Max Verstappen smashes F1 record again as crushing dominance heads to crescendo

Max Verstappen etched his name deeper into Formula 1 folklore by claiming a record-breaking 16th victory of the season at the Mexico City Grand Prix, on this day, in 2023.

The Red Bull driver's triumph at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez two years ago marked the moment when F1's new benchmark for single-season dominance was set, to be further extended by the end of the campaign.

Verstappen surpassed his own previous win record of 15 wins in a season — which he set in 2022 — in emphatic fashion,  finishing 13.875 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes.

Charles Leclerc had given Ferrari cause for optimism by securing pole position, but the Monegasque driver's qualifying advantage evaporated in the race's opening exchanges.

Despite completing the full 71-lap distance, Leclerc found himself relegated to third place, over 23 seconds behind the Dutchman's commanding RB19.

Hamilton capitalised on Ferrari's struggles to claim second place, adding the fastest lap point to his tally in what proved to be a solid recovery drive for Mercedes, having qualified sixth.

First lap drama

The opening lap provided immediate drama as Sergio Perez's home race ended in heartbreak after an ambitious overtaking attempt at Turn 1.

Starting from fifth, the Mexican driver found himself in a three-wide battle with polesitter Leclerc and team-mate Verstappen.

Perez attempted to sweep around the outside but made contact with Leclerc's Ferrari, launching his car airborne and off the circuit.

Despite nursing the ailing Red Bull back to the pits, the damage proved irreparable, forcing an immediate retirement.

Meanwhile, Kevin Magnussen's race was also compromised later in the proceedings when the Haas driver suffered a rear left suspension failure on lap 31.

The incident, caused by overheating brakes while defending from Logan Sargeant, triggered a red flag and ended Magnussen's afternoon prematurely.

Daniel Ricciardo delivered AlphaTauri's standout weekend of 2023, qualifying fourth before converting that promising grid position into a valuable seventh-place finish.

The Australian's six-point haul represented both qualifying and race season-bests for the Faenza-based squad, providing a rare bright spot in what had been a difficult campaign.

Historic season continues apace

Verstappen's victory came with typical authority, requiring three pit stops as Red Bull navigated the strategic complexities of Mexico's unique challenges.

Track temperatures soared to 48 degrees Celsius, but the championship leader remained untroubled throughout.

"To win 16 races in a season is something I never thought would be possible. This season has been unbelievable," Verstappen said after the chequered flag.

His comment proved prescient; three more victories would follow before the season's end, culminating in an unprecedented 19 wins from 22 starts.

The Mexico City triumph represented another step towards what would become the most dominant F1 season in history. Verstappen's 86.35% win rate that year established benchmarks many consider untouchable.