Sebastian Vettel threatened to ‘hit someone’ after what Max Verstappen did at Mexico City Grand Prix

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Max Verstappen is looking for a fourth consecutive Mexico City Grand Prix win this weekend. Should he achieve it, he’ll end a victory drought stretching back to the Spanish GP in June.

Verstappen topped the unique Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez podium for the first time in 2017, when Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes were still dominant, and followed that up with another triumph in 2018. After a disappointing P6 in 2019 and a Covid-enforced cancellation in 2020, he’s built an unbeaten streak at the venue.

The Dutchman comfortably beat Hamilton in 2021 in the midst of their title battle, with Sergio Perez third. It was the same podium combination a year later, and a very similar winning margin.

Last season, Verstappen once again led home Hamilton by around 15 seconds, though this time Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took the final podium spot. No wonder his supporters have jokingly dubbed it ‘Maxico’.

His first visit to the circuit as a Red Bull driver came in 2016, five months after he was promoted from Toro Rosso. He initially crossed the line third but fell to fifth after a post-race penalty.

Verstappen left the track and cut across the grass at turn one as he tried to hold off Sebastian Vettel. He held position rather than giving up the place, so the stewards docked him five seconds.

Sebastian Vettel’s extraordinary team radio rant against Max Verstappen and the FIA at the Mexican Grand Prix

Vettel initially inherited a podium after Verstappen’s penalty, leading to a rather awkward moment in the cooldown room. The Red Bull driver had to leave and make way for his Ferrari rival.

However, the four-time world champion would eventually relinquish third place himself. This was after a 10-second penalty for moving under braking as he defended from Daniel Ricciardo.

Remarkably, it was Ricciardo who ended up third despite reaching the chequered flag in fifth. Vettel felt that Verstappen was deliberately trying to back him into his teammate’s clutches.

In one of the angriest outbursts of his F1 career, Vettel directed expletives at both Verstappen and FIA race director Charlie Whiting. He felt the teenager should have been told to give him third place immediately after cutting the first corner.

“Move! Move for **** sake!” Vettel said. “He’s a [bleep], that’s what he is. I mean, am I the only one or are you not seeing what I’m seeing? He’s just backing me off into Ricciardo.

“You know what, here is the message for Charlie: **** off! Honestly, **** off. Honestly, I’m going to hit someone.”

David Coulthard shares how Max Verstappen just reminded him of Michael Schumacher

Verstappen has infuriated his opponents with his wheel-to-wheel conduct throughout his career. He typically operates at the limit of the regulations, occasionally straying beyond them but generally aware of how far he can push it.

Indeed, McLaren feel Verstappen is ‘gaming’ the rules. This is after his run-in with Lando Norris at the end of the US Grand Prix.

Norris passed the reigning world champion on the exit of turn 12 but had to run off the track in doing so as he encountered an aggressive defence. The Englishman was penalised for the advantage he gained.

He had started the race on pole but fell to fourth after mistakenly leaving a gap on the inside. David Coulthard likened Verstappen to Michael Schumacher, who would always capitalise when allowed a car’s width.