Max Verstappen broke two records on his way to victory in Mexico City, while Sergio Perez became the first Mexican driver to finish on the podium at his home event.
Here are some of the top statistics from the 2021 Mexican Grand Prix!
A NEW RECORD FOR MOST WINS IN MEXICO
After a disappointing Saturday, Red Bull recovered with an almost near-perfect Sunday in Mexico. Max Verstappen recorded his ninth win of the 2021 season and claimed a record-breaking third win at the Mexican Grand Prix.
Once, twice, ππ΅πΏπ²π² times a #MexicoGP winner ππ²π½ pic.twitter.com/BEAhv7ESmZ
— Red Bull Racing Honda (@redbullracing) November 7, 2021
No driver has previously scored three wins in the country during the event’s World Championship history. Jim Clark, Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, and Lewis Hamilton have each won twice here, but Verstappen is the first to win three times.
It should be mentioned that Clark did win the Mexican Grand Prix three times, but one of those occasions was in 1962. That year, the race was a non-championship event in which Clark shared a drive with Trevor Taylor.
VERSTAPPEN BREAKS CLARK’S 58-YEAR-OLD RECORD
Another record broken by Verstappen in the Mexican Grand Prix was that of most laps led at the event. Jim Clark is the only driver to have ever held that record and has done so since leading the first World Championship Mexican Grand Prix from start to end in 1963. Clark led 191 laps here in his career, compared to Verstappen’s new record of 203 laps led.
Verstappen has now led 1,156 laps in his career. With 203 of those being at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, it means that almost a fifth of all laps led in his career is at the Mexican Grand Prix!
PEREZ IS THE FIRST MEXICAN TO RECORD A HOME PODIUM
Mexican fans have had a long wait for home success in F1, but Sergio Perez duly delivered with Red Bull, becoming the first Mexican driver to finish on the podium at the Mexican Grand Prix. Perez also led six laps of the race, becoming the first Mexican to lead on home soil.
The previous best result for a Mexican driver at their home event was fourth place, recorded by Pedro Rodriguez back in 1968. Perez’s previous best result here was seventh, which he recorded in both 2017 and 2019.
So wholesome π₯Ί #MexicoGP #WTF1 pic.twitter.com/ChaL52pFkd
— WTF1 (@wtf1official) November 7, 2021
This is the third consecutive race in which Perez has finished on the podium. It’s the first time he’s finished in the top three at three races in a row.
HAMILTON EQUALS THE MEXICAN GP PODIUM RECORD
Lewis Hamilton finished on the podium in Mexico for the fourth time. In doing so, he equalled the record for most podium finishes at the Mexican Grand Prix.
Hamilton, and five other drivers, now share the record for most podium finishes in Mexico. Jack Brabham, Denny Hulme, Ayrton Senna, Riccardo Patrese and Nigel Mansell all took four podium finishes here in their respective careers.
Both Hamilton and Verstappen overtook Nigel Mansell as the drivers to have scored points on the most occasions at the Mexican Grand Prix. The duo has never failed to score on their six appearances so far at the venue. Meanwhile, they also equal Pedro Rodriguez as the drivers to have finished in the top ten on the most occasions in Mexico.
ONE POINT BETWEEN MERCEDES AND RED BULL IN THE TITLE BATTLE
Of the 21 races held in Mexico, this was only the sixth at which neither title had already been decided, or neither were decided over the race weekend. After each Mexican Grand Prix held in the V6 hybrid era up until 2021, Mercedes had an advantage of at least 55 points in the Constructors’ Championship after the race weekend. 2018 was the only time that they had not already been crowned champions for that year ahead of the race.
Constructors' Championship
Mercedes: 478.5
Red Bull: 477.5πππππππ#MexicoGP #WTF1
— WTF1 (@wtf1official) November 7, 2021
It’s a completely different story this year, though. For the second time in 2021, a single point separates Red Bull and Mercedes in the Constructors’ Championship. Red Bull led by one point after the Monaco Grand Prix, and now Mercedes are only one point after the Mexican Grand Prix.
Had Valtteri Bottas not secured the fastest lap on the last lap of the race, the Constructors’ Championship would have been tied for the first time since the 2006 Bahrain Grand Prix!
Spotted any more interesting statistics from the Mexican Grand Prix? Leave a comment below!
