Surprises

The Mexican Grand Prix was Ferrari’s worst race of the 2015 season, as Kimi Raikkonen started from 19th after another engine change, then crashed with Valtteri Bottas’ Williams that broke the Ferrari driver’s right-rear suspension at Turn 5 on lap 22. Vettel pitted for fresh mediums, then later spun in Turn 8 on lap 17. Struggling to make up ground, he then crashed in Turn 7 on lap 52. For the first time in a Grand Prix since Australia 2006, Ferrari did not have a car classified.

The only drama of the race occurred when Mercedes opted to bring both its drivers in for a second stop after deciding that their tyres would not make it to the end of the race safely. Rosberg came in on lap 46, but Hamilton chose not to pit after him and instead openly doubted the validity of the team’s decision. He felt that his tire wear was not sufficient to cause a stop; he also hoped that if he won the argument, he would be able to gap Rosberg and take a potential victory. In the end, Mercedes’ explained that the situation was non-negotiable and Hamilton deferred. Rosberg was able to control Hamilton’s gains with a bit of additional throttle, and that was how the race finished.