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NEW YORK Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Latin America

Red Bull Strategy Key to Verstappen's Mexico Win

Red Bull's strategic decision to pit with Leclerc helped Max Verstappen secure his sixth victory in Mexico.

New York Editorial News Desk November 3, 2026 1 min read

The Brief

  • Red Bull pitted Verstappen with Charles Leclerc despite not following its original tyre plan.
  • Verstappen credited the team's decision for maintaining track position over tyre advantage.
  • A five-second penalty for Leclerc influenced Red Bull's pitstop timing.

Max Verstappen's sixth win in Mexico was influenced by Red Bull's strategic decision to pit at the same time as Charles Leclerc, despite not aligning with the team's original tyre strategy.

Red Bull recognized that staying out longer would have given Leclerc an advantage with fresh tyres, so they opted for track position instead, which Verstappen said was crucial.

Verstappen acknowledged the difficulty of following Leclerc due to the high temperatures and the five-second penalty, which he said helped him gain an edge.

A safety car and subsequent red flag allowed Verstappen to change tyres and reset the race, though he expressed concern about the team's starting performance this season.

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies praised the strategy team for their quick response to Leclerc's penalty, calling it an 'extremely strong execution' despite earlier issues in Austin.

Mekies also noted the penalty for Leclerc was lenient, as he believed it should have been longer, but acknowledged it was what they had to work with.

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