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MAX VERSTAPPEN POISED TO INCREASE LEAD AS FERRARI APPROACHES MAJOR RECORD
Max Verstappen aims to extend his F1 lead in Mexico as Ferrari's winless streak hits one year. McLaren's Stella admits Red Bull holds the "most competitive car and driver combination" currently.
Max Verstappen - Red Bull, Image credit: Getty Images
This weekend in Mexico will mark Ferrari's one-year winless streak, and it appears that the wait will carry on as Red Bull's Max Verstappen tries to unseat McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
Verstappen, a four-time world champion, is attempting an incredible comeback in Formula One, aiming for a fourth victory in the last five grand prix after falling behind Piastri by 104 points at the end of August and now leading by 40.
Carlos Sainz won the last Ferrari race in Mexico on October 27 of last year. Verstappen finished an unhappy sixth after two 10-second penalties, while Norris came in second.
This time, the Spaniard, who is currently with Williams, can be written off, especially after suffering a five-place grid slide in Texas last Sunday.
While teammate Charles Leclerc has six podium finishes, but only one second place in Monaco in May, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, a double winner in Mexico, has yet to place on the podium in 19 starts since joining Ferrari in January.
Verstappen, on the other hand, has five victories at high altitude tracks and will be difficult to defeat.
THE MOST COMPETITIVE CAR AND DRIVER COMBINATION
Following last Saturday's U.S. Grand Prix sprint race, which the Dutchman won from pole position, McLaren CEO Andrea Stella stated, "I think the most competitive combination of car and driver at the moment seems to be Verstappen and Red Bull."
He named Brazil, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi as the final three races where McLaren should do well and be able to take advantage of the features of their car, notably excluding Mexico.
Piastri, who has missed the podium in the last three races and seen his advantage over Norris cut to 14 points, may have another difficult weekend.
Even though he has not won since August in Hungary, Norris has finished on the podium in three of the previous four and may overtake the Australian if he falters once more.
After winning the constructors' title, McLaren is still on track for their first title double since 1998, but George Russell of Mercedes sits in fourth place, 94 points behind Piastri, and almost out of the running.
The issue facing McLaren and Verstappen is that Russell and the Ferrari drivers might still significantly influence the championship result by depriving them of valuable points.
According to Red Bull CEO Laurent Mekies, "we are in a scenario where you go to a race weekend and you have three or four teams who can battle for the win if they extract everything their car can offer on the track."
"I believe that the winner of each of the next races will be determined by which of these four teams is mastering the track layout, the weather, the temperatures, and the tyres."
With Yuki Tsunoda's career in jeopardy and Mexico viewed as a possible decision-making cutoff point, Red Bull will also be looking to him to build on his recent progress.
The Japanese has scored 16 points in his last three weekends, which is more than he had taken in his previous 16 rounds, but still a small total when compared to Verstappen's 76 points during the same period.
Mekies stated, "I will not tell you that is good enough; nobody feels that way, and Yuki does not feel that way."
"All I am saying is that it is a progression in comparison to what has been exhibited thus far, with two races in the points, two excellent starts, and two excellent first laps."
With Mercedes seven spots ahead of Ferrari and Red Bull three spots behind, the race for second place in the team rankings remains fierce.
While Sauber, Aston Martin, and Racing Bulls are vying for sixth place, Williams appears secure in fifth.
RED BULL STAY CALM, COOL, AND CONFIDENT DESPITE MCLAREN MOMENTUM
Red Bull's Laurent Mekies denies their 2025 car focus is due to 2026 PU concerns, calling it a strategic choice to improve development tools. As Lando Norris retakes the title lead, the F1 championship battle intensifies.
Red Bull Unfazed by McLaren Rise - COURTESY/PHOTO
In Mexico, McLaren CEO Andrea Stella implied that Red Bull's choice to continue working on its 2025 vehicle was a reflection of a lack of clarity surrounding the upcoming Red Bull-Ford power unit.
However, that notion has been rejected by team manager Laurent Mekies and Dr. Helmut Marko.
Mekies stated it has nothing to do with 2026.
"We would have too many unanswered questions going into 2026 if we did not get the most out of this car by the end of the season. We made the decision to spend more money on this vehicle in order to fix its shortcomings and increase its speed.
It greatly increases our confidence in our 2026 tools, strategies, and techniques. Yes, the new project will require less time and effort, but it was a deliberate choice. Performance has nothing to do with it.
According to the Frenchman, the team's strategy is centered on comprehension rather than risk. "We think there will be a net benefit, so we are doing this. We can apply our methods to 2026 and are now verifying them. If it led to difficulties, we would not do it.
Yes, there is a cost, but we think it is worthwhile.
Red Bull's momentum was halted by Mexico as Norris resumed his winning ways, despite Verstappen's recent race surge. Despite replacing an unproductive Oscar Piastri as the championship leader, Verstappen actually cut his overall lead to 36 points.
Norris' resounding win was a welcome change for Stella. Verstappen is still a competitor, but we have the advantage in the next races, he stated.
We have demonstrated that we have a car that can win races and, in some situations, dominate, which has boosted confidence in the championship.
This is the most crucial element that permits Lando and Oscar to compete for the Drivers' Championship, the Italian engineer continued. It has to do with competitiveness, not mathematics. Although the previous races in Austin, Baku, Singapore, and Monza were challenging, we have now once again proven our strength.
In Mexico, Piastri's decline worsened, but Stella stayed positive. Oscar claimed that despite losing some points to Verstappen, he gained a lot of knowledge this past weekend. To make sure you are competitive in every situation during the last stretch, you make that kind of investment. We are stronger and more hopeful when we leave Mexico.
Marko of Red Bull concurred that the battle is still open. "It is no longer assured that one team dominates at a circuit, and there are still 116 points available," he remarked.
We still have a shot. Since Max is the center of attention, I hope the two McLarens stick to their fair play policy.
Verstappen's pace in Mexico, according to Marko, was more powerful than it seemed. In race trim, we knew we would perform better. Max compared himself to a hunting hound, saying that once he scents anything, all else vanishes and he attacks.
But at McLaren, the focus is already shifting from gearboxes to mentalities. Now at the top of the rankings, Norris is under increased scrutiny after the Mexican fans jeered him.
"The question now is whether Norris can take use of his second chance as title leader - or if things will turn unstable again," former Formula One driver Timo Glock told Sky Deutschland. Has he comprehended why the pressure was too severe for him earlier, why he couldn't drive freely back then?
The odds are on his side if he has and has figured out how to deal with it, Glock continued. It is easier said than done, though. It is a completely different picture once the helmet is on and the pressure increases.
JANNIK SINNER BREAKS SILENCE ON POSSIBLE DAVIS CUP REVERSAL
Jannik Sinner is standing firm on his decision to skip the 2025 Davis Cup, showing frustration at repeated questions. The Italian star prioritises his off-season and 2026 Australian Open preparation over defending the title.
Jannik Sinner Addresses Buzz Around His Davis Cup Future - PHOTO: EPA
When Jannik Sinner's decision to skip the 2025 Davis Cup Finals next month was brought up again, he appeared a little miffed.
Top players commit to competing in the finals because of its scheduling, which runs from November 18 to November 23. They would only have a little more than a month off until 2026 starts if they played until late November.
During Team Italy's championship runs in 2023 and 2024, Sinner was their lucky charm. The nation's remarkable recent supremacy in the sport was established by the women's victories in the Billie Jean King Cup in 2024 and 2025.
Even if the 2025 finals will be placed in Bologna, Italy's chances of winning the Davis Cup for a third time in a row appear to be slim after Sinner declared he would not participate.
The four-time Grand Slam champion said he had previously won two Davis Cups with his Italian colleagues and that he planned to use the additional week to get ready for the Australian Open in 2026.
Nicola Pietrangeli, a fellow Italian legend and two-time French Open champion, was not pleased with Sinner's choice or his justification for it. He believes that modern players are more concerned with money than with patriotism and that it was disrespectful to their nation.
Sinner stated that while people have the right to their opinions, he did not wish to contribute anything further in reaction to the criticism. It is possible that the ATP world No. 2 assumed the topic would be abandoned at that point.
Rather, a reporter at the 2025 Paris Masters questioned Sinner about the possibility of changing his mind. It is still mathematically conceivable to finish as the year-end No. 1 because Sinner had stated that it would be impossible before Alcaraz's surprise defeat by Cameron Norrie in Paris.
Compared to his response to Pietrangeli's and others' criticism, Sinner's response was even more succinct and direct. The 24-year-old reiterated that he had nothing else to say and indicated the choice had been made.
"No, the choice has been made. However, I covered everything a few days ago.
Sinner's frustration with the inquiries surrounding his Davis Cup selection was evident. Even though it makes some sense, missing a home team event is an unavoidable consequence of being a top player.
Recently, Sinner criticised the four Grand Slams.
Sinner was irritated with the four Grand Slams in a different interview for not doing more to address concerns about prize money and other advantages, including healthcare and pensions, that were brought up by elite players earlier this year.
The Wimbledon champion this year expressed frustration that the major events wanted to address some other concerns before fully interacting with players and said that initially, encouraging conversations had not resulted in any follow-up steps.
Twenty elite athletes, 10 from the ATP and 10 from the WTA, wrote to the Grand Slams earlier this season to request a larger share of the money made to be distributed as prize money and other benefits.
It will be interesting to watch if the Grand Slams address those issues and make adjustments in 2026.
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