Max Verstappen fires dig at Ferrari after opportunistic Mexico GP win: "They made it difficult for themselves"
Max Verstappen took full advantage of Ferrari's squabbling drivers to win in Mexico.
Max Verstappen was delighted to capitalise on Ferrari’s intra-team battle to score his latest Formula 1 victory at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Four-time world champion Verstappen took full advantage of an early tussle between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc on his way to claiming a perfectly-judged and well-executed win for Red Bull.
Verstappen charged from fifth on the grid to move into second when he jumped ahead of Hamilton when he and Ferrari team-mate Leclerc went off the track as they squabbled for the lead.
An excellent strategy from Red Bull allowed him to jump Leclerc in the pits while the Ferrari driver served a five-second time penalty, before resisting late pressure from Hamilton to secure his third victory of 2026.
“It was a very tough race,” Verstappen told Sky Sports F1. “We did everything well as a team. They made all the right calls, to pit with Charles and we jumped ahead of them.
“I think today we also capitalised on Ferrari’s battles with each other. They are two No 1 drivers so they always go for it, but I think today it cost them the win.”
Verstappen, who has moved up to second place in the championship as a result of his 74th career win, believes Ferrari threw its own chances of a victory away in the opening lap.
“We gave it everything,” the Dutchman explained. “The first start was good – that, of course, already made my race.
“I think the team also really gave me the right strategy to pit together with Charles and then overtake him in the pit stop because of the penalty. Then it was just fighting to the end, because I think Ferrari today were really fast.
“I do think they made it a little bit difficult for themselves, fighting each other, and that’s why I could capitalise on that.
“I mean, I’ll take it, right? I always try to go for every opportunity and today I saw the opportunity.
“It was a cool fight until the end – Lewis was flat-out in my gearbox so I couldn’t afford to make a mistake.”
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