Verstappen loses nerves in Sainz victory in duel with Norris

The race in Mexico was characterized by thrilling overtaking maneuvers and near-collisions up front. In the end, Ferrari had the last laugh. Max Verstappen lost his nerve and fighting spirit during the duel with Norris.

Nils Kogler/t-online

Carlos Sainz won an extremely exciting Grand Prix in Mexico City. The Ferrari driver took victory in a race that featured a number of close overtakes at the front, particularly in the early stages, and finished ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris ) wins. Charles Leclerc completed the top three in the second Ferrari.

A fierce battle ensued between Norris and his World Championship rival Max Verstappen once again, with the Red Bull driver pushing Norris off the track twice. Verstappen received two ten-second penalties for these maneuvers and, after a brief pursuit, crossed the line in sixth place. Norris was already 10 points ahead of his opponents and now trailed his opponents by 47 points.

The competition goes like this:

Verstappen got off to a brilliant start. He qualified second, with only Sainz faster. Norris was third and Leclerc fourth. After a few laps, things got tricky.

The car passed the first few corners smoothly without any incident. Verstappen pushed alongside Sainz and passed, with the Spaniard driving his Ferrari across the grass, backing up and back in front of the Dutchman. However, following the rules of the case, he let him pass. Behind them, Norris was waiting for a gap between the two. But they didn't do him any favors.

Compromise or simply be ruthless? Opinions are once again divided when it comes to Max Verstappen.Image: trapezoid

The safety car was called out on the first lap – Yuki Tsunoda's Racing Bull hit the barrier, as did Alexander Albon's Williams. Verstappen mastered the clean-up restart in his usual way – he initially didn't give Sainz a chance. But he didn't stay in front for long. Sainz performed well overtaking and Norris wanted to give it a try.

A week after the Austin incident, Norris was penalized for leaving the track while trying to overtake Verstappen and finished fourth behind the Red Bull star, with the pair providing new impetus to an already-expired World Cup showdown. Verstappen pushed Norris off the track and the Briton was back in front of Verstappen, and soon it was his turn to try again. The cars collided. Norris said angrily on the radio:

Race stewards immediately began an investigation.

It was only on Thursday that Austin stewards reassessed what happened at Circuit of the Americas and rejected possible objections from McLaren. This time Verstappen's tough style was punished. He received a ten-second penalty for his driving behavior in the first duel. After a while, it flashed again: “Penalty kick.” The stewards gave Verstappen ten seconds to make his second move. What this means for the upcoming tournaments in this World Cup is clear: it will be even more toxic.

Carlos Sainz lets Lando Norris celebrate for him.Image: trapezoid

Like Austin, Ferrari benefited greatly from the unpretentious showdown between its World Cup rivals. Leclerc moved into second place, behind Sainz. Ferrari celebrated a double victory in Austin, with Leclerc winning ahead of Sainz.

The next showdown between Verstappen and Norris is set to take place in Mexico City. Verstappen turned into the pits to change tires before the Briton took off. His mechanics stood frozen around the car for 20 seconds before taking action after the penalty was over. He returned to 15th, one place behind teammate Sergio Pérez.

The local Mexico hero is hoping his home game could be a turning point in what he calls a “terrible season”. After yet another disappointment in front of his own fans, he may be more worried than ever about his future with Verstappen. Because it shows what's possible with Red Bull. He seized opportunity after opportunity and was back in sixth place with 30 laps to go. But it's not just Verstappen who sees dark clouds gathering.

Rain may disrupt the order again. Norris doesn't want to wait for this. He tried to close the gap to the two Ferraris. At least Leclerc did. A few laps before the end of the race, he took second place from Monaco, but was unable to catch Sainz.

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Bayern defeated Bochum 5-0. Michael Olise took the lead after just 16 minutes with a beautiful free kick. Jamal Musiala didn't add to the championship record until halftime.