An epic Mexico City Grand Prix gave us all some spicy action right up and down the grid, as the 2024 Championship continues to go down to the wire.
From current rivals battling to those down the grid who are fighting for survival, it was a race that had so many separate storylines that this edition is one of the tougher ones to do.
So let’s find out just what is on the agenda in the latest F1 talking points.
The tension at the front is a joy to watch
Who doesn’t love a bit of argy-bargy at the front, especially when it comes to our main title rivals?
For the second consecutive race in a row, Lando Norris and Max Verstappen had a tense battle on the track that led to some controversy and penalties.
This time around it was Verstappen facing the wrath of the stewards, getting not one but two ten second penalties for his aggressive racing against Norris.
Of course we want to see good racing that doesn’t bring with it the prospect of a penalty every single time, but when you have two title rivals banging wheels and giving it their all for the entire world to see, it’s a joy to witness.
For all those ‘Netflix fans’ of the sport who watch Drive to Survive and assume that every race is going to be filled with action like this, they were loving every second of it. For all us F1 lifers, we too were glued to our screens and on the edge of our seats.
A tense title battle that continues to deliver is exactly what F1 fans want and need, and 2024 is bring that with every race as the season gets closer to drawing to a close.
Verstappen keeping old school F1 fans happy
Of course with this battle and the penalties Verstappen received, it once again raised questions around the tactics Verstappen used against Norris and whether there is a place for that type of racing in modern F1.
The skeptics are always going to flat out say no, as we have very much moved on from the days where shoving your rival off the track is considered the right thing to do.
But for us old fans of the sport, it’s incredible to watch and a trip down memory lane to a bygone era.
As I’ve discussed previously in this column, Verstappen’s style is completely fine and needed from time to time. He is one of the true racers in the sport and of that old school era of where getting your elbows out in a fight is completely fine and shows just how far you’re willing to push the limits in order to achieve ultimate glory.
Senna. Schumacher. Prost. Vettel. Alonso. Beloved drivers who were never afraid to get a bit rough with their rivals in order to achieve success.
We love them for that. And in time, Verstappen will be loved for it too.
Should there have been team orders at Ferrari?
Last week I brought up the point about Charles Leclerc still being in with a shot at the Drivers’ Championship, a fact that he acknowledged was a long shot when I asked him about it, but said he wouldn’t give up on it until it was mathematically impossible.
In Mexico, his teammate Carlos Sainz was by far the faster driver, getting pole and then ultimately winning the race in the same ease in which Leclerc had done so a week earlier.
But in the early stages of the race when Leclerc was clearly giving Sainz a bit of a headache, should Ferrari have thought about switching the pair to keep Leclerc’s chances of the Drivers’ Championship alive even more?
Of course there would’ve been backlash, and Sainz in no way was going to give up the win given how badly he wanted to win at least one more race for the Scuderia before he makes way for Lewis Hamilton in 2025. But surely there should’ve been the question asked.
Having Leclerc ahead too would’ve surely given the team a better prospect at finishing with a 1-2, a goal which looked like it was going to happen until Leclerc’s late mistake saw him drop back to third and allowed Norris through into second. Of course that meant that while Leclerc took points off Verstappen, he ultimately lost points to Norris and also Ferrari lost valuable points in their hunt for the Constructors’ as well.
Leclerc is now 71 points behind Verstappen with four rounds remaining. Ferrari meanwhile are 29 behind McLaren. How different this could’ve been with a simple radio call.
Lawson continues to stir the pot
Two races back into his F1 return and Liam Lawson isn’t exactly making many friends.
In the US, he was pissing off Fernando Alonso. In Mexico, it was Sergio Perez.
And this certainly isn’t going unnoticed by those he is drawing the ire of.
Alonso was extremely outspoken about Lawson in Austin, while Perez even went as far to talk about Lawson’s “lack of respect” for other drivers since returning to the sport.
What this shows is that Lawson is clearly causing a commotion with those around him, particularly with Perez, the man many expect the Kiwi to replace at Red Bull next season.
There hasn’t been anything wrong with Lawson’s racing in either races, and the incidents with Perez were more on the Mexican’s shoulders than that of Lawson.
Lawson seemingly has taken it all in his stride, despite a brief moment of frustration showing during the race in which he gave a certain middle finger to his Mexican rival.
No matter what, it’s another exciting addition to the exciting season and will add even more tension in the closing races to see just who else Lawson can manage to annoy.
A milestone race to forget for Alonso
A final note on Fernando Alonso becoming the first ever driver in the history of the sport to reach 400 Grands Prix.
It’s a milestone effort by the Spaniard, who spent the weekend reflecting on his career and answering questions about how long he realistically can keep going.
It was a shame, however, that he wasn’t able to get a bit of success on the track with his milestone, with his race only lasting 15 laps before retiring with a brake issue.
(Photo by Getty Images)
No matter what your opinion of him is, 400 races is a phenomenal effort. It wasn’t that long ago that reaching 200 Grands Prix was seen as the pinnacle of the sport when it came to longevity. Now you have to wonder who the first 500 race driver will be.
Of course, there are more races each season than there used to be. And drivers are starting younger and staying around longer too. But ultimately it’s an amazing achievement that was rightfully celebrated in style.
Congrats Fernando!
This article was originally written for The Roar. You can read the published version here
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