Max Verstappen he has taken the penultimate pole position of the seasonthe sixth for him in his incredible 2022, and this Sunday (9:00 p.m.) he will open the starting grid for the Mexican Grand Prix at the Autodromo de los Hermanos Rodríguez. The special characteristics of the circuit and also the height, since it is located 2000 meters above sea level, have traditionally been conducive to Red Bull and the two-time champion is running for his 14th victory after being the fastest in one lap (1.17.775). Your partner Sergio Perezlocal idol, will have to look for the miracle in front of his fans from fourth place on the grid, with the Mercedes strategically interspersed between him and the two-time champion.
Carlos Sainz, who a week ago started from pole in the United States and was left out at the first corner of the race after being hit by George Russell’s Mercedes, expected to return where he left off in Austin, but it has not been possible. The Madrilenian will start fifthwhile Fernando Alonso he will do it from the ninth place.
Mercedes, for all
George Russell had set the best time of the weekend (1.18.3) in the third and last free tests in Mexico, after also dominating the irrelevant free practice 2 on Friday, dedicated to testing Pirelli tires for 2023. The Briton has shown that Mercedes had to be counted on to the pole and his partner Lewis Hamilton has started claiming as the fastest in Q1.
Verstappen was leading from the start (1.19.2), although still far from Russell’s reference in FP3 and without squeeze the foreseeable potential of the RB18. Uncomfortable and unaccustomed to being in tow, the Dutchman was overtaken by Hamilton as soon as the track conditions improved and this resulted in the times. The seven-time British champion climbed to first place (1.19.169) and left the two-time champion 53 thousandths behind, with Leclerc and Sainz 3 tenths behind at the wheel of the Ferrari.
Alonso has gone to the next round in 11th place, without too much troublewhile Vettel, Albon, Latifi, Mick Schumacher and Lance Stroll have been eliminated, who in any case was dragging a penalty of three places on the grid as a result of his accident with Alonso in Austin last Sunday.
In Q2 the exhibition of the Mercedes has continued. Hamilton and Russell, separated by only 13 thousandths (1.18.5), have returned to the front, while their rivals from Red Bull and Ferrari continued without reacting, reserving themselves for the final battle, from which Tsunoda, Gasly and , Magnussen, Zhou, and Ricciardo. On the last lap Alonso saved the passage to Q3 ‘in extremis’ and the top five -Hamilton, Sainz, Russell, Verstappen and Pérez- finished in the same tenth, pointing to another ‘heart attack’ outcome.
ultimate thrill
The final fight started with the stands roaring as Checo’s Red Bull passed, although Sainz was ahead of the Mexican. The Mexican has increased the ‘bet’ with the best time (1.18.153) but Verstappen, without concessions to his partner, has taken pole provisional, lowering for the first time from 1.18 (1.17.947). Sainz has come out well delivered of a maneuver to the limit but has stayed in the fight until the end.
The latest attempt by the favorites has given ‘Mad Max’ its sixth pole of a season in which the Dutchman does not seem willing to give up. Russell, who had his lap canceled due to track limits, finished second, followed by Hamilton, while Sainz has been fifth and Alonso, ninth.
After mathematically securing his second world crown in Japan and also securing the constructors’ title for Red Bull in Austin, Max Verstappen will look for what would be his fourteenth victory of the season this Sundaywhich would allow him to break away from the record he shares with the Germans Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel, who in their day reached thirteen victories in the 2004 and 2013 courses, respectively.
