Charles Leclerc delivered one of the drives of the 2024 Formula 1 season in last weekend’s United States Grand Prix, but it was the action behind Ferrari’s top dog that attracted attention as Lando Norris copped a five-second penalty following an overtake on Max Verstappen, which saw the three-time world champion upgraded to third and extend his lead in the title battle.
The F1 roadshow makes the short hope from Texas to Mexico City for the Mexican Grand Prix and Red Bull’s struggling number two Sergio Perez will hope to put on a performance for the lively home crowd.
Our tipster Alex Harris had two winning selections for last weekend’s United States Grand Prix and has run the rule over Paddy Power’s Mexican Grand Prix betting to pick out a few fancies.
F1 Tips
Overall Qualification Winner – Charles Leclerc
Winner – Max Verstappen
Fastest Lap – Sergio Perez
WHEN: Sunday, October 27 – 20:00
WHERE: Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez
TV: Sky Sports F1
Overall Qualification Winner – Charles Leclerc
Charles Leclerc was in imperious form in the United States and should take plenty of confidence to Mexico City.
Ferrari’s main man (for the time being) has a superb record in Qualifying for the Mexican Grand Prix having claimed pole position last year and second in 2019.
He also has the third-best Qualifying record in 2024 having claimed the top spot on the grid on three occasions, which is only bettered by Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.
If Ferrari nail their set up then Leclerc should be in the mix for pole position.
Winner – Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen has not taken the chequered flag in a Race since the Spanish Grand Prix in June, but history suggests the winless streak could come to an end.
The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez has been a happy hunting ground for the Dutchman in recent years as he has won the last three editions of the Mexican Grand Prix by more than 13 seconds on each occasion.
While Red Bull are, arguably, the third or fourth quickest team on the grid, Verstappen continues to extract as much as he can from the flawed RB20.
He is likely to be in contention and could score if rival teams fail to get to grips with the track and there is potential encouragement as McLaren could be vulnerable in heavy braking zones, which affected Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in the United States, while Ferrari’s Mexico Race record has been poor in the 2020s.
Fastest Lap – Sergio Perez
The current campaign has been a bit of a stinker for poor old Sergio Perez and finishing behind George Russell, who started from the pit lane, in last weekend’s United States Grand Prix was tough to watch.
He has not been on the podium since the Miami Sprint in round six and is unlikely to be challenging the top three at his home Grand Prix, which means the partisan crowd will have little to cheer.
While the flow of the Race will dictate who bags the Fastest Lap, there are realistic scenarios in which Red Bull go for it with Perez.
If the Mexican is inside the top 10 – with a pit-stop gap – towards the end of the race or he’s well down the order then team strategists could go for the Fastest Lap to give home fans a boost and potentially steal the bonus point from McLaren or Ferrari in the race for the constructors’ championship.
Mexican Grand Prix Tips
Overall Qualification Winner – Charles Leclerc
Winner – Max Verstappen
Fastest Lap – Sergio Perez
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
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