Losers

Fernando Alonso

It was anotheღr frustrating day for Fernando Alonso i🔯n Mexico after his latest retirement cost him seventh-place.

Alonso was 🥂running comfortably in the poꩲints on Sunday until he encountered another engine-related issue.

It was clear that he was struggling when teammate 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Esteban Ocon powered past him a few laps before his eventual retireme🌄𒈔nt.

"Unbelievable. What a season, what a season," A🐼lonso said over team radio when r𒆙etiring from the race on Lap 65.

Remarkably, it was Alonso’🎶s fifth retirement of the year, six if you include an issue which meant he couldn’t start the sprint in Austria.

Let’s not forget the mech🌸anical issue that cost him a top five position on the grid in Australia.

A cruel run of bad luck𝓡 which according to Alonso has cost him around “60 poin𝄹ts” this season.

Ferrari

Ferrari endured their worst weekend of the season in terms of outright performance as 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Carlos Sainz finished over 40 seconds off the lead in fifth.

Ferrari have often performed best at high downforce circuits so it was surprising to see them 🐲struggle so much for pace.

168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Charles Leclerc hinted aꩲfter the race that they went in the wrong direction setup wise, while there were murmurings that Ferrari were forced to turn their engine down due it struggling with the hig🌊h altitude.

A poor weekend overall and one which would have left th♐e whole team confus🀅ed.

Alfa Romeo

After starring in qualifying, it was a missed opportunity for 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Valtteri Bottas ꧃and Alfa Romeo at the Autodromo Her꧅manos Rodriguez.

A sluggish start dropped him bꦐehind Alonso, who he was unable to pass in the first stint deꦍspite being clearly quicker. 

Bottas was one of a handful of midfield drivers to switch to the hard tyre, and he struggled more than most to get them up to te𝄹mperature.

He was overtaken by 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Daniel Ricciardo, Oco𒈔n and🔥 Lando Norris, nearly losing out to Pierre Gasly on the final lap.

Bottas ended his own point🔥s drought, but it should have been a lot more for him and Alfa Romeo.

Given☂ that they had the fourth fastest car in Mexico, to come away one point is increཧdibly disappointing.

Pierre Gasly 

Pierre Gasly must be counting down the days be♔fore his Alpine switch.

It was another 𒉰difficult afternoon for the Frenchma𝄹n, who narrowly missed out on a points finish by just 0.6s.

Had it not been for his five-second time penalt𓃲y, he probably would have beaten Bottas to finish inside the top 10.

While the result wasn’t too bad on paper🌠, the repercussions of his latest penalt🅘y are more severe.

Gasly is now just two penalty points away 𝕴from a race ban, with none of his existing super licence points expiri🍨ng until May 2023.

Winners 

Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen continues to break records in🍨 F1 as he claimed his 14th vict💦ory of the year.

He was kept honest by Lewis Hamilton in ꦐthe opening stint of the race but once Mercedes opted to switch to the hard tyre during the pit stop phase, the race was done and dusted.

Verstappen also broke the record for the most points scored in a single season - 416 to Hamilton’sဣ 413 in🍸 2019.

Another incredible weekend for Verstappen 🦩- unstoppable. 

Mercedes 

It was a strong day for Mercedes as Hamilton ⛄finished second, while George Russell picked up fourth-place wit♋h the fastest lap.

The main positive for Mercedes is that they were clearly the second-fastest car in Mexico and had♔ the pace to challenge Red Bull🐲 had they been on the correct strategy.

Mercedes simply got it wrong with strategy.

Toto Wolff told Sky Sports F1 ahead of the race that Mღercedes plan to be “aggressive” with strategy.

Using the two most durable compounds wasn’t particularl𝐆y aggr🦹essive from Mercedes.

In performance terms (and points scored), Mercedes are clear winners, however, they didn’t put up much of a fight 💞when they should have based on the first stint of the race.

Daniel Ricciardo and McLaren

Welcome back Daniel Ricciardo!

It wasn’t a perfect race by any means for the Australian, colliding with Yuki𓂃 Tsuno🎶da and picking up a 10-second time penalty in the process.

However, Ricci🅷ardo put in his best drive of the season as he made the most of the soft tyres in the second half 🍌of the race.

Granted, the Alpines, Bottas and teammate Norris✤ struggled on the hard tyre, but Ricciardo made it work.

Let’s notꦦ forget that just o🌊ver one week ago, Ricciardo was battling Nicholas Latifi at COTA.

St꧟rategy did play its part, but th🦩at’s the nature of F1.