F1 GP Mexico report cards, Verstappen 10, the father from scratch. Ferrari from 4- Corriere.it

Now en route to another F1 legend to overtake – we are talking about Ayrton Senna, 7 wins from his 34 -, Max Verstappen continues to grind successes and records. The racetrack dedicated to the Rodriguez brothers, in the sports center of Magdalena Mixhuca, formerly the Olympic park in the 1968 Games, makes him the pilot with the highest number of first places in a season: there are 14 – one more than Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel – and it’s not over because Brazil and Abu Dhabi remain to update the record. A dominator over a yoked, pale and impotent competition.

Max Verstappen: 10 to the nth degree

We have exhausted the variants of the marks of excellence, now we can only say that Verstappen’s superiority tends to infinity. Let’s call it the Terminator, because Max of the ferocious cyborg played by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the James Cameron film reproduces ruthlessness. Except that it struck in the past, after time travel, while the Flying Dutchman acts in the present. And it’s everyone’s trouble. To avoid misunderstandings and to think that it is easy to make a big voice with an overflowing machine, it is worth remembering that Max-Terminator in Mexico City added the extraordinary ability to manage tire degradation medium to make two stops and cheat the Mercedes that had imagined his third pit stop. Finally, the start was a clinic of how to start from pole on a track that already at the first corner offers a big chance to the pursuers: Verstappen allowed, without getting upset, for Russell to carry his attack and sent him to bed with a perfect break. From then on, just a monologue.

Bernie Ecclestone: 10

It is said that behind the mild punishment inflicted on Red Bull for redundancies with respect to the budget cap there is the old owner of the Circus, very much in tune with Chris Horner, team principal of the drinkers. And there are those who are amazed and scandalized, forgetting that Ecclestone, at the limit covering the role of the stone guest, will always be present in his F1 until mother nature does not take the course of him. And then, sorry, not always nicknamed the Godfather?

Lewis Hamilton: 7.5

Beaten by 15 seconds – an enormous amount he usually inflicted -, he finally admits that the choice of shoes (aka tires) was not the best for such a demanding walk. He is a little angry with the team, a little with himself, but the truth is that even with different solutions it would have been a good puzzle to defeat the Dutchman. Lewis had the merit of trying, insisting and staying as close as possible to the man on the run: but Max was only able to tickle it and it is increasingly likely that the king of the past seasons will close 2022 without first places. .

Sergio Perez: 7

Everything was set for the triumph in front of the oceanic home crowd, but even though he drives an RB18 himself, Perez lacks the stuff that his teammate has. Also in this GP the confrontation was clear, but at least Sergio snatched a podium with his will that allowed him to reciprocate the people’s passion for him.

Daniel Ricciardo: 7

The revived. The already jubilated and up to now resigned rider who pulls a leg of pride by hitting a seventh place of value because it was also born from a well-chosen strategic choice: first the averages (used for 44 laps!), Then the perfect and not easy management of the soft to get to the finish line, even managing to cancel the 10-second penalty for pushing poor Tsunoda off the track, the only bullshit committed by the found kangaroo. McLaren also scored points with Norris (vote 6)thanks him because he reduces the gap from the Alpine to -7 in the fight for fourth place among the constructors.

Zhou Guanyu: 7

The Chinese of Alfa Romeo does not finish in the top 10, but makes a long court for him and proves to be the protagonist in the battles that take place from the center of the standings to the rear, the only hot area of ​​a GP that has instead given few emotions at the top and that it was one of the most boring of the year. Zhou Guanyu also allows himself the luxury of giving Sebastian Vettel an overtaking-tram that the four-time world champion will not remember with pleasure.

Valtteri Bottas: 6/7

After 10 races he returns to review the points area. He hits only 1, with the tenth place, but a little light after so much darkness. The Bottas at the beginning of the season, which seemed to have grown up, a distant memory, for Mexico proposed at least one driver who tries, even if – for one thing – he was unable to pass Alonso when he seemed to be faster than him. Valtteri’s fury always remains… with chamomile tea.

George Russell: 6

For the sixth time in the season he closes in fourth place – the same position he has in the World Championship -, but having started from the front row a barely sufficient budget. Verstappen’s blow on the sprint must have traumatized him, then he limited himself to a homework improved only by the lap record in the final (useful for Mercedes in the fight with Ferrari for second place among the constructors).

Mercedes: 5

easy to say with hindsight, okay: but the impression that the men of the Star should have groped, at least with Russell, a different strategy on the tire front to understand if Verstappen was attackable in other ways. Did the former rulers also lose their imagination?

Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc: 5

Where do you go if you don’t have a Ferrari? The two Carlo del Cavallino must have wondered once they got off their respective cars, lost in the no man’s land of a truly disturbing GP for the Maranello team. Leclerc, beaten for 1 minute by Verstappen, then had the look of someone who had just seen the black man: I remembered the memory of Spa, he said with a dazed air. The Belgian monster that devoured the Red.

Ferrari: 4

The descent to the peak continues, the desire to restart, announced and promised months ago, remained a pious dream drowned in difficulties that embrace too many sectors. Ferrari seems adrift and has also lost the touch in qualifying that had distinguished it in the season. Bad business: the Mercedes at 40 points behind and is preparing to put the overtaking arrows to be the vice-Red Bull.

Alpine: 4

By dint of trying, he will be able to lose fourth place in the World Championship. Alonso (angry as a panther because he was driving from 8) was betrayed by yet another mechanical flop. And Ocon got trapped between the two McLarens: throw it badly.

Jos Verstappen: 0

Max’s father, whose handing skills and the risk of being roasted in 1994 at Hockenheim when his Benetton burns down during the pit stop are remembered above all, he imposed a black silence on his son because he is irritated by the criticisms leveled at the FIA’s too mild verdict. The beauty, indeed the serious, that Red Bull has adapted, accepting to take orders from him. The NBA scheme should be introduced: anyone who refuses to speak gets a hefty fine.