Formula One: Has Verstappen got one hand on championship trophy?

Max Verstappen's first-corner overtake was a championship defining moment. Photo / Supplied

Before the Mexican Grand Prix, former world champion Damon Hill stated he believed that Max Verstappen, then with a 12-point lead over Lewis Hamilton, would feel he had two fingers on the championship trophy.

"It's not a one-handed grip or a two-hand grip yet, but it's definitely two fingers and I think he'll know that and I think there will be a little bit more of a releasing of pressure for him going into the next few races," Hill said at the time.

When Verstappen qualified only third on the grid behind the Mercedes duo of pole-sitter Valtteri Bottas and Hamilton, Verstappen may have felt those two fingers were slipping slightly off the trophy. But as it transpired, starting third actually proved an advantage as Verstappen got a tow behind Bottas to the first corner and was able to overtake him and Hamilton to take the lead at the first corner and literally drive away from them.

Bottas was spun around by Daniel Ricciardo, and the only significant part he would play in the race was to snatch one point away from Verstappen for fastest lap with a last-lap effort on his way to a 15th-place finish. For Verstappen, every lap was a winning post as he had a speed advantage of half a second over Hamilton and easily won for a third time in Mexico and for a ninth time this season, to extend his championship lead over second-place finisher Hamilton to 19 points with four races to go.

As great as Verstappen's victory was, the star of the race was undoubtedly his Mexican Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez who became the first Mexican driver to lead a lap in his home grand prix, and with a third-place finish that was nearly second, he also became the first Mexican driver to stand on the podium of his home grand prix.

The venue for the race was the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit in Mexico City, a city with 22 million people. There were 140,000 fans on hand for the race, most of them vocally cheering for Perez it seemed. The circuit is named after the Rodriguez brothers, Pedro and his younger brother Ricardo. The latter raced for Ferrari in 1962, with a best result of fourth in the 1962 Belgian GP, but was tragically killed in practice for the 1962 Mexican GP at the age of 20. Pedro won the 1967 South African GP and the 1970 Belgian GP. He was killed in 1971 driving a Ferrari sportscar in Nuremberg, Germany.

In 1970, there were 200,000 fans at the Mexican GP, hoping for a Pedro Rodriguez victory, but he finished only sixth.

Given the history of the circuit, it was evident why Perez wanted to be on the podium, given that if Verstappen were still in race contention, he wouldn't be allowed to take points off his team leader. As it transpired, Perez was never in a position to challenge for victory but in the closing laps, he was at times less than a second behind Hamilton and challenging for second place, but it wasn't to be.

"Being on the podium at your home grand prix, it's something very special," Perez said when reflecting on his race. "I wanted more, I want to win the race, and obviously to finish 1-2 for the team would have been amazing."

"At the end of the day, we are such competitive people that if we finish third we really don't enjoy it. But today is one of those days that I must enjoy. The crowd and just seeing so many people so happy, and especially on the podium, like everyone that has been with me since day one, was on the podium. That was extremely special for me."

Hamilton gave Perez something of a backhanded compliment when describing what it was like being chased down for second place by Perez late in the race.

"I started second and finished second, so I can't complain," Hamilton said. "But jeez, their pace, it was just unbelievable today, and there was nothing I could do to battle that - and when you've got Checo on your tail, then you know the car is quick."

Hamilton has since taken to Instagram to explain he wasn't being disrespectful to Perez, just pointing out that Perez was close behind, indicating the Red Bull had pace.

Former world champion Jenson Button, commenting for Sky Sports alongside Damon Hill, described Verstappen's overtake on the two Mercedes at the first corner as possibly a defining moment in the championship.

"It was a brave, brave move around the outside of the Mercedes," Button stated.

"He knew where he had to brake, he'd been braking there all through the weekend and it was a lot easier on the racing line. But he had the confidence to turn in and know they were not going to tap him on the rear. It was a great move and it could be a defining moment in this championship."

Verstappen later confirmed Button's point about the braking spot. "Once we were three wide, I knew on the outside exactly where I wanted to brake," Verstappen said. "I also knew if one of the guys tried to copy where I was braking they were not going to make the corner."

Hamilton said after the race that he was trying to protect his side of the road at that first corner and was critical of Bottas for leaving room for Verstappen.

"I had envisaged it differently, naturally, in the sense that maybe Valtteri had got a better start and I would have tried to get into his tow," Hamilton explained. "But I was alongside him which was good, and then I was just covering my side of the track trying to make sure that no-one could come up the inside. So, I was trying to keep whichever Red Bull I could see in my mirror behind, and I thought Valtteri would be doing the same."

"But obviously, he left the door open for Max, and Max was on the racing line so did a mega job braking into Turn 1. Because I was on the inside on the dirt, there was no hope for me."

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, having praised Bottas for taking pole position, was quick to criticise the driver he has replaced for 2022 with George Russell, yet conceded it may not have made any difference to the outcome had Verstappen been denied the lead at the first corner.

"You have to congratulate Red Bull because the pace was just on another level," Wolff said. "I don't think we could have won the race even if we would have stayed ahead in the first corner, because they could have driven circles around us around the pit stops."

"So, at the end I think for Lewis' championship it was damage limitation, as for the Constructors' Valtteri spinning at Turn 1 was just very painful."

Mercedes has just a one-point lead over Red Bull in that Constructors' title race, which teams consider is more important than the drivers battle, because the FIA pays the teams on points won. But the criticism of Bottas may be unfair and the team will need his help in the next four races, so ostracising him could backfire, but when Sky sports asked Wolff about the space Bottas left beside him, he did not defend his driver.

"Yeah ... that should not happen, I think we had two cars in front and seemed to open up the sea for Max to come around the outside. And even so the spin afterwards, then the complete loss of points with Valtteri's car when there could have been a third or fourth place, is annoying to say the least."