Verstappen wins Mexico City GP as late safety car and red flag reshape race

Max Verstappen held off Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to win the Mexico City Grand Prix by 0.799 seconds, his 74th career victory. The race was neutralised on Lap 43 after Valtteri Bottas crashed at the end of the main straight, and Verstappen said he feared the timing had ended his chances when he could not pit as the safety car came out.

The race was then red-flagged for barrier repairs, which allowed tyre changes under red flag conditions. Verstappen said the restart reset the contest and that he had been concerned about his starts this year, although two of them had gone well. He described Hamilton pressing hard behind him, with almost every lap feeling like a qualifying lap until the flag.