
Sebastian Vettel is combative in the press conference of the Mexican Grand Prix, the third to last event of the F1 World Championship. Despite being mathematically still in contention for the championship, he is trailing Lewis Hamilton by 66 points.
"It's not over yet, even though it's no longer in our hands. I aim to win the last three races, and then we'll see. Regardless, it has been a positive season. No one expected us to be so strong from the beginning, but also halfway through and at the end. Unfortunately, in some races where we were there to fight, opportunities slipped through our fingers, and we ended up off the track".
Vettel likes the Rodriguez circuit, although he has some unpleasant memories:
"Two years ago, if I remember correctly, I had an accident, and in the last edition, there was a battle for the podium that I had first achieved and then was taken away. In general, it's a fast track that suits me, even though it's not easy to get everything right. The aerodynamic load is similar to Monza, but here, there are more turns. Anyway, I hope for a race without problems and to end up on the podium".
Vettel explains what was missing to compete with Hamilton:
"There were problems, breakdowns, but that's part of racing, and everyone in the team feels that there are things we can do better. We know our weaknesses: some can be resolved immediately, for others, it takes more time. But we must continue to work and grow as a team to build a strong package, a strong car, and a strong engine. We have grown in recent years, and we must continue to do so".
When asked if he would like to have Daniel Ricciardo as a teammate again, Vettel serenely responds:
"I wouldn't mind. I like Daniel, but for next year, everything is settled. Of course, it depends on how things go, but it's not me who decides; it's the team. Anyway, if you're not ready to compete with anyone as a teammate, what's the point? But for now, it's a rather distant future".
Max Verstappen also speaks, maintaining his stance from after the United States Grand Prix:
"My thoughts are quite similar. I think it was a great race, and I had fun. The car's pace was really great: it's the third time in a row that we've been very competitive, and I hope to continue in the same vein".
However, the young Dutch Red Bull driver adjusts his statements about the heavy comments made after losing the podium due to a five-second penalty:
"After the race, emotions are very high, and I thought I had been denied a podium I deserved. I think my position was correct because everyone was going off the track at turns 19, 9, 8, and even 6. Many fans were very happy with that overtaking. It was said that I gained an advantage to overtake someone, but it wasn't true; I didn't do it every lap. Instead, many did, and the only one penalized is me. Of course, I could have used different words, but the decision was not fair. I didn't want to offend anyone; in fact, I didn't name anyone".
Meanwhile, McLaren, after participating in the Indianapolis 500, announces that Fernando Alonso will compete in the 2018 Daytona 24 Hours. Alonso will drive a Ligier JSP217 for the United Autosports team, managed by Zak Brown, his boss at McLaren, with whom the Spanish driver has recently renewed his contract.

Unlike the Indy 500, for which he skipped the Monaco Grand Prix, Alonso will not miss any F1 race this time because he will be on the track on January 27-28, 2018, dates that do not overlap with the F1 World Championship. The first rule of a good used car salesman is punctuality. At 12:29 p.m., Bernie Ecclestone opens the door at 66 Knightsbridge. Some habits you can't shake off, even if you've become one of the richest and most famous people in the world. In front of the large window of Bar Boulud, the blonde floor manager, previously hypnotized by the London autumn, suddenly wakes up at the sight of the unmistakable white helmet.
"Good morning, Mister E, your table for three is ready, if you'd like to follow me…"
Once, in Formula 1 and in the automotive world in general, just uttering that phrase was enough to conjure success, fame, power. Simply saying, "Mister E wants it this way," could open doors where there were none. If Mister E wanted it, even the worst cars became winners. All of this was true until a year ago when, after a masterful negotiation, Ecclestone sold the biggest project in the world for 9.5 billion dollars. Since then, his creation is no longer his own. The buyers, the Americans from Liberty Media, victims of the most classic of Yankee complexes, a bit out of jealousy and a bit out of fear of not measuring up, ousted him, despite the initial promise to leave him in charge for another three years. Ecclestone, let's start from the beginning. From the legend of the origin of his fortune. No one has ever known how he made his first money. Some even claim he took part in the Great Train Robbery of 1963, when 2.6 million pounds (60 million euros today) were stolen. The gang was arrested, but the loot was never recovered.
"Impossible, there were too few money on that train. The truth is that the driver of the gang was a good racer. Graham Hill told me we should give him a tryout at Brabham to help him. But he was over thirty... too old, and I asked him what else he could do. He knew how to work with gold and silver. So I told him to make trophies for the cup that we still award to organizers today. The truth is, the origin of my fortune is luck itself".
Do you consider yourself a lucky man?
"I had a lot of ideas and a good ability to realize them, but then I was also lucky to meet many people who helped me. If I have to mention two special names, Colin Chapman and Enzo Ferrari come to mind. They believed in me and always supported me".
What kind of person was Ferrari?
"An extraordinary man, brave, visionary. Very difficult, but always loyal. I owe him a lot. And it's not a coincidence that his brand and mine are two inseparable realities".
Inseparable?
"Absolutely yes. F1 is Ferrari; Ferrari is F1".
Speaking of which, among fans, there has always been a suspicion that Ferrari has been occasionally helped by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, the FIA, which is sarcastically nicknamed Ferrari International Assistance abroad. What do you think?
"Helping Ferrari has always been the smartest thing to do. And it has always, always, always been done through technical regulations".

Don't the technical regulations come from the FIA?
"Not at all. You see, teams are important for F1, but Ferrari is more important. That's why over the years, many things have been done to help Maranello win".
Isn't that very unfair?
"No".
Fans have also accused Charlie Whiting, the race director, of helping English teams. Is that true too?
"But no. Charlie always did what he had to. Instead, Max (Mosley, former FIA president, editor's note) often helped Ferrari. And so did I. We all wanted Ferrari to win. A season won by Ferrari has more value than a season won by others. But you see, even the teams have an interest in challenging a competitive Ferrari. It's one thing to win against Sauber, another thing to do it against a red car with the Prancing Horse".
Do you think they were helped this year?
"In that case, no one can know. Except those who did it... Certainly, at some point, someone had a hand in this engine".
In the past or this year?
"With this engine".
And by whom? How? In what sense?
"The same reasoning applies to Mercedes as well. Winning a championship against Sauber is one thing. Winning one against Ferrari is another".
So, did Mercedes help Ferrari?
"I don't know. I say: maybe. After all, it has happened in the past, with Honda. If Mercedes decided to transfer technology to Maranello, I say it was a good move. Moreover, it is certain that with the friendly situation between the two teams, the best thing for those in Stuttgart in 2017 was to make sure: that Red Bull didn't have the most powerful engines (and Ferrari refused to give them to them in 2016, editor's note); that Ferrari was competitive enough to be a credible rival. To beat".
And so, Hamilton will win. Where did Ferrari go wrong?
“They were unlucky. They paid dearly for two mistakes by the engineers”.

In your opinion, is Vettel innocent?
"In Singapore, he did what he had to. The problem was Räikkönen’s extraordinary start, which took away maneuvering space from Verstappen. It's what you call an accident. It's nobody's fault. The failures in Malaysia and Japan, on the other hand, are human errors. Ferrari pays for those".
There's talk of a change from Binotto to Arrivabene.
"Being the team principal of Ferrari is the most difficult job in the world. Being the team principal of Ferrari with Sergio Marchionne is even more difficult. He's an absolute talent, very skilled operationally. But he likes to be in charge. For a subordinate, it's very difficult to deal with such a strong man, and with all that charisma. I don't see an engineer bothering to argue with Marchionne. Maybe he would need a line of two or three people together who, if something goes wrong, find the courage to tell him: Mr. President... we thought that... Maurizio has done an exceptional job as PR, but I fear he only speaks if Sergio asks him to. And I don't think he asks him that often. All this makes Marchionne very lonely, and with these engines, you can't afford it. These engines are so complicated that to understand them, you have to be born with them; you have to live with them daily. And Sergio has other things to do; he would need to rely on other people. And he doesn't do it well".
But Wolff and Lauda manage it well.
"Yes. But you must not forget that they were already ahead on these hybrid engines when others didn't even know they would exist".
How did that story go?
"The key moment was when Ross Brawn was in the FIA working group that would decide which engines to use from 2014. He knew exactly what was happening. He wasn't there because he was a good engineer but because he was from Ferrari. They had put him there. Then he went to Mercedes. And he brought the know-how with him".
And so began the dominance of Mercedes. It continues to this day. Why did you allow it? You were the big boss.
"I opposed it. Max Mosley said it was the right thing. In the end, the teams were convinced, and this engine passed. But the mystery is Ferrari. In Maranello, they were good at producing powerful engines, and suddenly, they accepted dealing with these expensive and sophisticated toys. Luca (Montezemolo) knew nothing about engines, but his engineers convinced him it was better this way... Poor Luca, he found himself having to make a decision based on what someone else should have known well. And it was the wrong decision. But it's not over yet...".
No?
"No, because now they have to choose the engines for 2020, and Sergio is in the exact same position".
Did you like the ceremony before the Austin race?

"Maybe it was fantastic for the Americans, but for F1, no. My friends sent me a lot of comments; one said... at some point, I expected Snow White to come out. I built a Michelin-starred restaurant, and they're turning it into a McDonald's. At one point, I saw two Sauber drivers all dressed in pink. I thought: finally, a nice couple of gay drivers in Formula 1".
Do you realize that this is unacceptable?
"But I was indignant! Drivers don't dress like that! If I had anything to do with them, I would have made them go back and change. Dress appropriately, I would have told them. There is a macho component in Formula 1, and it must be respected".
Over the years, you've had an impressive number of unfortunate remarks, so-called gaffes. From when you supported that Hitler was someone who knew how to get things done to when you referred to women as domestic help. How do you explain this attitude?
"The Hitler thing was misunderstood. I was asked to name historical figures who knew how to get things done. I mentioned Thatcher and also Hitler: he had taken a bankrupt country and lifted it up. He knew how to get things done, no doubt. I never denied that he did many other things that no one could be proud of. The thing about women, like this comment about gay drivers, was a joke. I have a slightly irreverent sense of humor. I'm sorry if someone doesn't understand it. It often happens, especially with Americans".
Americans again... Do you want to get something off your chest? What grade would you give them?
"No grade, it wouldn't be right to do so. They bought F1 at a very high price, but they hadn't had a chance to talk in-depth with me or Pasquale (Lattuneddu, his right-hand man). So when they talked about F1, they did it through a preconceived view. They said: we'll have six GPs in the USA. When they saw how difficult it was, they stopped saying it. Now they're realizing it, ask me the question again in a year".
The phone rings. Ecclestone's ringtone is the whistle from 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.' It's Jean Todt, the president of the FIA. They discuss. Then Ecclestone abruptly says goodbye and hangs up. What kind of person is Todt?
"Complicated man, hard worker, wants to be famous. I believe he wants to become the Prime Minister of France".
Did he help him get into a Ferrari?
"Yes. We went with Luca to Romiti in Milan. Romiti was against it. He said he wasn't Italian. I cut it short: I assure you that if he wins the World Championship, you'll find him a Sicilian grandfather in a second".
Was he loyal to you?
"Yes. I would say so".
And today, who would you recommend to Marchionne?
"Charlie Whiting. He knows everything about all the teams, and what he doesn't know, he knows how to find out. Plus, he shouldn't have too long of a gardening leave".

Are you referring to the Budkowski case, the FIA engineer who went to Renault with only three months between jobs?
"The FIA made a mistake. They should have kept him away for a longer time. He knows all the secrets of other cars, and he will use them for Renault".
Who do you bet on for next year?
"Mercedes. They have the resources to do whatever they want. This year, if they had needed it, they could have found much more performance at any time".
Who do you think is the best driver today?
"Verstappen".
What do you think of Austin's decision to penalize him for overtaking Räikkönen?
"It was a thousand percent mistake. It wouldn't have happened with me. Interpreting F1 rules doesn't require lawyers but sports-minded people with brains. Then there's the case where you're a Finnish steward and a former Ferrari guy, and then it's possible that you make a mistake".
Tomorrow, he'll be 87. When he looks back and sees everything he's done, what does Ecclestone think?
"I've done many beautiful things, earned a lot of money, and met extraordinary people, heads of state, geniuses, heroes, people willing to risk everything for their passion. But what I consider myself fortunate for is that I've always had fun".
On Friday, October 27, 2017, Daniel Ricciardo surprised everyone on the first day of free practice for the Mexican Grand Prix. The Australian, fourth after the first session with Supersoft tires, significantly increased the pace in the afternoon, lining everyone up with an improvement of over 0.6 seconds. Red Bull's driver clocked 1'17"801, even better than the morning's best time set by Bottas in the Mercedes (1'17"824). Ricciardo preceded the great favorite for the World Championship victory, Lewis Hamilton, who, like in the first session, had to settle for second place despite lowering his time by over 0.3 seconds (1'17"932). The British driver, who only needs a fifth-place finish in the race to secure his fourth world title, precedes the other Red Bull, that of Dutchman Max Verstappen. Sebastian Vettel is fourth, moving up one position from the morning. The other Ferrari driver, Kimi Räikkönen, is fifth, ahead of the Finnish Bottas, unable to repeat the good performance of the first practice, being almost 0.5 seconds slower. Sebastian Vettel, after a rather complicated start to the session, with the onboard fire extinguisher opening in his Ferrari, filling his seat and wetting the backside of his suit with liquid, clocked a time of 1'18"051, making him the fastest in the first timed section. Fernando Alonso will have to serve a penalty by dropping 20 positions on the grid for changing parts of his Honda power unit. Doing worse than his teammate, Stoffel Vandoorne, who will be last as he will drop 25 positions for changing the entire power unit. Eighth time for the home favorite, Sergio Perez, 0.927 seconds behind with his Force India, ahead of Nico Hülkenberg’s Renault by 0.47 seconds. Esteban Ocon closes the top-ten, with Force India mechanics repairing the car damaged by Alfonso Celis in the morning. The drivers' mistakes are repeated during the second practice session. Romain Grosjean spins twice, damaging a rear tire and causing debris on the track, leading to the race direction interrupting the session.

Pierre Gasly, on the other hand, completes only a few laps before a technical problem forces him back to the pits. At the end of the day, Kevin Magnussen experiences physical problems, casting doubt on his presence in the race. Meanwhile, with microphones on, silence falls - almost completely. Yet the name of Bernie Ecclestone hovers in the paddock of Mexico City. The interview given by the former Formula 1 boss is one of the annoying topics circulating on the eve of the weekend that could crown Lewis Hamilton as World Champion for the fourth time. In a plot that seems already written, Mr. E's statements disrupt the grand narrative of F1: according to Ecclestone, Ferrari has always had a privileged relationship with the Federation because teams are important for Formula 1, but Ferrari is more so. That's why many things have been done over the years to help the Maranello team win. Not only that, but there would also be a friendly situation, even a technological transfer, between Ferrari and Mercedes to prevent Red Bull from having the most powerful engines.
"I don't know if Mercedes helped Ferrari, but if they decided to do it, I say it's a good move".
The Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, responds with a laugh:
"It's a hand grenade thrown by Bernie that makes for a good story. But it's not true".
Ferrari doesn't comment. Red Bull either. But when the microphones are off, they all reject Ecclestone's statements, considering them the bitter outburst of a former figure, confirming to some extent the annoyance caused. Luca Montezemolo doesn't shy away from commenting:
"Bernie is a friend, he exaggerated a bit, but there's some truth to it. He has always been our friend. Although I must say that sometimes the regulations were made against us, like in 2004 when he said the game was becoming boring, or in the following years when he changed the qualifying format to penalize us, and we ended up with the paradox of a car running on the track alone. But it's true, very true that we had a privileged relationship. In the end, agreements were always found, even in a friendly atmosphere. Except when it came to money, of course. Otherwise, Bernie has always been close to Ferrari. The relations with me, then, were more than good".
And what about help?
"Help may be a strong word, let's say more of a great closeness, that's true, and I have to give him credit for that. Like I have to give him credit for the engine issue".
Last but not least, the transfer of technology from Mercedes to Ferrari in the last two years?
"It could be plausible, I don't believe it, but I don't know anyway. What I do know is that Bernie was treated unfairly and inelegantly by the Americans. F1 owes him a lot".
Dear enemies. Ferrari and Mercedes battle on the track with their cars. But inside the factories and workshops, as well as on the tables where discussions about the engines of the future will soon begin, they share and have shared a lot. Engineers, technicians, knowledge, experience. Secrets. They need each other. To put it in the words of the former F1 boss, Bernie Ecclestone:
"Winning against Sauber is one thing, winning against a red car with the Prancing Horse is another".

The need for an adversary, even its construction. And in these years, entirely legitimately, there has been a continuous flow of exchanges between the two factories. Ross Brawn, technical director of the shining Schumacher-era Ferrari, moved to what would become Mercedes in 2009. British engineer James Allison went to Stuttgart in March after being in Maranello since 2013, just like Ferrari's technical director Aldo Costa, who spent four years at Mercedes. Former Hamilton race engineer Jock Clear has been the coordinator of Ferrari's race engineers since last year. Hybrid specialist Wolf Zimmermann, a German and former Mercedes engineer, was hired by Ferrari at the end of 2014 to bridge the gap with rivals. Perhaps he will take on the role left vacant mid-season by Lorenzo Sassi, chief designer of Ferrari's engines, who moved to industrial management for personal reasons.
"Ecclestone says Mercedes helped us? The proof is that last year we finished third. We are grateful to Bernie for what he did, but I think it's time for him to enjoy life".
Ferrari's team principal, Maurizio Arrivabene, decides to address one of the topics that captivate the paddock in these hours in Mexico, including the alleged tensions with technical director Mattia Binotto ("False rumors. We get along because we are different") and especially the alleged strange friendship with the Anglo-Germans:
"Those who don't build cars always create a lot of confusion between friendship, alignment, and common goals, always adding a hint of poison and doubt to relationships. We are talking about companies that build cars: there are situations where you can be aligned and others where you are not, but the goal is common".
Very common, observes Christian Horner, his counterpart at Red Bull. Ecclestone has hypothesized that Mercedes transferred technology to Ferrari to prevent the Anglo-Austrian team from having a competitive engine.
"It's a very Bernie way of thinking, putting together different pieces. That there is a close relationship between Mercedes and Ferrari is very clear from how they behave in these meetings, where one doesn't raise their hand if the other doesn't agree. There is a dynamic between them. If they helped each other, it's not our business, I have no idea. I would be surprised, but they are very aligned in their thinking".
On Tuesday, October 31, 2017, in Paris, the FIA, F1 Liberty Media owners, and constructors (Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault, and Honda) will begin meetings to discuss cost reduction, the new power units for 2021, the possible opening to smaller teams, and format changes. Maurizio Arrivabene says:
"Horner and Red Bull? They don't make engines. When we talk about it, the simple rule is: reduce costs, maintain performance because it's in Ferrari's DNA and the engine architecture. How to do it is a discussion we will have, and it must not go against these three principles. There is a third solution".
What? He gestures to leave, with his hand. But F1 without Ferrari, no, impossible even for enemies. But we must not forget that the World Championship title is at stake in Mexico. On Saturday, October 28, 2017, Red Bull confirms its competitiveness in the third and final free practice session, with Max Verstappen setting a new track record. The Dutchman is 0.075 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton and 0.117 seconds ahead of Sebastian Vettel. Hamilton's car also experiences a power loss during his first quick attempt. The top six in the standings are within 0.4 seconds of each other. During the session, Pierre Gasly suffers an engine failure, casting doubt on his participation in the qualifiers. Kevin Magnussen participates in the session regularly.

A few hours later, Pierre Gasly does not take part in the qualifying session due to the inability of Toro Rosso technicians to repair the car after the engine problem in the third free practice session. In Q1, Valtteri Bottas is the first to go below the 1’18”0 limit, although Lewis Hamilton subsequently sets a better time. Fernando Alonso complains about a turbo problem after posting an excellent lap time. However, the car continues the session regularly. In addition to Gasly, the two Haas and Sauber drivers are eliminated. Gasly, despite having no valid times, is allowed to start but must also serve a 15-place grid penalty. In Q2, Valtteri Bottas again sets the fastest time. But as happened in Q1, this time his lap time is matched not only by Lewis Hamilton but also by Sebastian Vettel. Midway through the session, Brendon Hartley stops with a non-functioning engine and ends his session. Shortly after, Max Verstappen sets the best time of the session, going below the 1’17”0 limit, beating Lewis Hamilton by 0.5 seconds. The Dutchman sets the time after two warm-up laps. Williams drivers, Hartley, and McLaren drivers are eliminated. In Q3, Max Verstappen is immediately the fastest, again after warming up the tires for two laps. In the return lap, the Dutchman finds himself on the trajectory, just before the entrance to the former baseball field area, of Valtteri Bottas, who has to abandon his first quick attempt. With the second attempt, Sebastian Vettel takes pole position, ahead of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. The race direction then decides not to penalize the Dutch driver, who retains the front row. After the trials, Red Bull Racing replaces Daniel Ricciardo's power unit, so he is penalized 20 positions on the starting grid. Following technical problems in qualifying, Toro Rosso must also replace several components of Brendon Hartley's power unit, so he is penalized 20 positions on the starting grid as well.
"Thanks, guys, what a ride”.
Shouts Sebastian Vettel as he secures the pole position in Mexico City, grabbing it by the hair. With the German at the helm, Ferrari starts from the first position after an eternity: the last time Ferrari achieved the same was in 1970 with Clay Regazzoni. For Seb, it's his 50th career pole position, and in a Grand Prix that could crown his opponent, Lewis Hamilton, World Champion for the fourth time on Sunday: the British driver from Mercedes, with a 66-point lead over his rival, only needs a fifth place, even with Seb winning, to celebrate. But Vettel doesn't give up:
"It's challenging to put everything together in one lap; I had some issues in turn 6, the track was slippery, making it difficult to exploit it to the maximum in a single lap. I almost lost the car, but I didn't lose time. Then I hoped that keeping a clean line would be enough. We had problems in the practice sessions, but we improved overnight. For the race, we'll see, we can do well. The championship fight is not in my control the way I'd like it, but Ferrari deserves a result, and we'll do everything we can".
The other Ferrari driver, Kimi Räikkönen, is only fifth, 0.750 seconds behind Vettel.
"I'm sure the problems we had in Austin won't repeat tomorrow. Last week we didn't have the right pace, and we know why. We don't have to worry about that. Yesterday our car wasn't in the condition we hoped for, so I wasn't as competitive. But tomorrow, with today's car, if everything goes well and there are no problems, we'll be fast. We hope to make a good start. I have nothing to worry about".
Max Verstappen, on the other hand, was worried for a while, investigated for slowing down Valtteri Bottas's Mercedes but later acquitted. The Dutch driver is second, 0.086 seconds behind the pole, after arriving in Mexico on the heels of the controversies in Austin, where he insulted the stewards, who demoted him to fourth place (with a 5-second penalty) for obstructing Kimi Räikkönen on the final lap.
"I'm sorry, and I'm deeply annoyed; second place is not bad, although I really wanted the pole. I don't know what happened in Q3; it became a bit more difficult for us. We couldn't get the tires to work well. I gave it my all, but apparently, it wasn't enough. I wanted this pole".

It would have been his first in his career, the pole position for the youngest in F1. But Max has to wait. Only third, 0.446 seconds behind, is the World Champion, Lewis Hamilton, who says:
"I tried to give it my all to stay with the other two who did a great job, they were much faster than me. I could have gone 0.2-0.3 seconds faster, but it wouldn't have changed anything. We'll see what happens; I hope to at least battle with one of them".
His teammate, Valtteri Bottas, finishes with a delay of 0.470 seconds and is furious about Max Verstappen's maneuver:
"Before the last sector, I already saw him in the distance, and he was going slow. Even at the exit of turn 12, he was very slow; the problem is that he disturbed my trajectory, and at 13, I made a mistake, locking up to avoid him. In fact, he ruined my lap. I don't know if Max should be penalized, it's not up to me to decide, and I don't know the regulations to the letter, surely all the images will have to be analyzed well because I lost out on it".
According to the stewards, Max's maneuver was slow but regular: acquitted. On Sunday, October 29, 2017, at the start of the Mexican Grand Prix, Max Verstappen attacks Sebastian Vettel at the first turn, and the two make contact; Lewis Hamilton tries to take advantage, but in turn, his car is touched by Sebastian Vettel's. Verstappen, unharmed, is in the lead, while both Vettel and Hamilton are forced to return to the pits. The German has to replace the front wing, while the British driver only changes the tires, although he will have to race the entire Grand Prix with a damaged diffuser. Max Verstappen is in first place, followed by Valtteri Bottas, Esteban Ocon, Nico Hülkenberg, Carlos Sainz Jr., Sergio Pérez, and Kimi Räikkönen. Sainz also has to make a pit stop during the second lap, which drops him to the last positions. On the fifth lap, Daniel Ricciardo retires due to a turbo problem. Sebastian Vettel begins his comeback, and during the 12th lap, he risks another collision, this time with Felipe Massa. Just before that, Fernando Alonso and Romain Grosjean, racing for the eleventh position, had also narrowly avoided an accident. During the 18th lap, Sergio Pérez makes a pit stop, followed two laps later by his teammate Esteban Ocon. On the 21st lap, Max Verstappen overtakes Lewis Hamilton, who is having difficulty passing Carlos Sainz Jr. During the 23rd lap, Nico Hülkenberg also makes a pit stop and returns to the race ahead of Sergio Pérez, but shortly after, he is forced to retire. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen continues in the lead, followed by Valtteri Bottas, Kimi Räikkönen, Lance Stroll, Esteban Ocon, Kevin Magnussen, and Sergio Pérez. During the 30th lap, Sergio Pérez overtakes the Dane. In the 31st lap, Brendon Hartley is forced to abandon the Grand Prix with an engine on fire. A Virtual Safety Car is deployed, and taking advantage of the race neutralization, Max Verstappen, Valtteri Bottas, Kimi Räikkönen, Lance Stroll, Sebastian Vettel, and Lewis Hamilton pit for a tire change. At the restart, Esteban Ocon finds himself in front of Lance Stroll. During the 37th lap, Sebastian Vettel is seventh, after overtaking Kevin Magnussen. Later, the German driver takes sixth place after passing the home driver, Sergio Pérez, in the 50th lap. After four more laps, the Ferrari driver also overtakes Lance Stroll, and finally, in the 57th lap, Sebastian Vettel overtakes Esteban Ocon and rises to fourth place, behind his teammate, Kimi Räikkönen. The German asks the team how much he lacks to reach Kimi Räikkönen and make room for himself:
"26 seconds".
They reply, and he knows that the feat achieved so far can only appeal to some miracle, and indeed, he responds with an anguished:
"Oh my God".

One lap earlier, Lewis Hamilton had entered the top ten, then moved up to ninth place during the 67th lap, after passing Fernando Alonso following a heated duel. Max Verstappen wins the Mexican Grand Prix and secures his third career victory. Valtteri Bottas is second, followed by Kimi Räikkönen. Only the top four drivers complete the full race distance. Sebastian Vettel finishes the race in fourth place, followed by Esteban Ocon, Lance Stroll, Sergio Perez, Kevin Magnussen, Lewis Hamilton, and Fernando Alonso. Lewis Hamilton is the World Champion for the fourth time in his career. A ninth-place finish in Mexico City is enough for him to claim a number of titles that only a few have in their trophy cabinets: alongside him, only Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel. Ahead of these three, only Michael Schumacher and Juan Manuel Fangio. Sebastian Vettel, who tried to stage a spectacular comeback up to the second position that could have delayed the celebration for Mercedes' rival, finishes only fourth after finding himself in a tough situation following the contact with Hamilton at the start:
"I never gave up, I always found the strength in my heart to keep going until the end. The race didn't go as I wanted; I'm not sure what happened at the beginning".
Finally, Lewis shows all the joy for another great season:
"Then I tried with all my might to come back. Long live Mexico! I want to thank everyone who came here to support us; they made this weekend special. Mexican fans are the best in the world; they create an incredible atmosphere".
Hamilton, the most successful British driver in the history of F1 (surpassing Jackie Stewart), had a 66-point lead over Vettel with three races to go. To prolong the championship battle, the German would have had to secure at least second place, but at the end of the race, he only finished fourth, partly due to a three-way collision with Hamilton and Verstappen at the start:
"I never gave up, I always found the strength in my heart to keep going until the end. The race didn't go as I wanted; I'm not sure what happened at the beginning".
Finally, Lewis expresses his joy for another great season:
"Then I tried with all my might to come back. Long live Mexico! I want to thank everyone who came here to support us; they made this weekend special. Mexican fans are the best in the world; they create an incredible atmosphere".
Sigh of relief for Toto Wolff. The Mercedes team principal enjoys the success of his driver:
"It was a terrible race, from the first to the last corner, too long".
The team worked hard to try to fix Hamilton's car:
"In the race, when you don't understand what the situation is, it's difficult to stay calm, but we explained to him how things were, and we tried to maximize the points. It was a tough race, we knew that a fifth place would be enough, but I'm happy that it's over".
For 2018, in addition to Mercedes and Ferrari, Red Bull could also aim for the championship:

"I like a three-way fight, and keep an eye on McLaren, with the Renault engine they could come into play. Verstappen? He's a guy with a future and a fast car, but it remains to be seen in a title fight because that's another level".
The best Mercedes of the day is Valtteri Bottas:
"I have to congratulate Lewis and our team, who won both titles. And I have to thank Mexico. I tried everything, but I couldn't keep up with Verstappen".
After the gracious on-track gesture with applause for his rival, Sebastian Vettel confirms his congratulations to Lewis Hamilton.
"Things always happen for a reason. It was a tough year for some things, but sometimes it goes like that, luck didn't favor us. But it was a fair battle, with the same rules for everyone, and Lewis deserved to win. There are positive things, but right now, I can't see them because I'm very down. I know the team is doing everything possible, working hard. Maybe I could have done better, but the fact remains that we didn't achieve the goal. I'm not in the mood to smile and say everything is fine, even though there are many positive points, especially if we look at where we were last year".
Vettel also avoids commenting on Verstappen's aggressive start.
"I don't think it's that important; today is Lewis' day. He won the World Championship, and we have to congratulate him. He was the best; we are left with the disappointment of crossing the finish line knowing it's over. It wouldn't be right to talk about other things".
In Mexico City, the dead are celebrated as friends because they will return, that's for sure, assuming they ever left. Lewis Hamilton was momentarily on the sidelines, hurt last year by Nico Rosberg, and this year by a rival dressed in red, unexpected like Sebastian Vettel, but in the end, he returned to where he belonged. Fourth world title for him, third with Mercedes, at 32 years old. A champion of great stature, like Alain Prost and his Maranello adversary. Better than their trio, only Michael Schumacher (7 titles) and Juan Manuel Fangio. A ninth place in one of the craziest races of the year was enough, where everything ended at the beginning: the Red Bull prodigy Max Verstappen overtakes pole-sitter Vettel in turn 1, a tire clash between the two, in the next turn, Seb hits the rear left of the Briton with his front wing, causing a puncture. Bitter rivals in the pits. Lewis:
"Did Seb hit me on purpose?"
It will be judged as a racing incident. Max leaves, forever, winning his third career Grand Prix (ahead of Bottas' Mercedes and Räikkönen’s other Ferrari). But it is in hell that the race takes place. Seb desperately climbs, but can't do better than fourth place to postpone Lewis' celebration. Instead, the Englishman runs on foot with the Union Jack on his shoulders; his mother applauds him in the pits. Something up there, especially down here at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, is connected. Colorful carriages parade before the start, life and death confused in the same dance. Smiling skeletons everywhere, resting among the living: at bar tables, on car seats that clog a city of 22 million people, floating in donuts in pools, looking down at others' poverty and the debris of the earthquake that on September 19, 2017, left 200 people under the dust. On lap 19 of the Grand Prix, a fist to the sky to remember them. To call them down to this Dia de los Muertos gala that buries the secular and popular Halloween of the West, including the U.S. Liberty Media, under a spirit's sombrero. One Dionysian week that lasts a day, Lewis feels it among the skulls, painted masks, and ghosts fluttering to encourage the return of the dead.

There, he was half-dead last year. Even though Nico Rosberg won here, reversing the positions from the previous season. But it was a brief and nervous dominance; two races later in Abu Dhabi, he had to concede the championship title to his teammate. But this is another life for him, in a season that started as a pursuer to Ferrari, the most unscrupulous and mean of recent years. He had his conflicts with Mercedes, then made peace. In Baku, Vettel dented it; in Silverstone, he was the king. After Ferrari's Hungary, it was a different summer for him, calmer and less fashionable. The vegetarian turn, new energies, and the thought of bidding farewell to F1 left to evolve with the rest in becoming a man. He humiliated Ferrari in Monza, overtook and then mocked it in the Ferrari suicide in Singapore. In the following two races in Asia, he took advantage of Maranello's troubles. He caused troubles by posting an anti-Trump video. The 2017 season is over, but Ferrari's president, Sergio Marchionne, has no intention of accepting defeat. And he has something to say to everyone: Bernie Ecclestone, Liberty Media, Maurizio Arrivabene, Sebastian Vettel. After the great revival in 2017, he wants to play an absolute leading role in the future of F1; in 2018, where he hopes to finally win the World Championship, but not only that. On Monday, October 30, 2017, Marchionne arrives by helicopter at Mugello, where the Ferrari World Finals - the team's single-brand championship - are taking place, and he begins his sermon to journalists by responding to questions triggered by Bernie Ecclestone's interview. The English manager had said that Ferrari has always been helped, by him and the FIA, to win World Championships through appropriate rule changes. He also mentioned that help, even if only technical, has been given to the Maranello team, more recently, by Mercedes.
"I believe Bernie should thank Ferrari for giving him the opportunity to manage F1 and, thanks to our assistance, to become a billionaire. I congratulate him, and may God bless him. He has done a lot for this sport but also for Ferrari".
As for Bernie's other accusation, Marchionne doesn't even reply. The relationship between Ferrari and Mercedes is notoriously friendly. But it is a simple strategic alliance: the two teams share the same vision for the 2021 engine (basically an evolution of the current one) opposed to that of Red Bull (a return to the cheaper aspirated engines), which, however, is shared by Liberty Media, the new owners of the circus. The negotiation is just beginning, but it will be tough:
"I was in Austin last week, and one of the main reasons was to meet Liberty Media. Like them, we want to reduce the costs of managing F1, which have gone beyond the limit of what is possible. However, this is not due to technical choices but to how this sport is managed. We will do our best to try to reduce the economic commitment necessary to compete. But the most important thing is not to distort F1 for commercial reasons".
The president has no problem correcting what Arrivabene said in Mexico on Saturday:
"I have read some statements by Maurizio who sometimes lets himself be carried away, but we must remain rational. F1 is part of Ferrari's history, and I intend to protect its involvement, but it cannot be done at any cost. If we do things, we do them well. I am willing to talk about everything, but if we want to turn F1 into nonsense, into a shopping mall, I am not interested at all".
Finally, a few words about Vettel and his seasonal mistakes, halfway between compliment and warning:
"Sebastian has been and is a phenomenal driver, but if I didn't know he was German, I would say he has an attitude very similar to a boy from Southern Italy, because he is very emotional. I believe he has learned to contain his emotions".