Can Mercedes mount another challenge?

Mercedes enjoyed their strongest weekend of the year last time out at the United States Grand Prix as 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Lewis Hamilton finished just two seconds behind race winnerꦇ Verstappen.

While Hamilton’s day ultimately ended with a disqualifiಞcation for a technical infringement, it was still a hugely positive afternoon for Mercedes.

Hamilton was buoyed by the impact of the new floor which ♏Mercedes introduced for the weekend in Austin as they look to learn ahead of next year.

A better strategy with tidier pit stops would have🌸 likely handed Hamilton his first victory - for a few hours at least - since the end of 2021.

No doubt, Hamilton i🉐s a COTA specialist but Mercedes were clearly the second-quickest team, taking intoಞ consideration Verstappen’s pace was slightly hampered by a recurring brake issue.

Mercedes will ⛦be hopeful for more of the same in Mexico, where they were able to run Red Bull fairly close last year.

Hamilton was in contention for the race victory a♓t the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez 12 months earlier - but again, a poor strategy choice to go medium-hard allowed Verstappen to ☂take another comfortable victory.

The pecking order behind Red Bull is 🌟often difficu♛lt to predict, especially with Ferrari’s fluctuating performance.

McLaren often fare best in high-speed, high-load corners, so on paper at le🌺ꦦast, are unlikely to be as fast as Mercedes or Ferrari.

Ferrari struggled in Mexico last year beca꧙use the high altitude put additional strain on their engines - could the same happen this year?

One thing is for certain is that Verstappen will be the man to beat at a venue he’🐼s won four times at.

Without an unfortunate punctur🌺e in 2019, Verstappen probably would have five wins in Mexico to his name.

Mercedes will probably be Red Bull’s nearest challenger again but it’s hard to look past Verstappe꧃n winning for a 51st time in F1.

Home soil pressure for Perez

The pressure continues to be on 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Sergio Perez to perform as he looks to secure P✨2 in the champio🐭nship ahead of Hamilton.

Perez strengthened his grip on the runners-up spot behind Verst༒appen with his fourth-place finish in Austin.

He’s now 39 points ahead of Hamilton with just four 🌱rounds (and🌟 one sprint race to go).

Astonishingly, if Perez is able to secure P2, it would be the first time in Red Bull’s history they would see🙈 their drivers finish first and second in the championship.

Perez has finished on the podium just two times🃏 in the last seven races, and he’s not beaten Verstappen on merit🌠 since the fourth round at the end of April.

Winning in front of his adoring ho⛦me crowd is a pipe drea🐈m but a podium would be a respectable return to form and something he can celebrate.

The battle for the wooden spoon hots up 

The battle for last in the constructors’ championship continues to hot up after 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Yuki Tsunoda’s P8 finish in Austin.

Tsunoda came away with eighth and the fastest lap to give AlphaTauri five crucial💝 points in the constructors’ championship.

It mean💜s the Italian outfit sits just two points behind Haas, and six behind Alfa Romeo.

Each position in the champio💛nship is worth approximately $10 million so 🐟there’s a lot at stake going into the final run of races.

All change in FP1

A number of teams will be fiel๊ding ‘rookie’ drivers in Mexico as part of F1’s rule that they must do so🎐 on at least two occasions during the season.

Due to ther🍎e being a sprint weekend in Brazil - and Las Vegas being a new track - many teams will likely opt for Mexico and Abu Dhabi to field their young driver.

Mercedes have Danish star Frederik Vesti driving for them in place of 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:George Russell.

Vesti currently sits second in the FIA Formula 2 standings with one round to go an🍨d has been part of the Mercedes junior roster since 2019.

Alpineꦬ are running Jack Doohan, while highly-rated Ferrari youngster - and Brit - Oliver Bearman will be in the Haas.

Frenchman Isack Haꦿdjar will get a chance to drive the Alph🤪aTauri in FP1.