Max Verstappen has won the Mexican Grand Prix, posting a record-breaking 16th race victory in a single season in the process.
With the 2023 world title long sewn up, the Red Bull driver is focused on setting new records, ones which may stand the test of time.
Another triumph looked inevitable from the time the lights went green, with Verstappen benefitting from the long first straight to move from third to first ahead of the two Ferraris.
From there, the Dutchman controlled a Grand Prix that effectively became two separate races courtesy of a red flag in the middle, finishing ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc respectively.
2021 🏆 2022 🏆 2023 🏆
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 29, 2023
A hat-trick of wins for @Max33Verstappen 😃#F1 #MexicoGP pic.twitter.com/6rRWf59SbB
The major talking points were the two crashes involving Sergio Perez - the crowd favourite - and Kevin Magnussen, the one of the Mexican coming at the first corner.
Perez attempted to go from fifth to first - and around the outside - but he left Leclerc, who had Verstappen on his inside, with no room as he turned into the Ferrari and subsequently ended his race.
Magnussen went hard into the barrier at the midway point of the race, his car briefly catching fire and also damaging the wall, resulting in the race being suspended and drivers getting out of their cars in the pit lane as the marshals made the area safe.
In terms of the other finishing positions, Carlos Sainz Jr in the second Ferrari was fourth ahead of the British duo of Lando Norris and George Russell.
Daniel Ricciardo can be satisfied with seventh in his AlphaTauri, despite starting in fourth, while Oscar Piastri, Alex Albon and Esteban Ocon completed the top 10.
Hamilton now sits within 20 points of second-placed Perez in the standings, with Sainz Jr moving level on points with Fernando Alonso, who has been in the top four since the opening weekend.
