Red Bull traded fresh tyres for track position in Verstappen’s Mexico win

Red Bull put track position ahead of tyre life in the Mexico City Grand Prix, pitting Max Verstappen on the same lap as Charles Leclerc rather than extending his planned first stint on medium tyres. Leclerc’s five-second penalty made the timing attractive: Red Bull expected a later stop to leave Verstappen behind him, where dirty air and the power-unit regulations would make overtaking difficult.

Verstappen said he lacked the pace to follow Leclerc, who was pulling away, but remained within roughly five seconds. Team principal Laurent Mekies said the pit wall had just enough of a gap to account for the penalty when it heard Leclerc was stopping, and took the chance; he called it the best option.

Mechanics often leave a margin before touching a car, so a stop involving a five-second penalty can take longer. Verstappen said the timing let him get ahead of Leclerc. Mekies also said Red Bull had been surprised that the penalty took so long to be confirmed and thought five seconds was light.

The choice contrasted with Austin, where Red Bull’s drivers said the team had stuck too stubbornly to softer tyres instead of adapting as the race unfolded.

That track-position gain came with a long stint on softs. Verstappen’s race engineer said the team would need a particularly strong run, and Verstappen thought Leclerc later had to back off to manage cooling. When a safety car appeared as Verstappen could not pit, he feared his chance was gone. A later red flag let him change tyres but brought another standing start.

Verstappen said Red Bull’s starts had not been impressive earlier in 2026, but both starts in Mexico went well. The victory was his third of the season and lifted him to second in the championship.