Mexico: Flashback 2018 and Winner Predictions
The last two years, the Mexican Grand Prix allowed Lewis Hamilton to be crowned world champion while Max Verstappen won the race. Never two without three?
2018 in a nutshell: Hamilton crowned after an epic battle
If you only care about the battle for victory, move on. The 2018 Mexican Grand Prix had no suspense. On one hand, Lewis Hamilton didn’t flinch to win his fifth world championship title. It was enough that Sebastian Vettel didn’t win. On the other hand, Max Verstappen led the race alone to win, once the poleman, his teammate Daniel Ricciardo, was overtaken at the start.
But behind him, the war raged between Ricciardo, the Ferraris of Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen, and the Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas and Hamilton.
Thanks to a superb start, Hamilton takes second place at the beginning, ahead of Ricciardo, Vettel, and Bottas. The positions remain unchanged until a virtual safety car on the 34th lap. At the green flag, Sebastian Vettel is quicker and takes third place from Ricciardo thanks to DRS. Unleashed, the German overtakes Hamilton five laps later.
The Briton is in great difficulty with his tires. On the 46th lap, pressured by Ricciardo, he locks up and goes straight into the grass. A controlled maneuver at Mercedes as Bottas does the same just in front of Räikkönen. The two silver arrows have to pit again and find themselves in fifth and sixth.
Latest twist on the 61st lap when Ricciardo, back in second, retires due to a mechanical problem. In the end, Verstappen finishes ahead of Vettel, Räikkönen, Hamilton, and Bottas.
Prediction from the Editorial Team:
Ferraris are very fast at the end of this season, so we see Charles Leclerc on pole. But Max Verstappen loves Mexico, so we think he will win for the third consecutive time. Hamilton, on the other hand, will not be champion for the third time in Mexico and will have to be content with controlling Valtteri Bottas.
