Oracle Red Bull Racing claimed yet another victory at the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championships Mexico City Grand Prix, and there seems to be no sign that they will let their foot off the gas despite already securing the Constructors’ Championship.
Max Verstappen started on pole position after an impressive qualifying performance and led the race throughout, mostly down to a crucial first stint that saw him stay ahead of both Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team cars on the run down into Turn One. A faster strategy of Soft compound tyres to the Medium compound saw Verstappen outpace Lewis Hamilton for the rest of the race, and build a healthy gap of over ten seconds by the chequered flag.
Sergio Pérez had a slightly more eventful race after a poor qualifying session, which saw him start fourth behind both Mercedes cars, meaning he needed a good start to get back into the podium positions. George Russell lost out into Turn One meaning he was easy pickings for the Mexican driver, who was able to get himself into third position. Despite looking close to catching the seven-time World Champion Hamilton, Pérez was unable to claim second place from the Brit and had to settle for third on the road.
Team Principal Christian Horner was full of praise for both of his drivers, and was pleased that the team managed to find the best strategy to win another race.
“Both drivers were impeccable today and we got our strategy absolutely right. The soft and medium tyres were definitely the quickest. After both drivers’ first pitstop, we saw that the tyres were in really good shape, so it was a no brainer to put on the mediums.
“Checo had a little bit of trouble with his pitstop, but his recovery was phenomenal and to see both drivers on the podium is incredible. We are pleased we got it right today and of course, Max was truly remarkable.
“Frankly, Max is racing to another level, he’s raised the bar so high all season and to break the record with 14 race wins is extraordinary, especially with a couple of races still to go. He deserves all the plaudits that are coming his way and his drive today demonstrates his maturity and ability to read a race and control it in a very convincing manner.