LAP 37/71
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 30, 2022
Checo Perez is almost in DRS range of second-placed Lewis Hamilton... Dad could be smiling soon! #MexicoGP#F1pic.twitter.com/JpYZMJxkB3
Verstappen, Hamilton, Perez, Russell, Alonso, Sainz, Bottas, Leclerc, Ricciardo and Zhou.
"This tyre is not as good as the medium," Perez is right behind Hamilton now.
Perez is nearly in DRS range of Hamilton. Perhaps the hards aren't working as well as we thought.
Mercedes call Russell in for hard tyres. A 2.7s pit stop.
He rejoins in fourth behind Perez.
Ocon was running 4.9s behind Bottas and he's in the for hards.
He rejoins in 13th.
Russell, Verstappen, Hamilton, Perez, Alonso, Bottas, Ocon, Sainz, Leclerc, Ricciardo, Zhou, Vettel, Gasly, Albon, Norris, Tsunoda, Magnussen, Stroll, Schumacher and Latifi.
Hamilton's hards are working well. He was a tenth quicker than Verstappen on the last lap.
"Let's go softs at the end!" - He's told by Mercedes that he will have to extend by a significant margin to make it work.
Perez puts in another fastest lap of the race as he looks to close in on Hamilton, who struggles to get his hards up to temperature.
Hamilton pits for fresh rubber and it's the hard tyres!
We didn't expect to see the hards today.
Leclerc pits for new mediums - a 2.3s pit stop for the Ferrari driver.
He rejoins in 11th.
"The shifts are shi* again!"
Perez powers past Leclerc into Turn 1 for fifth. He's running on new mediums tyres, while both Ferrari drivers have yet to stop.
Red Bull pull Verstappen in for fresh rubber.
A solid 2.5s pit stop for the reigning champion. He rejoins in third ahead of Sainz.
Hamilton has reduced Verstappen's lead to 1.7s.
"My tyres are OK, mate," the Mercedes driver reports over team radio.
Perez is in the pit lane for new medium tyres - a 5.0 stop for the Mexican.
"The front-left [tyre] doesn't want to turn."
Verstappen, Hamilton, Perez, Russell, Sainz, Leclerc, Alonso, Bottas, Ocon, Norris, Tsunoda, Ricciardo, Zhou, Vettel, Gasly, Albon, Schumacher, Latifi, Magnussen and Stroll.
"Tyres start to struggle more now at low-speed."
REWIND TO LAP 14
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 30, 2022
Gasly has been handed a 5-second penalty for pushing Stroll off the track #MexicoGP#F1pic.twitter.com/1ggKHT6m9J
Russell continues to close down Perez for third - 1.4s between those two.
Sainz is now 10.0s behind in fifth.
Verstappen continues to extend his lead - it's up to 2.3s now over Hamitlon,
Perez is 1.6s ahead of Russell in fourth.
Gasly has been given a five-second time penalty for forcing Stroll off the track.