Lewis Hamilton has done it! He scored his 5th Formula 1 drivers title by finishing 4th in a great Mexican Grand Prix.
The start of the race was close between Hamilton and Max Verstappen, both overtook the slow starting Australian driver Ricciardo in the Red Bull who started from pole.
Verstappen was very determined to win this race. He had been fastest whole weekend and was still mad about loosing his first pole position by 0,025 sec. to his team mate Ricciardo.
He drove a very strong race again and it almost looked like Red Bull was going to score a 1-2 finish.Then disaster struck again for Riccardo on lap 62 when his power unit broke down and the Australian driver retired for the 8th time this 2018 season.
Lewis Hamilton had a tough race, just like last year when he also won the drivers' championship F1 title. He now equals Juan Manuel Fangio drivers titles with five championships and belongs to the very short list of 3 drivers that won more than 4 drivers titles. Michael Schumacher is on top with 7 titles.
Below you can see a comparison graph of these 3 top F1 drivers who scored 17 drivers' champions all together.
You can see that Fangio needed much less podiums and poles to get to his 5 titles than Hamilton and Schumacher. A big difference between Hamilton (and Fangio) to Schumacher performance is that the German driver scored much more victories without starting from pole, while a lot more victories of Hamilton are scored from pole (63% VS 44%).
In the time of Fangio (1950's) it was allowed for drivers to take over the car of their team mate to finish the race. That's why it looks like cars were more reliable back than.
We summed up all the driver post-race Mexican GP comments for you of all 20 Formula 1 drivers that participated in the race.
Red Bull Racing Mexican 2018 comments
Max Verstappen
“Yesterday I was very frustrated and disappointed but today I am really happy, and Sunday is the best day to be happy.
I didn’t sleep much last night and found today’s race build up a long one, but after the lights went out my feelings soon changed. Once ahead I could just settle in and concentrate on my own race, especially as Lewis looked to be struggling with grip.
I made sure I matched his lap times to maintain the lead. We got the strategy spot on again, having another set of Supersofts meant I was able to manage the wear knowing I had a fresh set to go onto towards the end of the race. So when Seb pitted we did the same and were able to keep the gap.
When I saw Daniel pull over I asked the Team if they should turn my engine down as I already had such an advantage, I wanted to be sure we made it to the chequered flag. It was such a shame as we were definitely on for at least a double podium, if not a one, two.
The podium, like last year is amazing. To have the DJ and the crowd coming down from the stands is really cool, two years in a row makes it even better. Mexico always has so many passionate fans which makes me love coming back here every year.
Also congratulations to Lewis on his fifth title, he has been the most consistently strong driver all year and deserves the championship, I’m sure it feels very special. Hopefully I can challenge him for it soon.”
Daniel Ricciardo
“I saw pass fail on my dash which I guess was some sort of hydraulic failure and I was forced to retire immediately. This sucks and it is at a point where I feel why should I even come on a Sunday. There hasn’t been a clean weekend for so long due to many different reasons and it’s breaking my heart.
Deflated comes to mind but this feels deeper than that. I put it on pole but lost out at the start. It just doesn’t seem to happen for me on a Sunday, even if I have a good Saturday. I don’t want to end it like this and I know nobody is doing it deliberately but I just can’t seem to catch a break and a double podium for the Team today was exactly what we all wanted.
I’m a very positive guy and I will probably still wake up tomorrow with some sort of positivity.”
Ferrari Mexican 2018 comments
Sebastian Vettel
"I’m glad that Kimi and I were on the podium today and also because the atmosphere here is always great, but obviously I am disappointed for the result of the drivers’ championship.
At the beginning of the race I was looking after my tyres a little bit. Then, after passing Lewis, we thought about putting some pressure on Max, also trying something different in case they would start to struggle with their tyres towards the end, but he was too quick to catch.
I want to congratulate him for this race and Lewis on winning the championship. This is not a very happy day for me, but one thing is being down and another is not being able to get back up, and I know that in two weeks I will be back up and try my best to finish the season well and fight for the Constructors’ championship."
Kimi Raikkonen
“Today I was pretty happy with the car. Obviously the result is not ideal but from where we started we did our maximum. We got two cars on the podium and some more points for the team.
The first set of tyres was a bit tricky, for sure the second one was better, but that’s what we expected to be. In the first stint we tried to pass the Mercedes, but we did not manage and the tyres suffered from this attempt.
Then we changed from two stops to a one-stop strategy, knowing it would be a long race; the tyres were actually really good in this phase.
In the end we ran out a little bit with the left front, but it still worked pretty good. Hopefully we can close up in the Constructor Championship in the last two races. Congratulations to Lewis; he has done the best job of any of us this year and he deserved to win.”
Mercedes Mexican 2018 comments
Lewis Hamilton
"Winning the first world title in Brazil, and the last corner, I mean, that was something so special in its own way," he said.
They've all required different bits of input. They've all required different manoeuvrability, different agility, different approaches, so they've all been unique, and I've been faced with different things.
I would say this year, for me, from memory, this feels the proudest. This is definitely the proudest moment, because there's been a year when we've not had the fastest car at the majority of the races.
And yet we've come away with more wins that I could have hoped for, more pole positions, and... ah jeez, I love driving and I've really enjoyed driving this year even more.
I think each year, being that I'm getting older and I'm getting to really enjoy my work more, the things I do. I worry about things less. I'm able to let things go quicker and move forwards and grow faster. I think that just comes with being old."
Valtteri Bottas
"I was trying to make the most out of the race," he said afterwards. "The good thing is that Lewis won the title. He really deserves this title. It was another strong season for him, especially the second half.
"Obviously, he has done great things in Formula One so far, and he still has much more time ahead of him. He's had a great year overall and not many setbacks.
"When I lost my opportunity for the title this year, I tried to help him a little to win the World Championship, but now I'm already looking forward to the fight again next year."
However, the 2018 season is not over yet, as Valtteri knows only too well: "Now we need to make sure to keep pushing and clinch the Constructors' Championship as well!"
Renault Mexican 2018 comments
Nico Hulkenberg
“We’ve had two very good weekends in a row with a lot of points.
From my side, it was a very calm and solid race, albeit a little lonely to get ourselves through on a one-stop strategy. We had to manage the car and the tyres through the race and the whole team did a good job all weekend.
It was a shame to lose Carlos, otherwise we could have had sixth and seventh again and another strong haul of points for the team. Nevertheless, we’ve extended our lead in both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship, so that’s very positive.”
Carlos Sainz Jr
“Today was a big shame. We were leading the midfield comfortably and in contention for some good points and then, without warning, the car shut down. It’s really frustrating after making such a good start on lap one, but that’s racing.
We’ve not had too many reliability issues this season, but when I have, it’s been when I’ve been leading the midfield, so that’s a bit of bad luck and coincidental for it to happen again today. We’ll investigate the issue and move on.
We’ll keep fighting, aim to score points at the last two rounds and look to secure fourth in the Constructors’ Championship. We deserved more, but at least Nico stayed in the points, so it’s not a bad result for the team.
Congratulations to Lewis Hamilton for his fifth title.”
Sauber Mexican 2018 comments
Charles Leclerc
“It is a great result for the team today – getting both cars into the points is a great effort which has allowed us to advance by a position in the Constructors’ Championship.
I am very proud of my race and think that it was one of my best performances in Formula One.
I had to fight hard to manage my tyres, I had to recover many positions after the pit stop and I didn’t make any mistakes, so I am satisfied with my result.”
Marcus Ericsson
“It was a good race and I am happy with my result, a P7, which is my second-best result so far in Formula One. It was challenging to manage the tyres and the race was quite demanding in that respect.
It was a good team effort and we scored enough points together to advance in the Constructors’ Championship. Overall, a positive result, and I hope that we will be able to have a similar next race in Brazil.”
McLaren Mexican 2018 comments
Stoffel Vandoorne
“I’m very satisfied with today. We put a lot of hard work and preparation into this weekend in terms of what strategy to choose, and we knew it was possible to score points here. I’m super happy to finish P8 and score some points. It’s important for us for the constructors’ championship and now we can go on to enjoy the last couple of races.
“In practice we didn’t look super competitive and qualifying wasn’t the best result, but we were closer than usual, and we always know that when we get to the race there’s an improvement. I’m glad we saw that today. It was a great race. After lap one we were last and had a lot of work to do, so it was a strong recovery. I made some good overtakes on track which were very crucial and in the end making the tyres last to finish eighth is also a great result for myself.
“It wasn’t easy at the beginning, but I was always there or thereabouts attacking at the right time when I had to, and managing the tyres at the same time. The crucial point was when we had to decide whether to go for one or two stops. The tyres were looking very tricky, but we managed to recover them little bit and that was the turning point.”
Fernando Alonso
“I didn’t feel anything wrong with the car, but apparently some debris from [Esteban] Ocon’s car that was flying around hit our car in the wrong place and probably caused my DNF, which is one in a million case.
“I’m sad now, because I wanted to stay in the race, but in a couple of hours’ time I’ll only have good memories of this Sunday, because it has been quite emotional with a lot of support from such great Mexican fans.
“I’ve been unlucky today, and it’s okay as long as it’s not your mistake, in which case you take more time to get over it. These things happen, so let’s see if in the two last races we can have a bit more luck and see the chequered flag.”
Toro Rosso Mexican 2018 comments
Pierre Gasly (started P20 & finished P10)
Pierre Gasly
"First of all, congratulations to Lewis for winning the Championship – another great achievement for him, and well done to Max!
As for my race, it feels great to finish in the points. With the penalty, we started last on the grid in P20 so it was difficult to reach the top 10, but we managed to do it in the end; I'm really happy to get one point. It's good for everybody in the team, especially after a couple of tough races.
I felt good with the car, I had some great battles and the strategy was the right one so I think we did everything we could. It wasn't an easy race; tyre management was a key factor today so you needed to be smart and push at the right time, staying focused and disciplined with your driving for the whole race to make these tyres last. We should be able start in our normal qualifying position in Brazil and Abu Dhabi, so we can fight hard and try to get our position back from Sauber."
Brendon Hartley
"I had a good start. It was a little bit of a mess going into Turn 4, a car pulled in front just before braking, I locked the brakes and flat spotted the Supersofts. Unfortunately, we had to pit on lap one and after that I effectively did a one stop race from there.
I think it was a solid race with really strong tyre management. I defended heavily against Ocon, so it's a shame I got a 5-second penalty when we made some contact. Without the damage and penalty from the contact I would have been P10, and without the flat spot on lap one we had the pace to be even further up.
The pace this weekend is very encouraging but the final outcome a little disappointing."
Racing Point Force India Mexican 2018 comments
Esteban Ocon (started P11 - finished P11)
Esteban Ocon
“This has been probably the worst race of my whole Formula One career so far. Nothing went our way and it’s just been a terrible afternoon.
I made a very good start, managed to pass the two Saubers on the run down to turn one, but that’s pretty much the only positive to take from today. I went alongside Carlos [Sainz] in turn three but I saw he was going to turn in. I braked to avoid a collision, but we still made contact and it broke my front wing.
I had to pit at the end of the first lap and my race was effectively over. It’s a shame because we had a good strategy and a fast car, but today was not our day. Let’s just forget about this race and come back stronger in Brazil.”
*Esteban was excluded from the results post-race for a technical infringement.
Sergio Pérez
“It’s a big shame to retire from my home Grand Prix – especially when things were looking really good in the race. I think we had at least seventh place in our pocket and the great strategy that we started planning yesterday [in qualifying] was really paying off. Sometimes in racing you have these big disappointments when there is an issue with the car.
Today it was the brakes that forced me to retire because suddenly the pedal went long and we had to park the car. Until then it had been a really exciting race for me – I had a great first lap, getting ahead of Fernando [Alonso], and then some good battles with the Saubers later in the race.
I was controlling my race, looking after the tyres, and I thought we would pick up some good points. I feel sorry for the team and for the fans who have been incredible this week. They always make me feel very proud and today they gave me amazing support.”
Williams Mexican 2018 comments
Sergey Sirotkin
"A very good team effort today. The way we managed the final stint doing 58 laps on the prime tyres was absolutely mega.
With 10 laps to go I still had better tyres than the cars around me. I had a really good rhythm and a lot more pace than the cars ahead.
I was side by side with Kevin (Magnussen) but when the Virtual Safety Car came it completely ruined my rhythm, which in turn, cooled down the tyres and reset things. During the restart I was struggling to warm up my prime tyres and it took me three laps to get them back into the window.
I put a tough move on Kevin and had four laps to catch the cars ahead. In the final few laps I was able to catch the cars ahead of me, but the race was over. We did a really good job of managing the stint, but I’m disappointed I couldn’t be more aggressive in the fightback towards the end of the race. Overall, mixed feelings."
Lance Stroll (started P15 - finished P16)
Lance Stroll
"It was too bad we couldn't score points today.
Maybe with a one-stop - I know Sergey managed a one stop - we would have been able to. But we were in a bit of a different position fighting on track in the first stint.
The ultrasoft in the first stint went off very quickly, so we had to go to a two-stop strategy. Then we went really long on the Supersoft, and we were just managing that."
Haas Mexican 2018 comments
Kevin Magnussen
“I would say it was a steady race. The car was very good. We had good pace and I was able to put pressure on the Force Indias.
I passed Perez just after the pit stop and I was faster than Ocon, but I had to save so much fuel that I couldn’t afford to attack him.
It’s a shame that we have fuel saving in Formula One and not being able to attack. At the end of the day, what the fans want to see is great racing. We can’t do it because we have to save fuel. It’s disappointing.”
Romain Grosjean
“I had a decent start. There was a lot of action going on. I was fighting with Charles (Leclerc) and Esteban (Ocon).
I got to turn 12 and I braked early because I was behind them. I didn’t want to take much risk, but I ended up in the dirty air and I couldn’t stop the car. I tried to avoid the contact as much as I could, but Charles was trying to get a good exit and I hit him.
I feel sorry for Charles and I’m frustrated for the team. This being our home race, we wanted to do well. It’s not been a great afternoon.”
See complete 2018 Mexican F1 GP Results
See current 2018 F1 Championship Standings
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Lewis Hamilton has done it! He scored his 5th Formula 1 drivers title by finishing 4th in a great Mexican Grand Prix.
The start of the race was close between Hamilton and Max Verstappen, both overtook the slow starting Australian driver Ricciardo in the Red Bull who started from pole.
Verstappen was very determined to win this race. He had been fastest whole weekend and was still mad about loosing his first pole position by 0,025 sec. to his team mate Ricciardo.
He drove a very strong race again and it almost looked like Red Bull was going to score a 1-2 finish.Then disaster struck again for Riccardo on lap 62 when his power unit broke down and the Australian driver retired for the 8th time this 2018 season.
Lewis Hamilton had a tough race, just like last year when he also won the drivers' championship F1 title. He now equals Juan Manuel Fangio drivers titles with five championships and belongs to the very short list of 3 drivers that won more than 4 drivers titles. Michael Schumacher is on top with 7 titles.
Below you can see a comparison graph of these 3 top F1 drivers who scored 17 drivers' champions all together.
You can see that Fangio needed much less podiums and poles to get to his 5 titles than Hamilton and Schumacher. A big difference between Hamilton (and Fangio) to Schumacher performance is that the German driver scored much more victories without starting from pole, while a lot more victories of Hamilton are scored from pole (63% VS 44%).
In the time of Fangio (1950's) it was allowed for drivers to take over the car of their team mate to finish the race. That's why it looks like cars were more reliable back than.
We summed up all the driver post-race Mexican GP comments for you of all 20 Formula 1 drivers that participated in the race.
Red Bull Racing Mexican 2018 comments
Max Verstappen (started P2 - finished P1)
Max Verstappen
“Yesterday I was very frustrated and disappointed but today I am really happy, and Sunday is the best day to be happy.
I didn’t sleep much last night and found today’s race build up a long one, but after the lights went out my feelings soon changed. Once ahead I could just settle in and concentrate on my own race, especially as Lewis looked to be struggling with grip.
I made sure I matched his lap times to maintain the lead. We got the strategy spot on again, having another set of Supersofts meant I was able to manage the wear knowing I had a fresh set to go onto towards the end of the race. So when Seb pitted we did the same and were able to keep the gap.
When I saw Daniel pull over I asked the Team if they should turn my engine down as I already had such an advantage, I wanted to be sure we made it to the chequered flag. It was such a shame as we were definitely on for at least a double podium, if not a one, two.
The podium, like last year is amazing. To have the DJ and the crowd coming down from the stands is really cool, two years in a row makes it even better. Mexico always has so many passionate fans which makes me love coming back here every year.
Also congratulations to Lewis on his fifth title, he has been the most consistently strong driver all year and deserves the championship, I’m sure it feels very special. Hopefully I can challenge him for it soon.”
Daniel Ricciardo (started P1 - DNF)
Daniel Ricciardo
“I saw pass fail on my dash which I guess was some sort of hydraulic failure and I was forced to retire immediately. This sucks and it is at a point where I feel why should I even come on a Sunday. There hasn’t been a clean weekend for so long due to many different reasons and it’s breaking my heart.
Deflated comes to mind but this feels deeper than that. I put it on pole but lost out at the start. It just doesn’t seem to happen for me on a Sunday, even if I have a good Saturday. I don’t want to end it like this and I know nobody is doing it deliberately but I just can’t seem to catch a break and a double podium for the Team today was exactly what we all wanted.
I’m a very positive guy and I will probably still wake up tomorrow with some sort of positivity.”
Sebastian Vettel (started P4 - finished P2)
Sebastian Vettel
"I’m glad that Kimi and I were on the podium today and also because the atmosphere here is always great, but obviously I am disappointed for the result of the drivers’ championship.
At the beginning of the race I was looking after my tyres a little bit. Then, after passing Lewis, we thought about putting some pressure on Max, also trying something different in case they would start to struggle with their tyres towards the end, but he was too quick to catch.
I want to congratulate him for this race and Lewis on winning the championship. This is not a very happy day for me, but one thing is being down and another is not being able to get back up, and I know that in two weeks I will be back up and try my best to finish the season well and fight for the Constructors’ championship."
Kimi Raikkonen (started P6 - finished P3)
Kimi Raikkonen
“Today I was pretty happy with the car. Obviously the result is not ideal but from where we started we did our maximum. We got two cars on the podium and some more points for the team.
The first set of tyres was a bit tricky, for sure the second one was better, but that’s what we expected to be. In the first stint we tried to pass the Mercedes, but we did not manage and the tyres suffered from this attempt.
Then we changed from two stops to a one-stop strategy, knowing it would be a long race; the tyres were actually really good in this phase.
In the end we ran out a little bit with the left front, but it still worked pretty good. Hopefully we can close up in the Constructor Championship in the last two races. Congratulations to Lewis; he has done the best job of any of us this year and he deserved to win.”
Mercedes Mexican 2018 comments
Lewis Hamilton (started P3 - finished P4)
Lewis Hamilton
"Winning the first world title in Brazil, and the last corner, I mean, that was something so special in its own way," he said.
They've all required different bits of input. They've all required different manoeuvrability, different agility, different approaches, so they've all been unique, and I've been faced with different things.
I would say this year, for me, from memory, this feels the proudest. This is definitely the proudest moment, because there's been a year when we've not had the fastest car at the majority of the races.
And yet we've come away with more wins that I could have hoped for, more pole positions, and... ah jeez, I love driving and I've really enjoyed driving this year even more.
I think each year, being that I'm getting older and I'm getting to really enjoy my work more, the things I do. I worry about things less. I'm able to let things go quicker and move forwards and grow faster. I think that just comes with being old."
Valtteri Bottas (started P5 - finished P5)
Valtteri Bottas
"I was trying to make the most out of the race," he said afterwards. "The good thing is that Lewis won the title. He really deserves this title. It was another strong season for him, especially the second half.
"Obviously, he has done great things in Formula One so far, and he still has much more time ahead of him. He's had a great year overall and not many setbacks.
"When I lost my opportunity for the title this year, I tried to help him a little to win the World Championship, but now I'm already looking forward to the fight again next year."
However, the 2018 season is not over yet, as Valtteri knows only too well: "Now we need to make sure to keep pushing and clinch the Constructors' Championship as well!"
Renault Mexican 2018 comments
Nico Hulkenberg (started P7 - Finished P6)
Nico Hulkenberg
“We’ve had two very good weekends in a row with a lot of points.
From my side, it was a very calm and solid race, albeit a little lonely to get ourselves through on a one-stop strategy. We had to manage the car and the tyres through the race and the whole team did a good job all weekend.
It was a shame to lose Carlos, otherwise we could have had sixth and seventh again and another strong haul of points for the team. Nevertheless, we’ve extended our lead in both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship, so that’s very positive.”
Carlos Sainz (started P8 - DNF)
Carlos Sainz Jr
“Today was a big shame. We were leading the midfield comfortably and in contention for some good points and then, without warning, the car shut down. It’s really frustrating after making such a good start on lap one, but that’s racing.
We’ve not had too many reliability issues this season, but when I have, it’s been when I’ve been leading the midfield, so that’s a bit of bad luck and coincidental for it to happen again today. We’ll investigate the issue and move on.
We’ll keep fighting, aim to score points at the last two rounds and look to secure fourth in the Constructors’ Championship. We deserved more, but at least Nico stayed in the points, so it’s not a bad result for the team.
Congratulations to Lewis Hamilton for his fifth title.”
Charles Leclerc (started P9 - finished P7)
Charles Leclerc
“It is a great result for the team today – getting both cars into the points is a great effort which has allowed us to advance by a position in the Constructors’ Championship.
I am very proud of my race and think that it was one of my best performances in Formula One.
I had to fight hard to manage my tyres, I had to recover many positions after the pit stop and I didn’t make any mistakes, so I am satisfied with my result.”
Marcus Ericsson (started P10 - finished P9)
Marcus Ericsson
“It was a good race and I am happy with my result, a P7, which is my second-best result so far in Formula One. It was challenging to manage the tyres and the race was quite demanding in that respect.
It was a good team effort and we scored enough points together to advance in the Constructors’ Championship. Overall, a positive result, and I hope that we will be able to have a similar next race in Brazil.”
Stoffel Vandoorne (started P15 - finished P8)
Stoffel Vandoorne
“I’m very satisfied with today. We put a lot of hard work and preparation into this weekend in terms of what strategy to choose, and we knew it was possible to score points here. I’m super happy to finish P8 and score some points. It’s important for us for the constructors’ championship and now we can go on to enjoy the last couple of races.
“In practice we didn’t look super competitive and qualifying wasn’t the best result, but we were closer than usual, and we always know that when we get to the race there’s an improvement. I’m glad we saw that today. It was a great race. After lap one we were last and had a lot of work to do, so it was a strong recovery. I made some good overtakes on track which were very crucial and in the end making the tyres last to finish eighth is also a great result for myself.
“It wasn’t easy at the beginning, but I was always there or thereabouts attacking at the right time when I had to, and managing the tyres at the same time. The crucial point was when we had to decide whether to go for one or two stops. The tyres were looking very tricky, but we managed to recover them little bit and that was the turning point.”
Fernando Alonso (started P12 - DNF)
Fernando Alonso
“I didn’t feel anything wrong with the car, but apparently some debris from [Esteban] Ocon’s car that was flying around hit our car in the wrong place and probably caused my DNF, which is one in a million case.
“I’m sad now, because I wanted to stay in the race, but in a couple of hours’ time I’ll only have good memories of this Sunday, because it has been quite emotional with a lot of support from such great Mexican fans.
“I’ve been unlucky today, and it’s okay as long as it’s not your mistake, in which case you take more time to get over it. These things happen, so let’s see if in the two last races we can have a bit more luck and see the chequered flag.”
Pierre Gasly (started P20 & finished P10)
Pierre Gasly
"First of all, congratulations to Lewis for winning the Championship – another great achievement for him, and well done to Max!
As for my race, it feels great to finish in the points. With the penalty, we started last on the grid in P20 so it was difficult to reach the top 10, but we managed to do it in the end; I'm really happy to get one point. It's good for everybody in the team, especially after a couple of tough races.
I felt good with the car, I had some great battles and the strategy was the right one so I think we did everything we could. It wasn't an easy race; tyre management was a key factor today so you needed to be smart and push at the right time, staying focused and disciplined with your driving for the whole race to make these tyres last. We should be able start in our normal qualifying position in Brazil and Abu Dhabi, so we can fight hard and try to get our position back from Sauber."
Brandon Hartley (started P14 - finished P14)
Brendon Hartley
"I had a good start. It was a little bit of a mess going into Turn 4, a car pulled in front just before braking, I locked the brakes and flat spotted the Supersofts. Unfortunately, we had to pit on lap one and after that I effectively did a one stop race from there.
I think it was a solid race with really strong tyre management. I defended heavily against Ocon, so it's a shame I got a 5-second penalty when we made some contact. Without the damage and penalty from the contact I would have been P10, and without the flat spot on lap one we had the pace to be even further up.
The pace this weekend is very encouraging but the final outcome a little disappointing."
Racing Point Force India Mexican 2018 comments
Esteban Ocon (started P11 - finished P11)
Esteban Ocon
“This has been probably the worst race of my whole Formula One career so far. Nothing went our way and it’s just been a terrible afternoon.
I made a very good start, managed to pass the two Saubers on the run down to turn one, but that’s pretty much the only positive to take from today. I went alongside Carlos [Sainz] in turn three but I saw he was going to turn in. I braked to avoid a collision, but we still made contact and it broke my front wing.
I had to pit at the end of the first lap and my race was effectively over. It’s a shame because we had a good strategy and a fast car, but today was not our day. Let’s just forget about this race and come back stronger in Brazil.”
*Esteban was excluded from the results post-race for a technical infringement.
Sergio Pérez (started P13 - DNF)
Sergio Pérez
“It’s a big shame to retire from my home Grand Prix – especially when things were looking really good in the race. I think we had at least seventh place in our pocket and the great strategy that we started planning yesterday [in qualifying] was really paying off. Sometimes in racing you have these big disappointments when there is an issue with the car.
Today it was the brakes that forced me to retire because suddenly the pedal went long and we had to park the car. Until then it had been a really exciting race for me – I had a great first lap, getting ahead of Fernando [Alonso], and then some good battles with the Saubers later in the race.
I was controlling my race, looking after the tyres, and I thought we would pick up some good points. I feel sorry for the team and for the fans who have been incredible this week. They always make me feel very proud and today they gave me amazing support.”
Sergey Sirotkin (started P14 - finished P15)
Sergey Sirotkin
"A very good team effort today. The way we managed the final stint doing 58 laps on the prime tyres was absolutely mega.
With 10 laps to go I still had better tyres than the cars around me. I had a really good rhythm and a lot more pace than the cars ahead.
I was side by side with Kevin (Magnussen) but when the Virtual Safety Car came it completely ruined my rhythm, which in turn, cooled down the tyres and reset things. During the restart I was struggling to warm up my prime tyres and it took me three laps to get them back into the window.
I put a tough move on Kevin and had four laps to catch the cars ahead. In the final few laps I was able to catch the cars ahead of me, but the race was over. We did a really good job of managing the stint, but I’m disappointed I couldn’t be more aggressive in the fightback towards the end of the race. Overall, mixed feelings."
Lance Stroll (started P15 - finished P16)
Lance Stroll
"It was too bad we couldn't score points today.
Maybe with a one-stop - I know Sergey managed a one stop - we would have been able to. But we were in a bit of a different position fighting on track in the first stint.
The ultrasoft in the first stint went off very quickly, so we had to go to a two-stop strategy. Then we went really long on the Supersoft, and we were just managing that."
Kevin Magnussen (started P12 - finished P9)
Kevin Magnussen
“I would say it was a steady race. The car was very good. We had good pace and I was able to put pressure on the Force Indias.
I passed Perez just after the pit stop and I was faster than Ocon, but I had to save so much fuel that I couldn’t afford to attack him.
It’s a shame that we have fuel saving in Formula One and not being able to attack. At the end of the day, what the fans want to see is great racing. We can’t do it because we have to save fuel. It’s disappointing.”
Romain Grosjean (started P8 - DNF)
Romain Grosjean
“I had a decent start. There was a lot of action going on. I was fighting with Charles (Leclerc) and Esteban (Ocon).
I got to turn 12 and I braked early because I was behind them. I didn’t want to take much risk, but I ended up in the dirty air and I couldn’t stop the car. I tried to avoid the contact as much as I could, but Charles was trying to get a good exit and I hit him.
I feel sorry for Charles and I’m frustrated for the team. This being our home race, we wanted to do well. It’s not been a great afternoon.”
See complete 2018 Mexican F1 GP Results
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