F1 Mexico City GP: Max Verstappen claims record-breaking 16th win of 2023 in dramatic, crash-filled race
Max Verstappen claimed a record-breaking 16th victory in a single F1 season in a dramatic Mexico City Grand Prix that was punctuated by a huge crash for Kevin Magnussen.
An incredible launch from Verstappen saw the Red Bull driver leapfrog both Ferraris and grab the lead by Turn 1, while his under-pressure teammate Sergio Perez was sent flying out of his home race after tangling with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc as they ran three-wide at the first corner.
Verstappen had been cruising in the opening stint and led by 17 seconds when Magnussen suffered a heavy crash at Turn 8, resulting in a red flag to enable barrier repairs.
A standing restart effectively re-set the race at mid-distance but that failed to stop Verstappen’s charge, with the Dutchman nailing his start for the second time to maintain track position ahead of the chasing pack.
The triple world champion eased clear from there to beat his own record of 15 wins in a single season with his 16th victory from 19 races in what has been an incredible 2023 campaign.
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton claimed a distant second place after pulling off a brave pass on Leclerc, who completed the podium in third after the Monegasque once again failed to convert pole position into a win.
Carlos Sainz was fourth in the other Ferrari, ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris, who produced a stunning recovery drive to beat George Russell to fifth, having started way down in 17th.
After his starring performance in qualifying, Daniel Ricciardo claimed a strong seventh place for AlphaTauri as he chased down Russell’s Mercedes in the closing stages but couldn’t quite pull off a move.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri finished eighth ahead of Williams’ Alex Albon, while Esteban Ocon claimed the final point on offer in 10th for Alpine.
It was a miserable afternoon for Aston Martin, who recorded a double DNF in a race that Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso largely spent at the back of the field.
