MEXICO CITY – Carlos Sainz Jr. got the win he desperately wanted in the final days of his Ferrari career. The Formula 1 title race, meanwhile, grew a lot more contentious.
Sainz won the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday and Lando Norris closed the gap on Max Verstappen after another furious battle that cost the reigning three-time series champion three penalties and shaved 10 points off Verstappen's lead in the standings.
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Sainz not only won but finished on the podium for the first time in Mexico City. It was the fourth win of his career, and second of the season for the driver who is being replaced by Lewis Hamilton next year at Ferrari. The Spaniard had never before won two races in a season.
“Honestly, I really wanted this one,” said Sainz, who sounded emotional on his radio on the cool-down lap. “I really needed it for myself, I wanted to get it done. I've been saying for a while I wanted to get one more win before leaving Ferrari, and to do it here in front of this mega crowd, it is incredible.”
Verstappen started second and took the lead from pole-sitter Sainz on the start, but the first lap quickly drew a caution when contact between Yuki Tsunoda and Alex Albon caused Tsundona to crash and Albon to retire with damage to his car.
The restart was spicy with the Ferraris racing Verstappen and Norris for position. And for a second consecutive week, the title contenders clashed.
Norris was penalized last week. This time it cost Verstappen two penalties totaling 20 seconds. After the race, the FIA also penalized Verstappen two points to give him six for the 12-month period.
“I knew what to expect. I don't want to expect such a thing, because I respect Max a lot as a driver, but I was waiting to expect something like this,” Norris said of Verstappen's driving. “Not very clean driving in my opinion, but I avoided it.”
Norris was penalized a week ago at the United States Grand Prix for forcing Verstappen off track — a punishment that gave the final spot on the podium to the three-time reigning world champion. It also allowed Verstappen to widen his lead in the driver standings to 57 points before the race Sunday.
The tables were turned at AutĂłdromo Hermanos RodrĂguez when Verstappen was given a 10-second penalty for banging wheels with Norris and forcing Norris off the track.
“Ten? That’s aggressive,” Verstappen said.
He then was slapped with a second 10-second penalty for gaining position when he left the track for a combined 20-second penalty to be served on his first pit stop.
“That’s fine then. That’s silly, man,” Verstappen radioed.
He pitted from third on Lap 27 and his mechanics could not begin his service until the 20-second penalty was served. He dropped to 15th when he rejoined the race.
Although Verstappen recovered to finish sixth, Norris spoiled what looked to be a Ferrari sweep when he snatched second place from Charles Leclerc with eight laps remaining. The finishes were a 10-point swing for Norris, who now trails Verstappen by 47 points with four races remaining.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner brought printed sheets of telemetry to his post-race media session to argue against one of Verstappen's penalties. He also argued that part of the punishments were carry-over from last week's incidents with Norris, when many thought Verstappen also deserved a penalty, and that F1 is in danger of being overpoliced.
“Obviously, there's been a reaction to last weekend and I think it's very important for the drivers, stewards to sit down,” Horner said. “It used to be a reward of the bravest driver to go around the outside. I think we're in danger of flipping the overtaking laws upside down. We're overcomplicating things and when you have to revert to an instruction manual for an overtake ... it's something that just needs to be tidied up.”
Horner said Red Bull would not appeal the penalties the way McLaren did this week.
Leclerc, meanwhile, finished third and set the fastest lap of the race for Ferrari, which like McLaren is trying to dethrone Red Bull for the lucrative constructors' championship. Ferrari jumped ahead of Red Bull for second in the standings and trails McLaren by 27 points. Red Bull, which won the last two constructors' titles, is now third in the standings.
“Obviously, the constructors is still our target and we are getting closer to it,” Leclerc said. “I hope we can continue in that direction and get that constructors' title, which is very important.”
Mercedes drivers Hamilton and George Russell finished fourth and fifth and Verstappen was sixth. Kevin Magnussen was seventh for Haas and followed by Oscar Piastri of McLaren, Nico HĂĽlkenberg of Haas and Pierre Gasly of Alpine.
Perez's long day
Embattled driver Sergio Perez had a long day at his home race from the very start.
The Mexican, who was eliminated in the first round of qualifying to earn an 18th-place starting spot, gained five positions at the start. But was immediately handed a five-second penalty for being outside his box at the start.
It dropped him to 16th and he finished 17th.
Perez also got into a wheel-to-wheel battle with Liam Lawson that turned contentious on team radio as the two battled for position on the 19th lap.
“What the (expective) is this idiot doing? Is he OK?” Perez asked on his radio as the drivers went wheel-to-wheel and made contact. Perez was run wide of the track in the battle.
Lawson was just as irate and flashed his middle finger at Perez.
“Is he (expletive) serious?” Lawson asked on his radio.
"Loud and clear, we'll review it, head down," Lawson was told by his RB team, which is Red Bull's junior team.
Lawson reportedly apologized to Perez after, according to Horner, but Perez's job status is in danger. He is eighth in the driver standings and a huge reason why Red Bull has slipped in the constructor championship.
When asked directly by The Associated Press if Perez, who this year was signed to an extension through 2025, if Perez would even finish the season, Horner refused to commit.
“There comes a point in time that difficult decisions have to be made,” Horner said. “We’re now third in the constructors' championship.”
Alonso out early
Fernando Alonso's 400th career Formula 1 start was a short one: he drove his Aston Martin back the garage on the 16th lap.
He finished 18th and the team said the brakes on his Aston Martin were overheating.
Alonso began the race weekend ill and skipped Thursday events but returned by Friday's second practice. The two-time F1 champion already held the record for most starts in series history, setting the record when he passed Kimi Räikkönen, who retired with 353 starts.
The 43-year-old Alonso started the race ninth in the driver standings. He has 32 career victories and 106 podium finishes.
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing