Charles Leclerc makes 50th podium in Mexican Grand Prix
Another podium for Charles Leclerc, this time in Mexico © Scuderia Ferrari
The Monegasque finished behind winner Lando Norris at the Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday. It is the second consecutive podium for the Ferrari driver, following the previous week’s success in the United States.
A Grand Prix he’s sure to remember. Charles Leclerc finished on the podium for the fiftieth time in his career, all of them with Scuderia Ferrari. He is the 18th driver to reach that milestone. The 28-year-old Monegasque finished the race as he started it on the grid, in second place, between the British winner Lando Norris (McLaren) and Dutchman Max Verstappen (Red Bull).
Charles Leclerc, happy to be back on podium at US Grand Prix
A result he was totally satisfied with. “We didn’t come here looking for the same result as in Austin, Texas, and in the end it was the second convincing weekend in a row, having moved up a step. I’m proud of the work the team has put in. It was incredible to feel the support of our fans, the passion in the stands was just fantastic, and it felt like home,” he said at the press conference.
Hamilton penalised
Lando Norris started from pole position but was overtaken by Charles Leclerc at the first corner. However, Leclerc had strayed a little from the line, and he had to give the lead back to the McLaren driver. The rest of the race was uneventful for the number 16, who was too far behind the Briton to hope to close the gap.
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton, who started third on the grid, collided with Max Verstappen’s Red Bull after around ten laps. The seven-time world champion received a 10-second penalty for going off the track and gaining time. The penalty meant the number 44 finished eighth. “10 seconds is very, very harsh,” said Ferrari director Frédéric Vasseur to the French broadcaster CANAL+.
Charles Leclerc shored up his fifth place in the drivers’ standings, with 210 points, while Lewis Hamilton is in sixth, 64 points behind. Great Britain’s Lando Norris took back the lead, just one point ahead of his Australian team-mate Oscar Piastri. The next meeting is in a fortnight on the Interlagos circuit in Brazil.