Max Verstappen has acknowledged that Charles Leclerc’s five-second penalty played a decisive role in his victory at the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix, admitting that Red Bull did not appear to have the outright pace to comfortably defeat Ferrari. The Dutch driver believes the sanction imposed on the Monegasque created the opportunity he needed to move ahead, before Lewis Hamilton forced him to defend his advantage in a demanding fight for the win.
Ferrari had appeared capable of securing victory at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, but the opening-lap confrontation between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc changed the course of the race. Although the seven-time world champion mounted a determined challenge in the closing stages, Max Verstappen held on to take the chequered flag ahead of the Briton. Andrea Kimi Antonelli completed the podium in third, securing the Formula 1 World Championship.
Max Verstappen explains why Charles Leclerc’s penalty was decisive in Mexico
Reflecting on his victory, Max Verstappen identified the opening phase as the turning point. The Red Bull driver felt he had already put himself in a strong position during the initial start, producing an excellent first lap before his team adopted a slightly different strategic approach.
However, the Dutchman did not suggest that Red Bull had been comfortably superior throughout the race. On the contrary, he acknowledged that his car had been lacking some performance compared with the opposition, making the team’s decisions and the circumstances surrounding Ferrari’s penalty especially important.
According to Verstappen, Red Bull made the correct calls at crucial moments, but the punishment imposed on Charles Leclerc was what ultimately allowed him to take the lead. The Ferrari driver had attempted an aggressive move against Lewis Hamilton at the start, with the resulting incident proving costly for the Maranello team.
The significance of that decision becomes clearer when considering the FIA’s explanation of Charles Leclerc’s five-second penalty, which followed the opening-lap confrontation between the Ferrari teammates.
Verstappen emphasised that Ferrari remained extremely competitive even after losing its advantage. The two red cars continued to put him under considerable pressure, leaving him with a difficult task as he attempted to protect his position at the front.
That assessment also underlined the scale of Ferrari’s missed opportunity. Rather than losing because Red Bull had dominated the weekend, the Italian team saw its prospects compromised by an incident involving its own drivers and the subsequent penalty.
Lewis Hamilton forces Max Verstappen to defend Mexico GP lead
Although Charles Leclerc’s penalty helped Max Verstappen establish himself at the front, Lewis Hamilton ensured that the battle was far from straightforward. The Ferrari driver maintained pressure on the eventual winner and continued fighting for the lead during the closing stages.
Verstappen admitted that keeping the seven-time world champion behind required considerable effort. He believed Ferrari had remained close enough to challenge throughout the race, meaning that Red Bull could not simply rely on having the faster car.
The contest was particularly intense following the restart, when Verstappen and Hamilton fought for position on the approach to Turn 1.
Discussing that confrontation, the Dutchman explained that the long run towards the first corner made choosing the correct braking point especially difficult. A bump partway through the corner added another complication, requiring considerable caution while the two drivers battled at the limit.
Nevertheless, Verstappen regarded such close racing as a familiar feature of Formula 1 when two competitors are fighting directly for position.
For Ferrari, the result was especially frustrating because Hamilton ultimately finished second despite having been in contention for victory. The circumstances surrounding the earlier confrontation have also prompted calls from Lewis Hamilton for internal discussions over how the team handles battles between its drivers.
Red Bull’s strategy and Ferrari’s mistake shape the final result
Max Verstappen’s explanation highlighted the combination of factors that contributed to his success in Mexico. His strong opening lap established a competitive position, while Red Bull’s alternative strategy and timely decisions helped the team take advantage of the opportunities that followed.
Yet the Ferrari penalty remained central to his assessment. The Dutchman recognised that Charles Leclerc’s sanction had allowed Red Bull to gain track position at a moment when its outright pace was not necessarily sufficient to overcome the opposition.
Charles Leclerc later explained why he did not return the position to Lewis Hamilton after their first-lap encounter, with the presence of Max Verstappen complicating the situation between the two teammates.
The resulting battle demonstrated how a single incident can transform the outcome of a Grand Prix. Ferrari possessed the speed to challenge for victory, but Red Bull capitalised on the penalty and then successfully defended its position against the late pressure.
Max Verstappen praises Andrea Kimi Antonelli after historic F1 title triumph
Beyond discussing his own victory, Max Verstappen also congratulated Andrea Kimi Antonelli on securing the Formula 1 World Championship in Mexico.
The Red Bull driver praised the young Mercedes star for an exceptional season, suggesting that winning the title at such an early stage of his career made the achievement particularly impressive.
Verstappen also expressed his happiness at seeing Antonelli celebrate alongside his family and the Mercedes team. He made clear that he was proud of the Italian driver’s success and considered the occasion a special moment for everyone involved.
However, the Dutchman was already looking ahead to the following campaign. He indicated that the focus would soon turn towards fighting for the next World Championship, with the rivalry set to continue in 2027.
For Verstappen, Mexico delivered an important victory achieved through effective decisions and determined defensive driving. For Ferrari, the same race became an example of how an internal confrontation and a costly penalty can turn a promising opportunity into defeat, even when the team possesses the performance needed to challenge for the win.
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