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Formula 1
Mexican GP
F1 Mexico City GP Live Commentary and Updates - race day
Minute-by-minute updates for Formula 1's Mexico City GP
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At the start of lap 22, the Verstappen-Hamilton gap is 7.8s. Perez is a further 2.2s behind Hamilton.
Stopwatch
It's a 1m20.685s for Verstappen, a full second quicker than Hamilton on lap 19.
Bottas must be getting frustrated stuck behind Ricciardo. He's got DRS but just hasn't been getting close enough to make a move at the favoured overtaking spot of Turn 1.
Red Bull considers putting Perez on a "Plan B" strategy - without Bottas in the front-end mix now, Mercedes is a bit out-gunned.
Pit stop
Giovinazzi pits from seventh place and returns in 13th behind both Ricciardo and Bottas who are recovering from their lap one clash.
Pit stop
Ocon and Russell the next drivers to pit in this race to see the Alpine driver drop to 15th place and Russell in 14th place.
Quote
"My tyres are just getting better," says Perez, who's keeping Hamilton very much in his sights.
Norris continues his charge up the midfield by overtaking Russell at Turn 1. The McLaren driver is 11th with a five-second gap to Alonso.
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"The tyre's dropping off massively," Hamilton reports, having dropped to 5.2s behind Verstappen now.
On lap 14 Mazepin is the latest driver to pit. The Russian made a positive start amid the opening lap melee, getting up to P11, but the pace of his Haas will hamstring his hopes as the race progresses.
Ocon and Mazepin go wheel-to-wheel between Turns 1 to 5, with the Alpine driver just about getting the move done to take 13th place. Further back both Stroll and Latifi have made their first pitstops and duly cycle to the back.
Verstappen's taken the fastest lap down into the 1m20s. Hamilton is only about 0.2s a lap slower - but it all adds up if the Mercedes driver can't address the deficit.
A lap after losing a place to Raikkonen, Russell loses another position in the exact same way and at the exact same spot to Alonso. The Alpine is up to 10th place and Russell is now out of the points. Behind that trio, Norris has got ahead of Mazepin and into 12th place.
That Ricciardo and Stroll incident from a few laps back also won't be investigated by the race stewards. They clearly fancy an afternoon of minimal work and I can't blame them.
Stopwatch
It's now a 1m21.051s for Verstappen, who is looking very assured out front as of lap 10.
Raikkonen, with the aid of DRS, gets by Russell for ninth place around the outside under braking at Turn 1. The Williams now has Alonso for close company.
Stopwatch
Verstappen posts a 1m21.520s to extend his advantage out front, as the Red Bull driver is told to take it a little easy and preserve his tyres.
"He's quick," says Hamilton, who appears to be struggling to keep up at the moment.
The first-lap incidents won't be investigated by the race stewards. What's done is done.
Verstappen's got the fastest lap so far, a 1m21.615s, as Hamilton sits over two seconds adrift. Perez is also about 2s behind Hamilton, with Gasly in pursuit.
Stroll completely misjudged his braking point at Turn 7 and went off-track, which is why he briefly leaped up the timing screen, before returning to his 16th place behind Ocon. That incident has been noted by race control.
Sainz clears Giovinazzi on the restart to move up to sixth place.
Verstappen bolts in the stadium and heads off to restart the race on lap 5. He weaves to break the tow, not letting Hamilton get closer.
Here we go - safety car in! Mexico is back underway.
The first-lap clashes have been noted by race control but, so far, no further action has been taken. It might take a while to pick apart that one.
Safety car will come in at the end of lap 4.
In the carnage that followed the Turn 1 clashes, Ocon got sandwiched between Tsunoda and Schumacher and somehow he survived but the other two suffered terminal damage and are out of this race.
All of this action has lifted Giovinazzi up to sixth, with Leclerc up to fifth and Gasly fourth. That's a surprise charge from the Alfa driver there.
Pit stop
Both Ricciardo and Bottas have pitted at the end of the first lap following their contact at Turn 1. Bottas takes on fresh hard tyres, with Ricciardo takes a new front wing and hard tyres.
Safety car
The safety car has been called on this first lap! Tsunoda and Schumacher have stopped on track after an incident and Ricciardo is missing his front wing!
Bottas and Hamilton are side by side into Turn 1, but Verstappen grabs the slipstream AND the lead as Ricciardo tips Bottas into a spin!
Lights out
The Mexico City Grand Prix is go!
The front runners circulate and now park up, ready to take to the start...
Green flag
Here begins the formation lap.
Breaking news
Tyre news: everyone starts on mediums, except Ocon and Tsunoda who begin on softs.
Sun
There's a 0% risk of rain - so for fans of this year's Belgian Grand Prix, you won't like this one.
It'll also be fun to watch those with engine penalties work their way up - so it could be a very topsy-turvy race.
What's going to happen into Turn 1 today? Can the Mercedes duo hang onto the lead into Turn 1, or will the Red Bulls find their way through?
71 laps of this Mexico City circuit today - it'll get pretty crowded with lapped cars towards the end - and it'll get super crowded at the start into Turn 1.
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By: Autosport Staff
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