Verstappen urges Red Bull to 'nail' Mexico-Brazil-Qatar triple header as title fight reaches final stages

Max Verstappen is this weekend hunting for his third Grand Prix victory in Mexico. And the Red Bull championship leader has called on his team to deliver in the next three races, while team mate Sergio Perez is gearing up for his first home GP with the championship contenders.

With a 12-point lead going into the Mexico City race, Verstappen could well consolidate that advantage given Red Bull are considered to be the frontrunners at this high-altitude circuit. Furthermore, the Dutchman has won two of the last four races at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez and shown stellar pace in Brazil, which follows this round. Of course, there is the unknown of the Qatar GP to come…

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As a result, he said: “I have good memories from racing in Mexico with my two race wins. I’m looking forward to it and I’m excited to get going, although I know the triple header is going to be busy.

“It’s incredibly important for myself and the team to try and nail the next three races now that we are fighting for the championship. There will be a lot of travelling time and time differences but I’m looking forward to being back on track in Mexico and Brazil and I’m looking forward to the challenge of racing on the new track in Qatar.”

As for team mate Perez, he enjoyed a raucous reception in the United States but heads home this weekend. He admitted that he “finally” has a car that could help him fight for victory in Mexico.

“Incredibly excited, I am so much looking forward to it,” he said. “My country has been so supportive of me throughout my career and I always love the chance to race in front of those fans.

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“It’s just great to finally have a team and a car that we can dream of a victory in my home country. We have a chance to make a big result happen this weekend, so I will prepare as well as I can, and we will see what we are able to achieve.”

The homecoming hero has even brought a special-edition helmet to the race, complete with the three colours of the Mexican flag on the outside and inner padding to match.

On the other side, Mercedes are hoping to hang on to – or add to – their 23-point lead in the constructors’ standings this weekend, although Team Principal Toto Wolff acknowledged Red Bull’s prowess at Mexico City in his pre-race comments.

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“Red Bull have gone well there in the past and it hasn't been our strongest circuit,” said Wolff. “But this year has shown that anything is possible and circuits where you were previously weak, you are suddenly strong, and vice versa. So, it adds a layer of unknown in the build-up, which only increases the excitement.

“We'll keep taking things race by race and preparing the best we can, and we'll land in Mexico ready to hit the ground running on Friday, get a good understanding of the car's performance and build from there,” concluded the Silver Arrows boss.