Valtteri Bottas crashes at Mexico City Grand Prix after suspension failure
Valtteri Bottas hit the barrier at 320kph after his Cadillac suspension failed at Turn 1, forcing race director Rui Marques to red flag the Mexican Grand Prix. Max Verstappen led the race following a 35-minute delay to repair the track barriers.
High speed suspension failure at Turn 1
The high-speed impact from Valtteri Bottas on lap 44 of the 71-lap Mexico City Grand Prix halted the race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on Sunday. Bottas approached Turn 1 at 320kph when his Cadillac’s left front suspension exploded under braking. Because the suspension failed while Bottas approached Turn 1 at 320kph, the car bottomed out and sent a shower of sparks flying when he applied the brakes. This failure left the Finnish driver helpless as his car spun out of control and struck the Tec-Pro barrier with the rear wing first. I find the mechanical failure at such extreme speeds to be the most concerning element of the afternoon. The massive crash sent the Cadillac driver deep into the barrier beyond turn one. At the time of the incident, Max Verstappen led the race in his Red Bull from the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. Race director Rui Marques had no choice but to red flag the race on lap 46 to allow repairs to the barrier to be carried out. At the time of the stoppage, Verstappen led ahead of Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli in the Mercedes, followed by the second SF-26 of Lewis Hamilton.
Medical status and race delay
Bottas sat in the car for a few moments before he slowly got out of the vehicle. He appeared to be winded from the impact, so the medical team took him to the track’s medical centre for further assessments. Cadillac confirmed that the driver "got out of the car unaided and was responsive on the radio." The driver, who faces pressure to retain his Cadillac seat for next season, walked away from the accident.
| Race Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Crash Speed | 320kph |
| Lap of Incident | 44 |
| Lap of Red Flag | 46 |
| Restart Delay | 35 minutes |
| Remaining Laps | 25 |
The FIA confirmed the race would get underway again at 15.45 local time, which is 21.35 UK time, after a delay of 35 minutes. The sudden impact into the barrier occurred after the car lost control on the long straight heading into the first corner. The FIA decided to suspend the race so that the barrier repairs could proceed. Bottas had been hurtling along the main straight when the suspension failure occurred.
Hamilton and Leclerc battle for position
The red flag disrupted the race order and created tension for Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton had pitted during the initial safety car period, but he came out in fourth behind Kimi Antonelli. This pit stop cost Hamilton a position because all drivers can change tyres during a red flag period. To establish a clean order, the FIA decided to revert the race to the position from one complete lap prior. This decision placed Hamilton in third, ahead of Antonelli but behind Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen. Hamilton, who was already annoyed with Ferrari team-mate Leclerc for his driving on the first lap, told his team "we have big problems." The seven-time world champion had already run into Leclerc at the start of the race, which had seen them run each other off the track. The restart leaves 25 laps to run with Antonelli, driving in the Mercedes, currently on track to be crowned F1 world champion for the first time. The showdown between Leclerc and Hamilton at the restart will follow their earlier contact at the first turn. The race will restart with a standing start, placing Hamilton third behind Verstappen and Leclerc, but ahead of Antonelli.
