Verstappen takes record-breaking 16th win at the 2023 Mexico GP

Max Verstappen clinched his 16th victory of the 2023 Formula 1 season at the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday, equaling Alain Prost with 51 wins.

A good and a bad start

Starting from third on the grid behind the Ferraris of Carlos Sainz Jr. and Charles Leclerc, Verstappen made an aggressive move down the inside to take the lead on the opening lap.

On the start, Verstappen had a better launch compared to the Ferraris in front.

As the field headed into Turn 1, Verstappen positioned his Red Bull between Leclerc and Sainz's Ferraris, out-braking both drivers on the inside line to snatch the lead.

Running wide, Leclerc sustained front wing damage from contact with Sergio Perez's Red Bull, forcing the Mexican driver to retire on lap 1.

Red Flag

On lap 33, Kevin Magnussen crashed heavily into the barriers after a suspension failure, bringing out red flag and stopping the race.

With the race restarted, Verstappen again swept past Leclerc into Turn 1 off the line and proceeded to pull away.

Strategy battle Mercedes vs Ferrari

The restart saw an intriguing strategic battle emerge between Hamilton and Leclerc.

While Ferrari had opted to fit the more durable hard compound tires on both their cars, Mercedes gambled on the faster medium tires for Hamilton and Russell.

This allowed Hamilton to jump Leclerc at the restart, but it was expected that the Mercedes would struggle on the mediums later in the stint.

However, through adept tire management and strong pace, Hamilton was able to maintain his advantage over Leclerc for the rest of the race, despite the Ferrari being on the preferred rubber.

Leclerc simply could not find a way past the Mercedes once it got ahead. The gamble paid off for Mercedes, allowing Hamilton to take P2 from Leclerc.

Meanwhile, Russell dropped back on his mediums unable to make them last like his teammate.

Historic win

Verstappen took the checkered flag 13.8 seconds clear of Hamilton, with Leclerc completing the podium a further 9 seconds adrift.

While Verstappen celebrated a historic milestone, home favorite Sergio Perez endured disappointment, being forced to retire on lap one in front of an enthusiastic Mexican crowd.

Ferrari missed out on victory despite locking out the front row, affected by the early contact with Perez and an unsuccessful tire strategy.

Lando Norris produced an excellent drive from 17th to 5th, pulling off forceful overtakes along the way.

With the Mexico round concluded, Formula 1 heads next to Brazil in a fortnight's time as the penultimate race weekend of the 2023 season.