Checo Pérez has delivered a podium in the temple of Formula 1 in Mexico.
The Mexican has finished third, ahead of him Lewis Hamilton, of Mercedes, and then the defending champion, Max Verstappen.
Pérez thus achieves his second podium finish with Red Bull at home, the first being last year.
There is some anger in the circle close to Guadalajara because it did not have the best weekend due to the electrical problems of the car.
The Mexican had little to brag about during free practice.
In qualifying he drove with a blindfold on because the car's electrical system did not indicate the necessary parameters to know if he should push harder at different points on the circuit.
It also caused his car to not be able to open the rear wing, known as DRS, and not have a kind of turbo to compete.
Despite everything, and as if it were a witch, he reached fourth place.
Before the resurrection of the Mercedes of Russell and Hamilton.
At the start, Pérez attacked like someone looking for a place in the Mexico City subway.
The driver from Guadalajara took advantage of the fact that the Mercedes were ambitious and wanted to pass in front of the two-time champion Verstappen.
The Dutchman blocked their way and there Pérez was stronger than Russell.
The third site unleashed the clamor in the Mexican stands.
Red Bull's bet was to have the softest tires to get some advantage over those of the German team.
And it worked.
Pérez changed tires on lap 24 to try to find an opportunity.
The mechanics of the red buffalo, however, made him lose a few seconds after one of the rear tires locked up.
From that third place he dropped to sixth, but he only had to wait for his car to carburete and begin to recover to reach third place again.
Verstappen was going about his business, alone at the top.
The Mexican had to hunt down Hamilton.
The seven-time Formula 1 champion was not going to give anything to the local hero.
The Mexican had to catch Hamilton and at the same time preserve the condition of his tires so that they would hold up to 71 laps.
“It was a similar scene to last year, when Verstappen won and the one from Guadalajara lacked laps to overtake the one from Mercedes.
Fernando Alonso's car failed him in the last laps.
The opportunity for a safety car
seemed to open up ,
but it was only a virtual one.
There was nothing to do.
Hamilton was covered, Perez, like the boxer in the last round, courageously stood up to keep his distance from his pursuer, Russell.
The Mexican temple of Formula 1 nervously awaited the start of the race.
The Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez gave everything it could (money, time, tan and throat) to encourage his spoiled boy, Checo Pérez.
This afternoon, the best Mexican driver in all history has achieved his 25th podium. The android Verstappen conquered the record of 14 victories in one season.
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