A late Virtual Safety Car to recover Carlos Sainz’s stricken Williams car meant that the fights for second and fourth place were ended prematurely. In the drivers’ championship picture, it had big permutations for both Red Bull and McLaren.
Verstappen could have been three points closer to Lando Norris after the Mexican Grand Prix, which could make all the difference after the season finale in Abu Dhabi. Instead, it ramps up the pressure on him at upcoming races in Brazil and Las Vegas, where he knows he must perform.
Speaking after the race, Verstappen admitted he wasn’t at Norris’ level, as the Briton won by a resounding 30 seconds. He produced a dominant weekend at a crucial stage, while Verstappen encountered a frustrating Red Bull first that may hang over his head for a few days.
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Max Verstappen respects Charles Leclerc more than Lewis Hamilton after not attempting Mexico dive
Verstappen was denied a huge opportunity, according to James Hinchcliffe, who thinks that his battle with Leclerc would have been very exciting for fans. Earlier in the race, he found himself locking horns with the Monegasque driver’s teammate.
Lewis Hamilton was awarded a 10-second time penalty after his exchange with Verstappen, which prevented him from challenging for his first Ferrari podium. Fans felt Verstappen deserved a penalty for some of his actions early in the race as well.
His optimistic lunge on Hamilton is what triggered a messy sequence that resulted in both of them leaving the track multiple times. It proved that any bad blood between the two does still exist four years on from their infamous 2021 battle.
However, when Verstappen had the chance to launch a similar attack on Leclerc on lap 70 (the penultimate lap), he opted against it. It shows that he perhaps has more respect for one Ferrari driver than he does the other.
Hamilton felt Verstappen pushed him wide, but the stewards decided to take no further action against him for causing a collision.
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Is Max Verstappen the favourite to win the 2025 F1 title?
Prior to Mexico, there were some suggestions that Verstappen could now be the main protagonist in the title fight.
However, the way that Norris drove in Mexico seems to indicate that McLaren still has a sizeable advantage when they get their setup right.
Verstappen needs a perfect end to 2025, which makes it hard to consider him the favourite to take home top honours.
Depending on how the next two races go, he could be out of the picture altogether come Qatar if reliability or luck don’t go his way. He still needs to be careful and mindful on the track.