Max Verstappen won the Mexico Grand Prix from Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen, while Lewis Hamilton won his fourth world championship.
The Dutchman claimed the lead after going around the outside Sebastian Vettel at Turn 1, while the Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton came together in Turn 3 giving Hamilton a puncture.
Both drivers pitted, Vettel taking a new front wing, with Hamilton edging his bet on the soft tyre. Although noted by the stewards, they confirmed no investigation was warranted.
With the title rivals out of the picture, Verstappen led from Bottas, Esteban Ocon, Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez. Raikkonen was then released when the three ahead pitted on lap 20. A virtual safety car brought out by the retirement of Brendan Hartley on lap 32, helped Raikkonen jump Ocon for third and Vettel ahead of Alonso for eighth.
Setting fastest lap after fastest lap, Verstappen took an easy win, twenty seconds ahead of Bottas who had a lonely race for second. Raikkonen, after gaining clear air didn’t make any impression on the Mercedes, taking the final position.
In his comeback to fourth, Vettel had a controversial pass on Felipe Massa, overtaking the Williams off the track as they headed side by side into the Turn 4, although there was no investigation from the stewards. Taking the ultra-soft tyre at his pit stop, the Ferrari driver went on the attack, where only a second would keep the championship alive. Ultimately it wasn’t enough.
Hamilton didn’t have the greatest race after picking up damage at the start on his way to his fourth world championship. He sat behind Carlos Sainz and Pascal Wehrlein for nearly half the race at the back of the field and was even lapped by Verstappen before the pit stop sequence.
After his own second pitstop, he regained some pace and started to make his way through the field. He gained positions from Romain Grosjean, Pascal Wehrlein, Pierre Gasly, Stoffel Vandoorne and Massa, before passing Alonso for ninth in the final stages.
It wasn’t a great race either for Renault power, Daniel Ricciardo retired on lap 6 with a turbo problem, Nico Hulkenberg retired on lap 26 with ERS problem, Brendon Hartley retired the Toro Rosso on lap 32 in a cloud of smoke and Carlos Sainz on lap 62. The only other retirement from Sauber, with Marcus Ericsson retiring in the pitlane with the car on fire.
