Car Vrum

“You never know what situation will arise during the race,” said Bottas, who as number 3 in the World Cup standings is already far behind Verstappen and Hamilton and is no longer competing for the world title. “I’m still 100 percent sure there could be a situation where I can win the race. That is what I believe in and hope for. But if not, then I will support Lewis and make sure we get the maximum number of points for the team.”

Hamilton is 12 points behind Verstappen in the World Cup standings, who starts from third place in Mexico City. It is obvious that Mercedes and Red Bull, Verstappen’s racing stable, will give team orders if the situation calls for it. Every point counts in the decisive phase of the season. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff already hinted at this after qualifying. “I always find such decisions annoying, but sometimes they are necessary,” said Wolff. “We’re going to talk to Valtteri and Lewis first, because they’re the ones that matter. We will see in the race whether the situation calls for it.”

The winner of the race earns 25 points, the second gets 18 points. Third place is worth 15 points. Mercedes is 23 points ahead of Red Bull in the Constructors’ World Championship.