One hundred and ten minutes before the start of the Mexican Grand Prix, Max Verstappen is feeling positive…
Max Verstappen: "We'll see how the race goes. The team isn't having the easiest weekend, but we'll try to do everything we can. Of course, I'll try to gain a few positions.
Sergio Perez? I'm very happy that he'll be back next year. For now I'm just soaking up the moment and enjoying being in Mexico City. It's always nice to see such passionate fans."
Max Verstappen: "We'll see how the race goes. The team isn't having the easiest weekend, but we'll try to do everything we can. Of course, I'll try to gain a few positions.
Sergio Perez? I'm very happy that he'll be back next year. For now I'm just soaking up the moment and enjoying being in Mexico City. It's always nice to see such passionate fans."
After a disappointing qualifying, Oscar Piastri hopes to fight back in the race...
Oscar Piastri: "Of course, my job is to fight my way forward, to make up positions, but we'll see what we can do. This weekend we've had some difficulties; I haven't been able to unlock the potential of our car, but today we'll try to make full use of the MCL39's speed. I'm a fan of Michael Jordan's talent — he always did everything possible to win, nothing could stop him, and I'll try to do the same."
Oscar Piastri: "Of course, my job is to fight my way forward, to make up positions, but we'll see what we can do. This weekend we've had some difficulties; I haven't been able to unlock the potential of our car, but today we'll try to make full use of the MCL39's speed. I'm a fan of Michael Jordan's talent — he always did everything possible to win, nothing could stop him, and I'll try to do the same."
Lando Norris starts from pole in Mexico City and is aiming for the win...
Lando Norris: “I’m feeling great, as always — I’m just focused on enjoying the upcoming race and also want to soak up the unique atmosphere of Mexico City.
I’m starting from pole, but even if I manage to win, I can assure you I’m not planning to throw a noisy Mexican-style celebration — definitely not this year.
Although I really like it here, I’ll probably get a good night’s sleep and then fly home. But Mexico City is a great city, so maybe we’ll celebrate next time!”
Lando Norris: “I’m feeling great, as always — I’m just focused on enjoying the upcoming race and also want to soak up the unique atmosphere of Mexico City.
I’m starting from pole, but even if I manage to win, I can assure you I’m not planning to throw a noisy Mexican-style celebration — definitely not this year.
Although I really like it here, I’ll probably get a good night’s sleep and then fly home. But Mexico City is a great city, so maybe we’ll celebrate next time!”
Ahead of the start of the Mexican Grand Prix, Pirelli's press office published information about the remaining tyre sets the drivers have.
Verstappen acknowledges that 'mind games' are now unnecessary.
"I have nothing to lose in this title race."
Max Verstappen has stated that he no longer feels the need to engage in psychological tactics with his competitors, but he acknowledges that the increasing tension with McLaren's title challengers is beginning to echo the dynamics of 2021. Speaking to De Limburger during the Mexican Grand Prix, the Dutch driver discussed the changes in his mindset since his initial championship battle with Lewis Hamilton.
"Back then, I played that sort of game. Will I do that again? I don’t need to," remarked the four-time world champion. "At that time, I hadn’t yet won a world title. Now I have several, and they (Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris) do not. At this point, those who haven't won a championship yet are naturally more nervous than those who have.
"I have nothing to lose in this title race."
Max Verstappen has stated that he no longer feels the need to engage in psychological tactics with his competitors, but he acknowledges that the increasing tension with McLaren's title challengers is beginning to echo the dynamics of 2021. Speaking to De Limburger during the Mexican Grand Prix, the Dutch driver discussed the changes in his mindset since his initial championship battle with Lewis Hamilton.
"Back then, I played that sort of game. Will I do that again? I don’t need to," remarked the four-time world champion. "At that time, I hadn’t yet won a world title. Now I have several, and they (Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris) do not. At this point, those who haven't won a championship yet are naturally more nervous than those who have.
Marko states that a decision regarding the Red Bull driver is forthcoming.
Dr. Helmut Marko has stated that Red Bull will disclose its 2026 driver lineup "after the Grand Prix," with the teenage talent Arvid Lindblad almost certain to join the Racing Bulls team. The 18-year-old showcased his skills on Friday in Mexico, stepping into Max Verstappen's car for FP1 and even outpacing Yuki Tsunoda. "That certainly wasn’t pleasant for Tsunoda," Marko acknowledged to Kleine Zeitung.
Marko commended Lindblad for maintaining his composure under pressure. "He remained calm, even with everyone warning him about the risk of damaging the car - we only had one underbody," he noted. "He was instructed not to scratch it, yet he was still the fastest rookie.
Dr. Helmut Marko has stated that Red Bull will disclose its 2026 driver lineup "after the Grand Prix," with the teenage talent Arvid Lindblad almost certain to join the Racing Bulls team. The 18-year-old showcased his skills on Friday in Mexico, stepping into Max Verstappen's car for FP1 and even outpacing Yuki Tsunoda. "That certainly wasn’t pleasant for Tsunoda," Marko acknowledged to Kleine Zeitung.
Marko commended Lindblad for maintaining his composure under pressure. "He remained calm, even with everyone warning him about the risk of damaging the car - we only had one underbody," he noted. "He was instructed not to scratch it, yet he was still the fastest rookie.
Marko asserts that Piastri is 'struggling with the pressure of the title.'
"At least, that’s how it appeared recently."
Dr. Helmut Marko suspects that championship leader Oscar Piastri is struggling with pressure, even as Red Bull faces its own challenges during a tough Mexican Grand Prix weekend. Despite modifications to the RB21, Max Verstappen could only secure fifth place in qualifying, while Piastri finished eighth, later promoted to P7 following Carlos Sainz’s penalty. However, not all news is negative for Red Bull, with Lando Norris emerging as the faster McLaren driver yet still ranked below his teammate in the standings, allowing Verstappen to benefit even without a victory.
"Naturally, we still need McLaren’s assistance," Marko told Kleine Zeitung.
"At least, that’s how it appeared recently."
Dr. Helmut Marko suspects that championship leader Oscar Piastri is struggling with pressure, even as Red Bull faces its own challenges during a tough Mexican Grand Prix weekend. Despite modifications to the RB21, Max Verstappen could only secure fifth place in qualifying, while Piastri finished eighth, later promoted to P7 following Carlos Sainz’s penalty. However, not all news is negative for Red Bull, with Lando Norris emerging as the faster McLaren driver yet still ranked below his teammate in the standings, allowing Verstappen to benefit even without a victory.
"Naturally, we still need McLaren’s assistance," Marko told Kleine Zeitung.
Andrea Stella commented on Lando Norris's achievement of taking pole position in Mexico, with the British driver delivering a truly impressive performance...
Sainz explained why he exceeded the pit-lane speed limit.
Carlos Sainz failed to finish the Mexican Grand Prix, crashing his car at the "Stadium." During the race Carlos twice exceeded the pit‑lane speed limit, explaining that as a result of a collision with Liam Lawson the speed limiter on his car had failed.
His teammate Alex Albon finished twelfth, explaining the result by an unsuccessful one‑stop strategy.
Alex Albon (12th): "I had a fairly slow pace in the race. I ended up being one of two drivers who started on Hard tyres, so at the start of the race I simply had no pace. We immediately went for a one‑stop strategy, which proved to be quite slow and didn't work, so we missed the chance to be competitive and fight in the midfield.
In the last few races we've had issues that we need to get to the bottom of. We can see the telemetry data and we can see problems with my car.
Carlos Sainz failed to finish the Mexican Grand Prix, crashing his car at the "Stadium." During the race Carlos twice exceeded the pit‑lane speed limit, explaining that as a result of a collision with Liam Lawson the speed limiter on his car had failed.
His teammate Alex Albon finished twelfth, explaining the result by an unsuccessful one‑stop strategy.
Alex Albon (12th): "I had a fairly slow pace in the race. I ended up being one of two drivers who started on Hard tyres, so at the start of the race I simply had no pace. We immediately went for a one‑stop strategy, which proved to be quite slow and didn't work, so we missed the chance to be competitive and fight in the midfield.
In the last few races we've had issues that we need to get to the bottom of. We can see the telemetry data and we can see problems with my car.
DHL Fastest Pit Stop Award: Best pit stop by McLaren
In Mexico the fastest pit stop was carried out by McLaren mechanics, servicing Oscar Piastri's car in 2.10 seconds – the result is not a record, but the best in the past Grand Prix.
In total during the race the teams made 26 pit stops. The longest was Liam Lawson's pit stop on lap 2, when they changed his nose cone.
Team
Driver
Time
Lap
Points
1. McLaren
O. Piastri
2.10
47
25
2. Ferrari
Sh. Leclerc
2.27
31
18
3. Haas
O. Berman
2.33
48
15
4. Sauber
G. Bortoleto
2.35
37
12
5. Williams
A. Albon
2.35
41
10
6. Williams
K. Sainz
2.37
17
8
7. Racing Bulls
A. Hajar
2.43
34
6
8. Mercedes
K. Antonelli
2.49
22
4
9. Aston Martin
L. Stroll
2.61
26
2
10. Mercedes
D. Russell
2.62
25
1
11. McLaren
L.
In Mexico the fastest pit stop was carried out by McLaren mechanics, servicing Oscar Piastri's car in 2.10 seconds – the result is not a record, but the best in the past Grand Prix.
In total during the race the teams made 26 pit stops. The longest was Liam Lawson's pit stop on lap 2, when they changed his nose cone.
Team
Driver
Time
Lap
Points
1. McLaren
O. Piastri
2.10
47
25
2. Ferrari
Sh. Leclerc
2.27
31
18
3. Haas
O. Berman
2.33
48
15
4. Sauber
G. Bortoleto
2.35
37
12
5. Williams
A. Albon
2.35
41
10
6. Williams
K. Sainz
2.37
17
8
7. Racing Bulls
A. Hajar
2.43
34
6
8. Mercedes
K. Antonelli
2.49
22
4
9. Aston Martin
L. Stroll
2.61
26
2
10. Mercedes
D. Russell
2.62
25
1
11. McLaren
L.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko is pleased with Max Verstappen’s performance, who, after starting from fifth, climbed onto the podium…
Helmut Marko: “I was the only one thinking positively. No one but me would have put their money on Max making the podium, but I thought it was possible.
On Saturday we understood that we had set the car too low, but in the race that wasn’t a problem — with more fuel the cars became slower, downforce decreased, and our deficit disappeared.
He drove the final stint superbly. He was quick, but very careful with the tyres. I was always worried we wouldn’t have enough rubber, but he consistently lapped, lap after lap, in 1:21.2 to within half a tenth of a second. That’s Verstappen!”
Helmut Marko: “I was the only one thinking positively. No one but me would have put their money on Max making the podium, but I thought it was possible.
On Saturday we understood that we had set the car too low, but in the race that wasn’t a problem — with more fuel the cars became slower, downforce decreased, and our deficit disappeared.
He drove the final stint superbly. He was quick, but very careful with the tyres. I was always worried we wouldn’t have enough rubber, but he consistently lapped, lap after lap, in 1:21.2 to within half a tenth of a second. That’s Verstappen!”
McLaren supports Piastri as the downturn worsens.
"We’ve incorporated new tools into his arsenal."
Andrea Stella asserts that Oscar Piastri’s recent decline in performance is not due to any car issues, despite speculation regarding the potential faults in the Australian’s chassis. "All evidence and data suggest there are no problems with the car," the McLaren team principal told journalists after Piastri finished only P5 in Mexico, amid his recent performance downturn. "We have no reason to think otherwise," Stella stated. "In the history of F1, there are discussions about swapping chassis, but I would prefer to replace other parts - the floor, the front wing. Components naturally rotate, and we are confident that nothing is amiss."
Stella noted that the main challenge lies in Piastri's adaptation to the unique conditions of the circuit.
"We’ve incorporated new tools into his arsenal."
Andrea Stella asserts that Oscar Piastri’s recent decline in performance is not due to any car issues, despite speculation regarding the potential faults in the Australian’s chassis. "All evidence and data suggest there are no problems with the car," the McLaren team principal told journalists after Piastri finished only P5 in Mexico, amid his recent performance downturn. "We have no reason to think otherwise," Stella stated. "In the history of F1, there are discussions about swapping chassis, but I would prefer to replace other parts - the floor, the front wing. Components naturally rotate, and we are confident that nothing is amiss."
Stella noted that the main challenge lies in Piastri's adaptation to the unique conditions of the circuit.
Verstappen reduces gap as competitors express frustration with FIA.
"It indicates that we aren't fast in every situation."
Max Verstappen's podium finish in Mexico keeps his championship aspirations alive—although Lando Norris has taken the lead in the standings, Verstappen has actually decreased his deficit to 36 points overall. "After everything that happened in the first few laps, fighting for P2 is still a solid result," the four-time world champion remarked. "I lost 10 points to Lando, but this weekend didn't go perfectly. That's the reality—you need flawless weekends to win." He acknowledged that Red Bull still struggles with consistency, despite its recent performance improvements. "It highlights that we're not quick in every scenario, and that's something we need to comprehend better," Verstappen stated.
"It indicates that we aren't fast in every situation."
Max Verstappen's podium finish in Mexico keeps his championship aspirations alive—although Lando Norris has taken the lead in the standings, Verstappen has actually decreased his deficit to 36 points overall. "After everything that happened in the first few laps, fighting for P2 is still a solid result," the four-time world champion remarked. "I lost 10 points to Lando, but this weekend didn't go perfectly. That's the reality—you need flawless weekends to win." He acknowledged that Red Bull still struggles with consistency, despite its recent performance improvements. "It highlights that we're not quick in every scenario, and that's something we need to comprehend better," Verstappen stated.
Tsunoda remains in the running as the decision is postponed.
Yuki Tsunoda's future in Formula 1 remains unclear, but the Japanese driver has received an important reprieve. After weeks of speculation, Dr. Helmut Marko has confirmed that Red Bull's final decision regarding drivers for 2026 has been postponed until the end of the season, possibly until Abu Dhabi.
"We discussed this internally and concluded that our focus must be entirely on the championship battle," Marko told Servus TV. "It’s surprising how thrilling the situation has become. We've delayed the driver selection until after Doha (Qatar) or Abu Dhabi."
Similarly, he mentioned to Sky Deutschland: "The decision regarding the Racing Bulls' drivers will also be postponed as we concentrate solely on the World Championship. We cannot afford any minor errors in the setup again.
Yuki Tsunoda's future in Formula 1 remains unclear, but the Japanese driver has received an important reprieve. After weeks of speculation, Dr. Helmut Marko has confirmed that Red Bull's final decision regarding drivers for 2026 has been postponed until the end of the season, possibly until Abu Dhabi.
"We discussed this internally and concluded that our focus must be entirely on the championship battle," Marko told Servus TV. "It’s surprising how thrilling the situation has become. We've delayed the driver selection until after Doha (Qatar) or Abu Dhabi."
Similarly, he mentioned to Sky Deutschland: "The decision regarding the Racing Bulls' drivers will also be postponed as we concentrate solely on the World Championship. We cannot afford any minor errors in the setup again.
Russell discloses details of the 'automatic' Mercedes agreement.
George Russell has finally revealed the details of his newly-signed Mercedes contract and even suggested the circumstances that could eventually make him Max Verstappen’s teammate. The 27-year-old British driver recently renewed his contract with Mercedes, but there was ongoing uncertainty about its duration and terms, with rumors ranging from a single-year option to a more extended agreement with performance stipulations.
Russell has now clarified that the contract is initially for one year, with an option for automatic renewal in 2027, contingent on his performance. "This is something I haven’t actually disclosed publicly," Russell told The Telegraph. "But the deal stipulates that if I perform next year and hit a specific target, we’ll automatically renew for 2027. So, my seat for 2027 depends on my performance.
George Russell has finally revealed the details of his newly-signed Mercedes contract and even suggested the circumstances that could eventually make him Max Verstappen’s teammate. The 27-year-old British driver recently renewed his contract with Mercedes, but there was ongoing uncertainty about its duration and terms, with rumors ranging from a single-year option to a more extended agreement with performance stipulations.
Russell has now clarified that the contract is initially for one year, with an option for automatic renewal in 2027, contingent on his performance. "This is something I haven’t actually disclosed publicly," Russell told The Telegraph. "But the deal stipulates that if I perform next year and hit a specific target, we’ll automatically renew for 2027. So, my seat for 2027 depends on my performance.