bull

Perez was issued with a five second penalty for his improper starting procedure but this was quickly mitigated as he made his way through the field. Then Checo happened upon RB driver Liam Lawson, on the fringe of the points, and the junior Red bull driver did not make it easy for Perez.

Usually RB would quickly concede the place to a Red Bull Racing driver but given Lawson is being “evaluated” as an option to replace Perez, the ensuing battle was fierce. Contact between the two left Sergio with substantial damage to his car and to complete the Mexican drivers misery the team called him in for a failed attempt at the fastest lap which saw Checo cross the line plumb last.

If this was Checo’s last F1 home Grand Prix it was a humiliating and miserable experience for the Red Bull driver. It almost appeared as if the days events were planned to force Sergio’s hand and make it a relief for the Mexican to announce his retirement from the sport.

Elsewhere on track, Sergio’s team mate Max Verstappen was reaping the whirlwind from his drive last time out in COTA where the world champion had gone wheel to wheel with Lando Norris in a battle royal. The duel culminated in both drivers leaving there circuit but it was Lando Norris who was penalised for leaving the circuit and gaining an advantage.

Marko scoffs at bold claims by Perez’s father

 

 

 

F1 driver standards under the microscope

All week long the debate raged in the F1 media over whether Max dive bombing the inside of turn 12 constituted a proper attempt at an overtake or was merely gaming the rules to prevent Norris from making the pass.

In Mexico it was as if the F1 gods decreed there should be a re-run of the Verstappen/Norris battle held in Austin, as once again the pair found themselves arguing over the same piece of asphalt. With the driving standards guidelines issued to the race stewards by the FIA having been debated all week, the stewards in Mexico City were not long in their deliberations.

This time it was Verstappen who was the object of race control’s ire over track limits. The stewards decided it was Max who was at fault this week handing out a draconian double issue of ten second penalties. A week earlier in Texas it was Norris who suffered a five second penalty which relegated him from the final step on the podium to P4.

The Verstappen moves will no doubt be debated ad nauseum this week, yet despite again being on the inside of the corners in question, the stewards deemed the fault to be wholly on the side of the Red Bull driver.

Norris/Verstappen clash in FIA confrontation over stewarding

 

 

 

Wolff claims stewards learned from mistake

Toto Wolff was quick to claim that the stewards had learned from their mistakes at the USGP and that a new precident had been set for interpretation who has the “right” to the corner. “A driver will always push to the limit and when the rules — the execution of the rules or interpretation of the rules — allow a certain way of racing then a driver like Max is always going to exploit it,” Wolff said in the paddock after the race.

“And I think now there has been a new interpretation, execution of those regulations. I think it will change the way everybody races in the future,” the Mercedes boss added. “You won’t see that any more.”

“I believe that you’ve probably got to leave space on the outside of the corner if the car is next to you,” he reasoned. “Braking late and dragging the other car out of the track whilst also driving off track, I think that’s not allowed any more.”

While this narrative would appease those who believed justice was not served in Austin, it is not in fact the case. The F1 drivers sat down With the FIA for several hours on Friday and it was agreed there would be new stewarding guidelines discussed and issued for next year. But for now the current issue remains the reference handbook and will do so for the remainder of this season.

F1 driver admits to “cribbing” team mates data in Mexico

 

 

 

New FIA guidelines for 2025

Verstappen’s first penalty was for forcing Norris off the track at turn four. The difference in outcome when compared to last weeks ruling from the stewards, was due to who was deemed to be making the overtake which this week was Verstappen. Martin Brundle also described the move at the time as “dangerous driving.”

The second penalty was framed in similar fashion to that of Lando Norris last time out in Texas. The stewards decided Verstappen had 

left the track and gained a lasting advantage and so Max was to suffer the second of his ten second penalties in just four corners.

However, for now Toto Wolff’s gloating suggestion that the stewards have finally woken up and are punishing Max in a new manner is false. The terms of reference for stewards ruling on track duels remains as it was in COTA, however it has been agreed that the FIA will issue new proposals which will be discussed with the drivers before next year’s publication is finalised.

Verstappen grid drop incoming in Brazil

 

 

 

Mexican fans backlash at Red Bull treatment of Perez

Most folk in the world of Formula One expected Red Bull Racing to ditch Sergio Perez come the annual summer break this August. Yet Checo retained the favour of the Red Bull management who argued the upcoming circuits in Baku and Singapore were specialist venues for their Mexican driver who has won there on previous occasions.

At the Dutch Grand Prix following F1’s return from its sojourn, Sky Germany asked Dr. Helmut Marko why the decision had been made to retain Perez. “The main problem with Perez was the lack of consistency,” explained Marko. “Speed was present in almost all sessions or parts of the race, and we analysed the upcoming tracks, which are tracks where he has been fast in the past.”

The comments are a fairly standard disclaimer used to defend Sergio, but Marko’s surprise next revelation went mostly unreported in the F1 media. “There was also an issue with his engineering team, which might also have affected his performance,”added the Red Bull advisor although no explanation was given as to how that may have affected Checo’s pace… READ MORE