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Formula 1
Mexico City GP
F1 Mexican GP Live Commentary and Updates - Race day
Minute-by-minute updates for the Mexico City GP at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
Live AppleTV Race Audio
Although the F1 titles are already sewn up in favour of Max Verstappen and Red Bull, the final three races will shape the rest of the championship order, as Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez battle over the runner-up spot in the championship.
Verstappen has pole for the race in Mexico, as neither Mercedes driver was able to overturn the Dutchman after the final runs.
Home favourite Sergio Perez starts fourth ahead of Carlos Sainz, as Ferrari struggled with the conditions and the two cars were split by Valtteri Bottas as Charles Leclerc starts seventh.
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It is still early days but it feels like ages since we've had one of these kind of races. The slow burner, the strategy game, the thinker. You know the one.
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"Consider Plan C if we've got nothing to lose," Leclerc says. "We need to be careful with traffic for that plan" comes the reply, as Ferrari opens the Alphabet Book of Strategies.
Pit stop
Stroll is the first driver to pit in this race, coming in at the end of lap 17, ditching his mediums for softs and comes out in last place.
Penalty
Gasly has been given a five-second penalty for forcing Stroll off the track. That one felt like it was coming.
Albon is really giving Stroll a tough time defending his 16th place, especially into Turn 1 and Turn 4, while ahead Gasly clearing off into the distance.
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"I'm struggling with bouncing, it's impossible to ride the kerbs" Verstappen reports. Doesn't show up in the lap times, however.
A 1m22.971s pops up for Verstappen, who is beginning his tow-breaking antics in earnest as he extended the gap to 1.8s out front. Hamilton loses a further 0.2s on the following lap.
Stroll's got bigger problems now with Albon right on his rear wing. Meanwhile, the stewards are now investigating the Gasly incident.
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"Just need to try and break this tow," Verstappen is told. The two cars are almost matched at the end of lap 14, just a slither in Verstappen's favour.
The Stroll vs Gasly incident has been noted by race control, no investigation called for just yet, as the French driver remains ahead.
Stopwatch
A 1m23.040s for Hamilton now, a second successive fastest lap - but he's not making a whole bunch of headway as Verstappen's only about a tenth slower. The Red Bull driver is responding on lap 14...
Stroll shows Gasly to the outside of Turn 1 to defend his 15th place, and the fight continues to Turn 4 and they both drift off the track, with the AlphaTauri coming back on in front.
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"Sliding everywhere man, I have no f****** grip!" Stroll reports on team radio.
Leclerc's had a lap time deleted for track limits, he's sixth and 2.4s off team-mate Sainz as of lap 12. At least he's having a go?
Lap 11, and the gap at the front is 1.5s. Perez is a further 2.2s behind, as Russell is 2s behind the home favourite.
All the drivers had warned pre-race that temperature management for tyres, brakes and engines would be a factor from very early on. That appears to be keeping things static so far.
Hamilton's fallen off Verstappen a little now, but given the laptimes are up rather than Verstappen finding time, we can assume he's backed off a touch. Keeping things cool here will be very important.
On lap nine Ricciardo gets the move done, using DRS up the inside of Zhou into the first corner. That puts the McLaren driver up to 12th.
Ricciardo is looking for a way by Zhou for 12th place but his advances are being rebuffed by the Chinese driver.
Magnussen is struggling for pace as he drops behind both Williams and into last place. Is his pre-race car issue hampering him again?
Stopwatch
Hamilton's responded to Verstappen's opening salvos with a 1m23.063s, bringing him closer to the leader. Just under 1.2s the gap between the two as of lap 7.
The top six are clearing off ahead, with Alonso leading 'class B' in seventh place defending from a DRS-equipped Bottas.
Russell got a good slipstream on Verstappen at the start, but wasn't able to enact a Mercedes pincer movement - and that let Perez get into the mix into Turn 4.
Translation: absolute banger m8
All very well behaved in the opening exchanges, as the DRS is enabled for the first time in the race. Here comes trouble?
Verstappen crosses the line to start lap 2 with 1.3s in hand, so he's warded off the threat away from the line. Perez is a further 1.2s off, as Russell tries to build a gap over the chasing Ferraris.
Meanwhile Stroll had a mega start to go from last to 15th on the first lap.
Perez gets ahead of Russell to the delight of the fans, as the Ferrari duo was side by side! Sainz ahead of Leclerc in this opening lap.
Bottas had a poor start and loses places to Leclerc and Alonso and is eighth, while Norris has also dropped back to 10th.
Lights out
The 2022 Mexico City Grand Prix is go! Verstappen gets a nice start, but the Mercedes duo are close - and Hamilton gets past Russell for second!
The cars line up, here we go...what will Mexico bring?
Green flag
The formation lap begins.
Verstappen on softs suggests that Red Bull is trying to cover off the threat of the Mercs at the start. Big run into Turn 1, and starting first is often not where you want to be.
We've got Verstappen, Perez, Sainz, Leclerc, Tsunoda, Schumacher, Vettel and Latifi on softs, the rest on mediums, and the return of the mariachi F1 theme.
Sun
We've got a temperature of 24.7 degrees at the circuit, with a 40-percent risk of rain.
Like, Mario Achi... are we gonna get some bloke in overalls calling himself Sam Ba in Brazil? Am I being too cynical? Anyway, five minutes to go.
There's...sigh, Mario Achi. Yeah, I don't know either...
Why is Max Verstappen wearing a life jacket from the Titanic? He'll be hoping not to sink down the order on the long run to the first corner...
Lots of fancy dress on the grid, which our own on-the-ground team has already indulged in this weekend. Although we're disappointed that the venerable Stuart Codling didn't bring a touch of 70s sci-fi to the Mexican mainstream...
25 minutes until the camera pans to the little clock on the pitlane exit, and the cars move for the formation lap.
By: autosport.com
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