{"id":297761,"date":"2023-10-31T19:10:43","date_gmt":"2023-10-31T19:10:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/?p=297761"},"modified":"2023-10-31T19:10:43","modified_gmt":"2023-10-31T19:10:43","slug":"lewis-hamilton-and-mercedes-engineers-left-smiling-after-annoying-verstappen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/racing\/f1\/lewis-hamilton-and-mercedes-engineers-left-smiling-after-annoying-verstappen\/","title":{"rendered":"Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes engineers left ‘smiling’ after ‘annoying’ Verstappen"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Max Verstappen was left annoyed after Lewis Hamilton claimed the bonus point for the fastest lap at the Mexican Grand Prix, it has been claimed. The Brit left it until the final lap to do so and analyst Peter Windsor says the Mercedes garage would have been delighted.<\/p>\n

Verstappen again cruised to victory despite starting third on the grid. The three-time back-to-back world champion moved into first place within seconds of the race starting after team-mate Sergio Perez collided with Charles Leclerc and crashed out.<\/p>\n

There was no looking back for Verstappen, who broke his own record for the most race wins in a single Formula One season. It was his 16th triumph in just 22 starts and he now has more than double the points of Perez in the driver standings.<\/p>\n

It was a promising race for Hamilton, though, who clinched second spot. The seven-time champion finished well behind Verstappen but ended the race in style, recording the fastest lap right at the last.<\/p>\n

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Read more… <\/strong> Toto Wolff gives Hamilton and Russell ultimatum as sights set on Verstappen<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Windsor reckons Hamilton and Mercedes will have enjoyed “annoying” Verstappen. He said on his YouTube channel: “That would have irritated Max a bit because he always loves to set the fastest lap and at that point he had it.<\/p>\n

“And Lewis set it on the last lap. That brought a smile obviously to everybody’s face in the Mercedes garage and certainly Lewis enjoyed that.”<\/p>\n

Windsor believes Hamilton was always going to be the only driver to challenge Verstappen in Mexico City. However, he said the gap was just too big once Hamilton had burst through to second.<\/p>\n