- Hamilton holds off Pérez for second
- Verstappen extends championship lead to 19 points
Exultant in victory Max Verstappen revelled in his success at the Mexican Grand Prix. He was clearly aware of the significance of the achievement. From third on the grid, in beating rival Lewis Hamilton into second place the win crashed with thunderous import across the championship. His joy surely informed by the knowledge that a vital win has opened a 19-point lead that leaves Hamilton facing a huge challenge to overcome in the title fight.
In front of a capacity crowd of 140,000 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez Verstappen definitively gave notice he has no intention of buckling under pressure in what is the tightest inter-team championship since the turbo-hybrid era began in 2014.
