F1 Drivers’ Championship tightens as Verstappen closes to within 40 points of leader Piastri

In Austin, Max Verstappen narrowed the gap between himself and the two McLarens in the Drivers’ Championship considerably. With Hamilton placing third in Qualifying, the Mexican GP was set up to be chaotic before it had even begun.

It certainly didn’t disappoint, with the intense battle between Hamilton and Verstappen resulting in a 10-second penalty for Lewis. He claimed afterwards that he felt “let down” by the FIA. This follows Hamilton’s first top three qualifying result since joining Ferrari. There is no doubt that his labelling of the penalty as an example of “double standards” is a reference to the fact that Verstappen went off track and returned ahead of Hamilton at Turn 2, unpenalised. Consequently, Hamilton finished the race eighth, whilst teammate Leclerc managed to secure second place.

Verstappen strategically started on medium tyres. This accounted for the fact that his odd-numbered grid slot resulted in him beginning the race from the cleaner side of a track, which is known to be incredibly dusty.

Fellow McLaren Piastri finished fifth, meaning that for the first time since April, Norris is leading the championship, albeit only by a single point

Despite starting fourth, George Russell appears to have been collateral damage in the Hamilton-Verstappen battle. He lost multiple positions and finished seventh after allegedly having to avoid acting on Turn 6.

Higher up the rankings, Norris, who started and finished with pole position, achieved an astounding 30-second gap between him and LeClerc. Fellow McLaren Piastri finished fifth, meaning that for the first time since April, Norris is leading the Championship, albeit only by a single point.

Haas’ Ollie Bearman gave what is no doubt his most impressive performance yet, placing fourth. The rookie deservedly won the Driver of the Day and was found to be “lost for words” after the race.

Conflict occurred elsewhere, with Carlos Sainz crashing into Liam Lawson after Turn 1. Although this stemmed from Sainz swerving to avoid Esteban Ocon, following Fernando Alonso tapping the rear of the Haas, Lawson said about Sainz: “I think you’ve got to have more awareness, honestly.”

The Racing Bulls driver also had a near-miss with two marshals who were removing debris from the track. He called the situation “unacceptable”, but OMDAI Sport Mexico has since countered that Lawson failed to adequately slow down after the double yellow flag.

After finishing third, Verstappen is 36 points behind Piastri, decreasing but not eliminating his chances of winning

Disappointment after the Mexican GP was also found elsewhere amongst drivers, with Alonso claiming that the FIA failed to sufficiently delegate penalties to drivers who gained positions by cutting the first corner.

So, where do the drivers stand in terms of the Drivers’ Championship? After finishing third, Verstappen is 36 points behind Piastri, decreasing but not eliminating his chances of winning. This is an admirable turnaround for the four-time world champion, who managed to turn a 104-point deficit to Piastri to 40 over the course of four races.

However, it is likely that Verstappen winning would require some McLaren setbacks, considering there are only four events left this season. On the plus side, fans only have to wait until November 9th to see if the Brazilian GP delivers the same level of action-packed entertainment that Mexico provided last week.