28/10/2018
NEWS STORY
Once again, yesterday's thrilling Q3 session managed to put title talk firmly on the back burner.
Indeed, today, the talk isn't so much about whether Lewis "will do it", but whether, just days after Kimi Raikkonen took a hugely popular in Austin, another very popular driver, Daniel Ricciardo, could follow suit and stand atop the podium here in Mexico.
Truth is, other than the fact that Daniel is already highly popular, one cannot help but feel that many would like to see the Australian claim victory simply to rub his team's nose in it.
Be it Red Bull's, and Max Verstappen's, constant put downs of Renault for everything including the weather and lack of salted caramel ice cream, it is the constant unnecessary sniping. Even after yesterday's mega-lap, Helmut Marko suggested that it would be the Australian's last pole for some time - the clear inference being that once at Renault Daniel will find things a lot harder.
Of course, all this is assuming that Honda is able to provide Red Bull with a race winning and title challenging engine after four seasons of trying, not to mention Daniel discovering that not all those recent retirements were purely down to the engine and its manufacturer.
Much of the talk overnight concerned the first lap and the expected "carnage" at T1, what with the very, very fast title hopefuls starting behind the Red Bulls. While the Ferrari and Mercedes might be quicker off the line, as the grid order sort of confirms, once up to speed the Bulls will take some catching.
Nonetheless, as witnessed here last year, the track layout does lend itself to 'incidents', and with Sebastian Vettel in the mix - not to mention the infamous 'black holes' - anything can, and probably will, happen.
Indeed, wasn't it Lewis who tagged Sebastian at T3 last year?
Of course, should carnage ensue, there will be a couple of eager Finns only too happy to pick up the pieces so to speak, what odds Kimi taking back-to-back wins anyone?
Whatever happens, Vettel must keep out of trouble, either by holding off for the first couple of corners, or perhaps the first couple of laps, and if he feels he must attack, by heeding his own advice and going around the outside.
Populist winners, black holes and titles aside, once again it is the midfield battle that promises to provide the main entertainment, certainly once we're through the first couple of laps.
Much to Red Bull's dismay, Renault has looked strong all weekend, while Sauber has the edge over Force India. That said, the Silverstone-based outfit opted to play the long game in qualifying, both drivers failing to make it to Q3 in order that they could have free tyre choice today. Neither driver was happy about the tactic, but their attitudes could change should it pay off today. Indeed, it was thought that a few other teams might adopt a similar strategy.
Interestingly, despite the strength of the Ferrari and Renault-powered teams, McLaren doesn't appear to be benefiting from its French power unit, much like the Ferrari-powered Haas pair who are having a nightmare weekend. Monsieur Moany even suggesting that races shouldn't be held at high altitude circuits. Sigh.
Throw in a man who simply refuses to give in to defeat (Fernando) and a clearly riled-up kiwi, and that midfield scrap could become even more interesting.
Friday's very warm weather caused all manner of problems for the teams when it came to tyres, while yesterday's cooler conditions made things a little easier. Today's conditions are similar to yesterday, but nonetheless there will be concern at how long the hypersofts will last whatever the temperature.
As a result we are likely to see most drivers opt for a two stop strategy, though some, including Vettel, are expected to try for a one-stopper.
The quickest strategy is a two-stopper; either one stint on ultrasofts for 9 laps then two 31-lap stints on supersofts, or one stint on hypersofts for 5 laps then two 33-lap stints on supersofts. On the other hand, a one-stopper, which would require excellent tyre management, would involve a stint on ultrasofts for 15-18 laps, then supersofts to the flag.
However, while there was sunshine yesterday afternoon, there is a lot of cloud cover this afternoon, which will affect temperatures. Furthermore, the storms that have been forecast all weekend but seem to only arrive at night, might yet play a part.
Whatever happens on the first lap, it's worth noting that since returning to the calendar since 2015 there has been a safety car every year. Should it happen early enough in the race, what better time to shed those hypers.
Of course it would be dumb to totally ignore the title fight, especially when Lewis is on the verge of a historic fifth crown. While the natural racer in Hamilton will want to take the title with a win, unlike last year when ninth was enough, in all honesty he will be best served today by playing the long game. The title is all but won, in reality he can only lose it.
Of course, the Briton, having witnessed his teammate's technical issues this weekend, will have nagging doubt about reliability, however, let's not forget that going into this race he has only failed to complete 9 of the season's 1,067 laps thus far.
On the other hand, Verstappen hasn't had a trouble-free weekend, the high altitude benefiting Red Bell in terms of aero and the reduced grunt of the Renault, but at the same time putting enormous strain on all the engines.
The pitlane opens and one by one the drivers head out. Ominously, Ricciardo runs wide at T1 and takes a trip across the grass.
Ahead of the warm-up lap the air temperature is 18.7 degrees C, while the track temperature is 31.9 degrees. The cloud cover has dissipated somewhat, allowing the sun to break through.
Ricciardo, Verstappen, Hamilton, Vettel, Bottas, Raikkonen, Alonso, Vandoorne, Stroll and Sirotkin all start on ultrasofts, while Hulkenberg, Sainz, Leclerc, Ericsson and Gasly start on hypers, and Ocon, Perez, Hartley, Magnussen and Grosjean on supersofts.
They head off on the warm-up lap, all get away cleanly.
The grid forms... very slowly.
They're away.
While Verstappen gets away well, Ricciardo appears slow, allowing Hamilton to come through down the middle. As the Briton draws alongside Verstappen on the run to T1, Ricciardo finds himself wedged between Bottas and Vettel.
Into T1, Verstappen has the inside, and ensures he covers off the Mercedes into T2, however, Bottas appears to have the edge over Ricciardo. The Australian holds off the Finn who is under attack from Vettel, indeed, they touch wheels but without damage.
Further behind Alonso runs wide and in the process collects some of Ocon's front wing in his bargeboard.
"I have some damage," claims Ocon, who appeared to collide with Hulkenberg. "You will be pitting, you have the front wing missing," he is told.
Indeed, replay suggests Alonso saw the Ocon clash, went wide to avoid getting involved but still collected the debris.
Moments later, despite the damage, Ocon is mixing it with Leclerc.
Despite carrying Ocon's wing, Alonso continues, attempting to go through on the inside of Perez. However, the Spaniard is struggling to control the car and actually loses a couple of positions.
Elsewhere, Raikkonen is momentarily passed by Sainz but soon retakes the position
At the end of the first lap it's: Verstappen, Hamilton, Ricciardo, Vettel, Bottas, Raikkonen, Sainz, Hulkenberg, Leclerc, Ericsson.
Hartley pits following his contact with Alonso, taking on a new nose, while Hartley also pits. They rejoin at the back of the field.
After just three laps the field is spread out very evenly, drivers not wishing to get too close to one another due to the problems of overheating engines in the thin air.
Stroll makes a great move on Magnussen for 13th, while Gasly locks-up behind and runs wide.
Alonso parks by the side of the track at T11, smoke billowing from the rear of his car, which brings out the VSC.
Check out our Sunday gallery from Mexico City, here.
That blown Renault will give Red Bull and the works team cause for concern.
Gasly pits and switches to supersofts
As quickly as it was deployed, the VSC is withdrawn.
Just 8 laps in and Perez and Hamilton are both showing signs of graining.
"Suggest coming down in tyre speed," Hamilton is told, but the Briton effectively dismisses the warning.
Lap 8 sees a new fastest lap from Verstappen (20.923) - a blistering pace, if you'll forgive the pun.
"The Williams just drove into me down the straight," says Grosjean, "I think he clipped my front wing. That was very dangerous!"
Ricciardo is advised of possible tyre issues for Hamilton. The Australian reacts by closing to within DRS range.
Perez makes a late, late move on Ericsson, but the Swede holds him off. The fight continues, the Sauber refusing to give way.
At the end of lap 11, Hamilton pits and takes on the supersofts. Bottas, Sainz and Sirotkin also pit as the Briton rejoins in 5th.
Next time around Ricciardo pits, thereby promoting Vettel to second. The Australian rejoins in 5th, behind Hamilton, as Hulkenberg and Vandoorne also pit.
Back on track, Bottas finds himself under immediate attack from Leclerc.
Verstappen pits at the end of lap 13, rejoining in third behind the two Ferraris. Leclerc also pits.
"Tyres are going off a bit," warns Vettel, as Perez finally passes Ericsson to the delight of the partisan crowd. Just behind Sainz passes Magnussen.
Verstappen and Raikkonen go wheel-to-wheel but in this altitude, with DRS and a nice tow, the Ferrari is no match for the Red Bull.
11.2s down on Vettel, Verstappen posts a new fastest lap (20.299), as Sainz passes Ericsson who has a train of cars in his wake.
For the second successive weekend, Hamilton finds himself losing time behind Raikkonen.
Hamilton makes a move on Raikkonen in T1 but the Finn holds him off. However, the Briton has the inside line for T2 and is through, with Verstappen adding to the Finn's frustration by passing him also.
At the end of lap 17, Vettel pits. He rejoins in fourth, as teammate Raikkonen also pits. The Finn rejoins in sixth behind Bottas.
With the big guns having stopped, after 18 laps, it's: Verstappen, Hamilton, Ricciardo, Vettel, Bottas, Raikkonen, Perez, Sainz, Hulkenberg and Magnussen. That said, Perez and Magnussen still have to stop, as does Grosjean.
Ocon closes on Hartley who is hunting down Grosjean who is all over eleventh-placed Leclerc. Rapidly tagging on to the end of this train are Gasly and Vandoorne.
"We just need to sit tight," Hulkenberg is told, "we're in great shape." The Renault driver is currently ninth.
PBs from both Ferrari drivers, who, like the rest of the leaders, are now on supersofts.
"Switch to scenario three before T12 and that will give you the opportunity," Vandoorne is told.
"These tyres are still graining," warns Hamilton, the Briton's front showing wear down the middle of the fronts.
Again, Ricciardo is advised that Hamilton is not happy with his tyres. At which point the Briton warns "the front is opening", he is told that his only option is a switch to ultras.
As he expresses fears over his front-right, Ricciardo is told that other drivers have had similar phases but got through them.
Ocon passes Gasly for 14th, as Stroll and Hartley make their second stops of the afternoon, the race not even at half-distance. Stroll gives his lollipop man a clout when he stops.
Leclerc makes a great move on Magnussen for tenth, as Verstappen is warned that "this is not going to be straightforward, maybe one or two more stops".
Gasly makes his second stop at the end of lap 27. Everyone now on supersofts.
As Ricciardo closes to within 2.3s of Hamilton, he has Vettel just 1.137s behind.
Blue flags aplenty as the leaders encounter the back-markers.
"Settle down, look after the tyres," Verstappen is told, "there's a lot of trouble behind."
As they work their way through the back-markers, Vettel closes right in on Ricciardo.
Sainz stops at T13 and as a result the VSC is deployed again. Another warning for the Renault runners?
Replay shows that at the time of his retirement, Sainz was about to be lapped by Verstappen.
Under the VSC, Perez takes the opportunity to pit, as does teammate Ocon. They rejoin in 9th and 16th.
"We coming in?" enquires Hamilton. "Staying out, staying out," comes the response.
"In all this negativity, you're doing a stellar job," Verstappen is told. "Thank you," he politely replies.
The VSC is withdrawn, and immediately Ricciardo is under attack.
As Perez lines up Leclerc, right behind are Ricciardo and Vettel. The German makes a great move on the Red Bull in T1 to take third. 2What a ******* joke, these guys," says the Australian of the battling Sauber and Force India ahead.
Vettel and Ricciardo long gone, Perez finally nails Leclerc, who pulls aside to allow Hamilton through.
"Keep looking after that left-front," Ricciardo is told, "that's the main aim."
After 36 laps, just over half-distance all up to seventh-placed Hulkenberg have been lapped.
Out on the first lap for the second successive weekend, Alonso insists he's still enjoying his racing. Yeh, right! As they say.
Vettel closes to within 0.9s of Hamilton.
Courtesy of DRS, and the fact that it's not that important, Vettel seeps past Hamilton on the run to T1 to take second. Verstappen is a further 14.6s up the road.
Problems for Perez, the Mexican clearly has an issue and slows and is lucky not to hit Magnussen as his car veers about. He slowly heads back to the pits and retirement. It appears he has a brake issue.
Ocon also has an issue, the Frenchman having hit Hartley, his second incident of the race.
Toro Rosso reports that Hartley has floor damage following that clash.
Lap 41 sees a new fastest lap form Vettel (20.263) as he maintains a 13.4s gap to Verstappen. Meanwhile, Ricciardo is just 2.7s down on Hamilton.
Hamilton doesn't understand why he is losing ground to Ricciardo. It is explained to him that the Australian is quicker.
Another fastest lap from Vettel (20.112).
Ocon and Hartley are to be investigated following that clash.
Check out our Sunday gallery from Mexico City, here.
Magnussen makes first stop of the afternoon on lap 43. He switches to the ultras and rejoins in 17th (last).
As he continues to harry Hamilton, Ricciardo is told the Briton's tyres are "angry". Not half as angry as said Briton.
A lap after his teammate, Grosjean finally pits.
In his efforts to hold off Ricciardo, Hamilton out-brakes himself at T1 and runs wide, the Red Bull driver doesn't wait for a written invitation.
"I've nothing left guys, these tyres are dead," says Hamilton. As Mercedes responds that it is looking at the options, Vettel pits. So too, eventually, does Hamilton.
Meanwhile, in a repeat of his teammate's error, under pressure from Raikkonen, Bottas locks-up and runs wide in T1.
Verstappen pits at the end of lap 48 as does Bottas. So bad is his tyre wear that Bottas can barely stop.
Verstappen rejoins still in the lead, albeit 4.8s of his teammate who is 8s ahead of Vettel. Raikkonen is fourth, ahead of Hamilton and Bottas.
Thing is, with 22 laps remaining, will there be a need for a third stop? The Bulls are now on supersofts, as is Raikkonen, while Vettel and the Silver Arrows are on ultras. Of course, Ricciardo and Raikkonen have yet to make a second stop.
Hartley is given a 5s time penalty for causing a collision.
After 52 laps, it's: Verstappen, Ricciardo, Vettel, Raikkonen, Hamilton, Bottas, Hulkenberg, Leclerc, Vandoorne and Ericsson.
"Something's definitely not right when I've got fresh tyres but can't match their times." Thing is, the Briton and his teammate are on used tyres, while those ahead are on fresh rubber. D'oh!
"He pushed me off the track," complains Gasly following a failed move on Ocon as they battle for 12th behind Hartley.
The Toro Rosso driver subsequently nails his countryman.
The Gasly / Ocon incident is now under investigation.
As Hartley moves aside for Ricciardo and Vettel, Gasly cheekily nips through to snatch 11th from his teammate.
As his teammate posts a PB (19.564), Ricciardo posts a new fastest lap as he struggles to hold Vettel at bay, the Australian on tyres that are around 45 laps old.
No further action to be taken over the Gasly / Ocon incident.
"The longer you keep him there, the more he'll struggle," Ricciardo is advised as Vettel remains just 1.099s behind.
Moment later however, there's a puff of smoke from the rear of the Red Bull. The Australian subsequently slows and pulls off track. "Fail 38," he is told, "Fail 38."
As the Australian climbs from his car, the Mercedes crew are in the pitlane, but nobody stops.
"Check my engine," says Verstappen, "if we need to turn it down, turn it down."
As the VSC is deployed, in order that Ricciardo's car can be removed, Vettel is 22.3s behind Verstappen, with Raikkonen a further 27s behind.
Next time around, Bottas does indeed stop, the Finn switching to hypers as he rejoins in 5th.
The VSC is withdrawn at the end of lap 64, with 7 laps remaining.
Meanwhile, Verstappen, having told the team is can turn his engine down and aware of his teammate's issue, goes quickest in the last two sectors to post a PB (19.527).
Bottas posts a new fastest lap on his hypers (19.331).
Verstappen responds with a 19.186 only for Bottas to go even quicker (18.741). However, shortly after the Finn is lapped by the race leader.
At the start of lap 69, Verstappen is told the engine has been turned down. With a 14.99s comfort cushion, it doesn't really matter.
Meanwhile, down in fourth, Hamilton is literally cruising to his fifth title.
"Am I getting lapped," asks Hamilton, the Briton told that it depends on his own progress through the back-markers.
Told that Raikkonen is behind and has only made one stop, Vettel replies: "Well done!"
Verstappen takes the flag, and over a minute later, Hamilton takes the title.
Verstappen wins, ahead of Vettel, Raikkonen, Hamilton, Bottas, Hulkenberg, Leclerc, Vandoorne, Ericsson and Gasly.
Ocon is eleventh, ahead of Stroll, Sirotkin, Hartley, Magnussen and Grosjean, with Ricciardo, Perez, Sainz and Alonso all failing to finish.
In the Mercedes garage, mixed emotions for Toto Wolff.
The three podium finishers make their way to the spot in the stadium where they will be interviewed, each parking behind the appropriate 1, 2 or 3 marker board. Having completed a few celebratory donuts, Hamilton park behind a board simply marked "world champion."
As the interviews begins, Vettel breaks off to congratulate Hamilton on his achievement. It is a sincere moment as the two men hug one another, the mutual respect is obvious.
As was the case last year, Hamilton wins the title but isn't on the podium, though we're sure the Briton won't lose any sleep over it.
Not a great race, far from it, indeed like one of those movies or meals where you walk away feeling something was missing but you're not sure what.
Though, in many respects it is a bit of an anti-climax - as it usually is when title are decided early - at least it means the gloves can come off in the two remaining races.
"Amazing, the start was the key," says Verstappen. "To be honest, I didn't sleep very well last night, so I was really determined to win today and luckily we did that. Yeah, amazing job by the team as well. We had the right tyres available and the car was working brilliantly.
"Of course, it was a shame to lose Daniel," he adds. "I think we could have had a one-two, or at least two cars on the podium and of course then afterwards you want to make sure yours doesn't retire."
"Obviously not an easy day," says Vettel, "but well deserved, congrats to him and his team, they did a superb job all year, so I think we need to stand there, accept that and say congratulations. Obviously I would loved to hang in there in a little bit longer, but it wasn't the case.
"It's a very strange feeling right now," admits Hamilton as he is congratulated by Vettel, "but I think I firstly want to say a big thank you to all the fans here, really for making the Mexico Grand Prix as special as it is. So a big, big thank you there.
"Secondly I want to say a big thank you to my team. You know, Bonno said on the radio it wasn't won here, it was won through a lot of hard work throughout the races. I'm so grateful for all the hard work back home. To Petronas, Epson, to Bose, everyone that has been part of it and ultimately to Mercedes. I've been with Mercedes since I was 13, so to complete this when Fangio had done it with Mercedes, you know, it's just an incredible feeling and very, very surreal at the moment.
"It was a horrible race!" he admits. "I got a great start and really was working my way up. I really don't know what happened after that. We were struggling, both Valtteri and I, but I was just trying to hold, just trying to bring the car home. Honestly, I'm just so grateful to God today, to my family back home - I love you, thank you for all the support. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for all the hard work my dad did, all my family. Yeah, a humbling experience."
"I think the tyres lasted pretty OK," says Raikkonen, "obviously not the fastest anymore, but there were times that was the best in the position were were.
"Obviously we always want to more, but I cannot complain too much. We have two more races to go and we'll try to do better."
Check out our Sunday gallery from Mexico City, here.