Verstappen ‘dangerous’ as Perez is ‘dead man walking’ – International media reacts
Carlos Sainz was sublime in victory at the Mexico City Grand Prix, whilst Max Verstappen caused fresh controversy and Sergio Perez faltered in front of his adoring fans.
Coupled with Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc finishing third at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, the Spaniard has helped push the Italian team past Red Bull in the fight for the constructors’ championship.
The biggest stories, however, rest with the Milton Keynes squad’s two drivers, who are both in the headlines for the wrong, but different, reasons.
What did the rest of the world make of the race? Find out as RacingNews365 takes you through the headlines of some of the biggest global publications.
🇬🇧 The Times – Norris pounces after ‘dangerous’ Verstappen crosses the line
First up, in the United Kingdom, The Times chose to focus on the leading British driver in the F1 drivers’ championship, Norris, and his early-race battle with Verstappen.
Their near-misses proved the defining moment of the Mexico City Grand Prix and given the two 10-second time penalties handed down to the Dutchman by the stewards, it is no surprise to see the broadsheet lead with the story.
At both Turn 4 and Turn 7 on lap 10 of 71, the pair clashed. First, Verstappen pushed the McLaren off, then was judged to have left the circuit and gained a lasting advantage.
🇮🇹 La Gazzetta dello Sport – Sainz emotional: “I wanted one last win before leaving Ferrari”
Italian sports publication La Gazzetta dello Sport focused post-race on Ferrari driver Sainz, who clinched his fourth grand prix victory in F1.
It is the Spaniard’s second of the season, the first time he has taken multiple wins in a year, and potentially his final triumph for the Scuderia before making way for Lewis Hamilton in 2025.
The 30-year-old will head to Williams to partner Alexander Albon, so is unlikely to enjoy race-winning machinery for the foreseeable future.
🇳🇱 De Telegraaf – Max Verstappen’s aggressive actions again heavily criticised: ‘He is really not going to change his driving style because of a few stewards’
Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf focused on home hero Verstappen and his “aggressive” driving standards, leading with a quote suggesting he will not alter his approach, despite being on the receiving end of the stewards in Mexico.
The 27-year-old has often been criticised for the manner in which he races, but it may have resulted in a net gain at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
The Red Bull driver finished sixth, whilst Norris escaped his clutches to cross the line second. However, without Verstappen’s robust tactics, Norris could have won, and the three-time F1 drivers’ champion likely would not have done better than fourth – something that would have produced a bigger points swing than the 10 Verstappen suffered.
🇫🇷 L’Equipe – “It wasn’t a clean drive”: Lando Norris not surprised by Verstappen’s moves at Mexican GP
Like most others, French sports paper L’Equipe covered the drama between Verstappen and Norris, but from the perspective of the McLaren driver.
Picking up on his post-race comments, it focused on the 24-year-old explaining he has come to expect the type of racing seen from Verstappen during the Mexico City Grand Prix.
The tension is growing between the pair, who are considered friends. How long – or how much – their relationship can sustain is an open-ended question, however.
🇪🇸 El País – Checo Pérez and the Hermanos Rodríguez Racetrack are crying with rage: “It was my worst Grand Prix in Mexico”
Whilst Spanish newspaper El País did, unsurprisingly, cover both Sainz and Verstappen in its coverage, it led with Perez, who was racing in his home grand prix in Spanish-speaking Mexico.
Zeroing in on the 34-year-old’s disastrous weekend, the headline quotes the Red Bull driver, saying it was his worst Mexico City Grand Prix.
It also touched upon the shared emotions of the home supporters, who had to watch Perez finish last of all runners after a messy weekend.
🇦🇺 Herald Sun – Sergio Perez’s Red Bull career hanging by a thread
Sticking with Perez, Australian newspaper the Herald Sun latched onto quotes from Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.
In doing so, the paper built around the comment: “Look, it’s a performance-based business. There comes a point in time that difficult decisions have to be made,” that the 50-year-old said to media including RacingNews365.
Viewing it as a nail in Perez’s coffin, it described him as a “dead man walking” as he fights to keep hold of his seat, with the likes of Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda waiting in the wings.
