Max Verstappen’s world championship lead has fallen below 50 points for the first time since the Monaco Grand Prix at the end of May. That’s after he finished sixth in Mexico last weekend, with title rival Lando Norris third. Verstappen, who started second, briefly led early on but his race unravelled in the space of two laps.

Polesitter Carlos Sainz repassed him on lap nine, and then he incurred two time penalties as he tried to defend from Norris. First, Verstappen was adjudged to have forced the McLaren driver off the track at turn four. And then just three corners later, the stewards ruled that he’d left the circuit and gained an advantage after a rather wild lunge up the inside.

Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty ImagesIn all likelihood, Verstappen will still win the drivers’ championship. Norris may have cut his lead but the average points gain required each weekend actually increased. He came into Mexico needing +11.

4 points per race, and now he needs +11. 75. There are two Sprint weekends remaining but at this stage it would unquestionably be one of the all-time great comebacks.

Still, Verstappen could be vulnerable if he suffers a DNF or fails to score points. This hasn’t happened since Australia, but his engine issues in Mexico practice show that the Red Bull isn’t invulnerable. Max Verstappen’s Red Bull upgrade has fallen well short of expectationsDuring the four-week break between Singapore and Austin, Red Bull sounded optimistic.

They were preparing an upgrade that they believed would allow Verstappen to win more races before the end of the season. The initial results were positive. Verstappen converted a Sprint pole to victory in the US, though he wasn’t as fast in the main Grand Prix.

According to Ruud Dimmers of RacingNews365, the upgrade was supposed to be the ‘miracle weapon’ that secured the drivers’ and allowed Red Bull to overhaul McLaren in the constructors’. Instead, they look on the evidence of Mexico like the third-quickest team and have fallen behind Ferrari. Verstappen wasn’t even able to catch the two Mercedes cars after serving his penalty last weekend.

Dimmers said he’d be pulling his hair out if he was in the 27-year-old’s position. “The Austin upgrade everyone had been looking forward to for months,” he said. “It was supposed to be the miracle weapon and it did absolutely nothing.

If I was Verstappen, I would pull my hair out of my head. ”How Sergio Perez hurt Max Verstappen’s chances at Mexico City Grand PrixJos Verstappen is angry with Red Bull after the race in Mexico. He feels they’re partly to blame for his son’s penalties.

His logic is that the reigning world champion wouldn’t have to resort to desperate measures if he had a faster car. But the aerodynamicists at Milton Keynes don’t seem to fully understand the RB20. Ted Kravitz can’t believe Red Bull’s development struggles, calling them ‘unheard of’.

It’s been a recurring theme in the 2024 season. After limited running on Friday as a result of his power unit issues, Verstappen couldn’t lean on Sergio Perez for insight. The Mexican hasn’t struggled to find a set-up that works, so isn’t in a position to offer advice.