Out of all controversy, Mercedes scores another double in Mexico City
The German team dominated once again on Sunday. Hamilton led in imperious fashion after a first braking maneuver in distress, while Rosberg, at several points worried by Verstappen, made the effort to secure his first place in the championship. This sixth Mercedes double of the season enabled Hamilton to close the gap on Rosberg to 19 points.
At the starting line, the tension was palpable. Hamilton, plagued by recurring clutch issues at the start, did not falter on the Circuit Hermanos Rodriguez on Sunday at 2 PM local time, and Rosberg got off to a good start as well. The advantage of the Red Bull’s super-soft tires was not significant enough, as Hamilton and Rosberg remained 1 and 2 after the first chicane.
The Briton experienced a major brake issue at the first corner, forcing him to go straight. This situation was very uncomfortable for him: I had a good start but the straight line to turn 1 was very long and everyone was catching up with me. The right front brake disc had glazed over during the formation lap and I couldn’t get it up to temperature. I thought it would be fine, but when I touched the brakes, the disc locked up as the temperature rose. I went straight and cut across the grass. I was lucky to be able to cut and get back on track. I had a big flat spot on the tire, I mean really significant.
If he could have been troubled, the safety car, which came out mid-lap following Wehrlein’s retirement that left his car at the edge of the track, saved the Mercedes driver from a potential penalty. He couldn’t benefit from his rescue since the safety car grouped all the drivers behind it. After this incident, Hamilton held the race lead until the end, briefly relinquishing it to Vettel while dealing with his set of soft tires.
On Rosberg’s side, the race was more stressful. From the first corner, he endured the aggressiveness of Verstappen. « At the start, I had a good gap (with the Red Bulls) and I felt capable of gaining an advantage over Lewis when I saw he had a big wheel lock-up and went straight into the grass. Then suddenly, Verstappen came and hit me quite violently, after a lock-up as well, forcing me off the track. Luckily, the car was fine, and it didn’t cost me any position. » The incident was investigated by the stewards, but unsurprisingly, Verstappen wasn’t penalized.
Subsequently, Rosberg drove a waiting race, the German was cruising towards a second place that would mean a title at the end of the season if he repeated the operation at each Grand Prix. However, he had to keep an eye on his mirrors because the Dutchman wasn’t finished with him. As he closed the gap with Rosberg in the early laps, Verstappen wore out his tires, and the German only had to increase the pace slightly.
During the second relay on medium tires, Max Verstappen was catching up with the Mercedes again. On lap 50, the Red Bull went straight off in turn 4 after an attack from too far back, allowing Rosberg to cut across and irreversibly escape towards the second step of the podium.
The championship leader now turns to Brazil, holding fond memories of this weekend in Mexico: « The Mexican fans were once again remarkable […] I thank everyone without whom this event would not be possible, as well as every Mexican fan who created this atmosphere at the circuit today. Checo Perez and Esteban Gutierrez can be very proud of their fellow countrymen »
