Photo: Race Pictures

Norris, Leclerc and Verstappen relive dramatic start at the Mexico GP

16:15, 28 Oct

byOlly Darcy

Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen have all had their say on the chaotic race start at the Mexico City Grand Prix.

"That was quite hectic, and then a bit of rallying in between Turns 1 and 2. That was quite fun!"

- Max Verstappen

With the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez home to the longest run down to turn 1 out of any circuit on the calendar, there is always plenty of action that takes place.

This time around, Norris, Leclerc, Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton all went into the first corner side-by-side, with Leclerc and Verstappen needing to take evasive action and cut across the grass, while Norris stayed on track and raced away from the grid.

"I don't know. I've not seen the replay or anything. I didn't know we were four-wide," the Brit explained in Sunday's post-race press conference.

Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen going four-wide into turn 1 in Mexico - Photo: Race Pictures

"I just went in first and I came out third, I think. So that was the most I saw, but I don't know. I've not actually seen a replay, so I need to go and rewatch it.

"Mexico, Turn 1 is always eventful every single season. I don't know if having such a good start helped me or not. It definitely gave me a good length of time, with some breathing space and being able to position the car a little bit more how I need and how I want.

"But I still had to attack into one. I knew the others around me were going to attack, so it wasn't an easy one. But, yeah, I kept to the head and was pretty straightforward from there.

Leclerc: 'I didn't enjoy that at all'

While Norris manoeuvred his way through the chaos to go on and dominate the 71-lap race, it was not the same for Leclerc right behind him.

The Monegasque was on the outside of both Norris and teammate Hamilton, and along with Verstappen, Leclerc took to the grass and cut across the corner, going on to receive no penalty even though the place was not handed back to Hamilton.

After the Grand Prix, Hamilton was bemused that only he was handed a time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage a lap later, calling the decision 'pretty nuts'.

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc - Photo: Race Pictures

"I didn't enjoy that at all," Leclerc exclaimed when asked about how he found the turn 1 melee.

"I normally quite like fighting, but in this case, being in the middle of Lewis and Max, it’s one of those kinds of situations where, as a driver, you cannot do much. [I just had to] pray that Max and Lewis will give me enough space just to make the corner.

"I touched a little bit with Lewis. Then, there was very poor grip on the outside, so I had to cut the corner. But luckily for the three of us, it had no consequences."

Poll

Verstappen 'enjoyed a bit of rallying'

There was also some evasive action needed from Verstappen at turn 1, with the 27-year-old unable to make any move right around the outside, resulting in a trip across the grass.

That led to an angry George Russell branding the Grand Prix in Mexico as 'lawnmower racing', which led to Verstappen saying that it is 'not my problem' when posed with these complaints.

"I had a very good start. Then you just follow the slipstream—three-wide, four-wide. I mean, just following, of course, what the car next to you is doing. So I had to move left, left, left," Verstappen recalled in the press conference.

Max Verstappen missed out on a fourth race win in five Grands Prix with his P3 in Mexico City - Photo: Red Bull Content Pool

"Then, at one point, of course, you're on the kerb, and then I started bottoming out on the kerb. So that was quite hectic, and then a bit of rallying in between Turns 1 and 2. That was quite fun!

"I got back onto the track, found my position again, and then, actually, the first few laps were a bit hectic. But at the same time, also very quickly, I could see that the grip was just not there, and I was really struggling, actually, to just follow the cars ahead of me.

Verstappen then went onto the soft tyres for an impressive second stint that saw him recover from a P5 start to take third place, with a late virtual safety car ending his chance to take P2 as he chased down Leclerc towards the end of the Grand Prix.

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