As after each Grand Prix, it is time to discover the most striking statistics, the records that have been broken, the remarkable series still in progress or which came to an abrupt end during the last weekend…
Qualifications
Carlos Sainz continues to improve in qualifying in Mexico. At each Grand Prix on this circuit, he has progressed year after year: qualified 11th, 10th, 9th, 8th, 7th, 6th, 5th, 2nd and now on pole (1st place) in Mexico, in that order.
His last pole was in Singapore in 2023, where he also won the Grand Prix
It was Ferrari’s fourth pole in the last seven Grands Prix in Mexico – but the team has yet to win (since 1990).
Verstappen took 2nd place in qualifying, for the third consecutive Grand Prix…
Norris qualified in 3rd place, McLaren’s best start in Mexico since 1991 (Ayrton Senna also qualified 3rd).
George Russell now leads 15 to 5 against Lewis Hamilton in the fast lap exercise.
For the second time in two Grands Prix (and for the second time this year), Kevin Magnussen reached Q3.
Pierre Gasly qualified in 8th position, Alpine F1/Renault’s best qualification in Mexico since 2018.
Alexander Albon gave Williams F1 its first Q3 in Mexico since 2017 (Felipe Massa).
Nico Hülkenberg is already in 9 Q3 this year.
Fernando Alonso qualified 13th, as in 2023 in Mexico. He failed to reach Q3 for only the second time in the last nine races, the other being Monza.
For the first time in his career, Valtteri Bottas did not reach Q3 in Mexico. He still managed his first Q2 in five races, again beating Zhou very easily.
Oscar Piastri qualified 17th, despite his best time in FP3 (where his time was 1.1s faster than in Q1).
Esteban Ocon suffered his eighth elimination in Q1 of the season, and in Mexico for the second consecutive year.
Sergio Pérez is 5 eliminations in Q1 this year with a Red Bull. It’s more than:
— Yuki Tsunoda (4)
— Lance Stroll (4)
— Nico Hulkenberg (3)
— Alex Albon (3)
Only Stake drivers Alpine drivers Logan Sargeant, Kevin Magnussen and Daniel Ricciardo did worse.
The race
Sainz has finished first and second in the last two races. He had not done better than third in the previous 14 races.
This is the first time in his career that Carlos Sainz has won more than one Grand Prix in one year (he has already won in Australia in 2024). He has six career victories.
Ferrari had only won in Mexico twice previously (with Jacky Ickx in 1970 and Alain Prost in 1990).
This is only the third race won from pole position in the last 12 Grands Prix (Lando Norris did it in the Netherlands and Singapore).
Sainz becomes the first Spanish speaker to win in Mexico City, the largest Spanish-speaking city in the world. This is his first podium here in Mexico.
Lando Norris scored McLaren’s first podium at this circuit since Ayrton Senna’s third place in 1991.
It was McLaren’s 19th podium finish of the year, the team’s most since 2007.
Ferrari came within eight laps of a second consecutive one-two finish for the first time since Bahrain/Spain 2008.
Leclerc finished third in Mexico for the second year in a row.
Hamilton hasn’t had a podium since the summer break.
Max Verstappen takes sixth place for Red Bull, having won the last three editions of the Mexico Grand Prix, all by a margin of at least 13 seconds.
Max Verstappen has not won any of the last 10 GPs (last year he won 10 races in a row).
He retains the lead in the drivers’ championship with a 47-point lead, the narrowest gap since Monaco in May.
With a seventh place for Haas, Kevin Magnussen achieves his best result since a fifth place in Bahrain in 2022, his only other top seven in the 2020s.
It’s the best Sunday of the year for Haas F1. The 3rd time the team has scored points with both cars.
Piastri finished 8th, like last year in Mexico!
Pierre Gasly scored points for the 6th time of the year.
Fernando Alonso’s 400th Grand Prix weekend (and 397 starts) ended sadly, with a retirement. His last retirement due to a technical problem dates back to Mexico 2023!
17th, Sergio Perez is the last classified in his home Grand Prix.
Red Bull fell to third place in the constructors’ championship.
A successful driver while his team finishes 3rd in the constructors’ standings? This hasn’t happened since Nelson Piquet and Brabham in 1983.
Tsunoda retired on the first lap for the third time in his career, and the second time in Mexico (he retired at turn 1 in 2021).
The first six laps were the longest Safety Car period of the season.
End of streak: So far, the winner in Mexico has started from third position in three of the last four races. Lando Norris was not so lucky.
