Sainz wins Mexico Grand Prix as Ferrari close gap on McLaren

Carlos Sainz has claimed his second win of the 2024 Formula One season, beating former McLaren teammate Lando Norris to take home the Mexico City Grand Prix at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez on Sunday.

It is the fourth win of Sainz’s career, and the first time he has won multiple races in one season.

Teammate Charles Leclerc — who won the US Grand Prix in Austin last week — finished in third place as Ferrari extended their lead over Red Bull Racing, who sit third in the 2024 Constructors’ Championship.

Sainz started from pole position alongside three-time world champion Max Verstappen on the front row, with the Red Bull driver taking over the lead at the first turn.

However, the 30-year-old Spaniard returned to the front eight laps later at the same turn before going on to win the race by over 4.5 seconds.

Verstappen and Norris fought a tough battle for the second week in a row, with the McLaren forced from the track on the 10th lap while attempting to overtake at turn four.

Norris took second place off the track before the pair headed to turns seven and eight, where Verstappen dove down the inside and again forced Norris from the track to regain second position.

Stewards investigated both incidents separately and handed Verstappen 10-second penalties for each, deeming he had forced Norris from the track at turn four before leaving the course at turn eight and gaining an advantage.

The drama started at the first turn of the opening lap when Alpine’s Pierre Gasly drifted right into the Williams of Alexander Albon, squeezing him into the RB Honda of Yuki Tsunoda.

The RB was catapulted into the barriers as a result of the wheel-to-wheel contact, with both Tsunoda and Albon forced to retire from the race.

Aston Martin veteran Fernando Alonso also failed to finish the race, retiring in the 15th lap of his record 400th Grand Prix start after the team reported a suspected brake-cooling issue.

Sergio Perez had a difficult weekend in his home race after qualifying in 18th position, four-tenths of a second behind Kick Sauber driver Valtteri Bottas in 15th.

Insult was added to injury for Perez when he was handed a five-second penalty for a false start after beginning the Grand Prix outside of his grid box.

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri also failed to make it out of the first qualifying session on Saturday afternoon, but the Australian managed to fight his way into eighth place when the chequered flag was waived.

The Brazilian Grand Prix is the next stop on the F1 calendar, with Norris set to start as a +225 favourite with Bovada ahead of Leclerc at +250.

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