The 2021 Formula One season did not disappoint, with exciting races weekend after weekend, but one race in particular stood out to me: the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Written by Janvi Unni, Edited by Aiden Hover
The stage was set for Mercedes domination at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez after a Mercedes front-row lockout in qualifying, with Valtteri Bottas on pole. But that was short-lived, as Max Verstappen overtook both Mercedes into turn one on the opening lap. Seconds later, the McLaren of Daniel Ricciardo made contact with Valtteri Bottas, causing him to spin and consequently drop down to the back of the field.
As the race settled into its rhythm, there was no lack of excitement with battles throughout the pack and the notable attempted comeback drives of Ricciardo and Bottas. Back at the front, following both Verstappen and Hamilton’s pit stops, Sergio Perez became the first Mexican to lead the Mexican Grand Prix on lap 34!
AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly finished in 4th place after qualifying 5th, while the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finished in 5th and 6th respectively. After his first lap collison with Valtteri Bottas, Daniel Ricciardo could only manage 12th. His teammate Lando Norris finished in 7th place, his race hampered after a slow pit stop on lap 40.
Valtteri Bottas pitted for soft tyres on lap 66 in an attempt to take away the fastest lap from Max Verstappen, but wasn’t able to. On the penultimate lap, he pit once more for a new set of softs and snatched the fastest lap away from Verstappen, finishing the race in 15th.
The race ended with victory for Max Verstappen, extending his championship lead, with Lewis Hamilton closely behind. The crowd at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez was on their feet to cheer for their hometown hero Sergio Perez, who was on the podium after finishing the race 3rd.
No matter who you were rooting for that weekend, the race was definitely worth watching, keeping me on my toes the entire time, which is why this has got to be my favourite race of the season.
Be sure to check back tomorrow for Part 6!
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