F1 Mexico Grand Prix: Max Verstappen wins sixteenth race of the 2023 season as Perez crashes out

Lewis Hamilton is up to fifth after Perez crashed and retired; in his helmet he sees very little, save for the rear end of Daniel Ricciardo's Alpha Tauri in fourth.

Sergio Perez must be absolutely devastated.

Hamilton is the fastest driver on the track right now - Ricciardo is defending fourth place hard but the Alpha Tauri is not as quick as the Mercedes. The Aussie will need all his skill here...

Hamilton is so close to the back of Ricciardo, but the Australian is holding the middle of the track, waiting for the Brit to make a move before defending at each corner.

Leclerc has lost downforce due to his damaged front wing, and Verstappen is pulling away. It's not costing him too much - but against the three-time champion you need every advantage you can get!

"Is the car running hot?" asks Hamilton.

"Copy," says engineer Pete Bonnington. Hamilton is pulling out of Ricciardo's slipstream on the straights to try and cool down the car, but Ricciardo is starting to open out a gap as a result.

Lando Norris is being told to "pull out to the right" to also keep his car cool. The Brit has responded over the radio that he'd rather keep the slipstream.

Meanwhile Hamilton dives up the inside of Ricciardo to claim fourth place.

Oscar Piastri and George Russell are going tooth and nail for sixth place. Behind them, Hulkenberg watches on in the Haas.

Lando Norris is up to 14th. The running order is about to get a bit mental as the first pit stops are starting.

Verstappen is 3.6 seconds ahead of Leclerc in second, and Sainz in third. Hamilton is rapidly catching the leading Ferraris as their tyres begin to fade. Will they be pitting soon?

Alex Albon is one of the few drivers who started on the hard tyres. If we get a safety car later on, the Williams driver will be in a great position, and just made a move on Zhou Guanyu for 10th place.

Nico Hulkenberg's Haas is turning like a double decker bus - his mirrors are filled with the sight of Pierre Gasly's Alpine.

The Ferraris are looking very vulnerable as Lewis Hamilton continues to pump out fastest laps after fastest laps.

"Let the [tyre] degredation come to us," his engineer urges. Surely it's only a matter of time, and Ferrari's strategists might have to crunch some number - and quickly

Verstappen and his engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, are like an old married couple!

The Dutch driver has pulled out a lead of 4.5 seconds before taking his first pit stop.

Hamilton is so close to Sainz that he can probably smell his aftershave. Leclerc inherits the lead after Verstappen pits, but the leading trio also need to stop soon.

Meanwhile, Lando Norris' early pit stop could pay dividends; he's charging hard in the McLaren and this race could yet come to him.

Top five as it stands:

Leclerc (Ferrari)

Sainz (Ferrari)

Hamilton (Mercedes)

Ricciardo (Alpha Tauri)

Piastri (McLaren)

On fresh tires, Verstappen breezes past George Russell's Mercedes and takes seventh place. The leading teams' pit crews are bluffing one another in the pit lane - standing outside while their drivers blast past them on the main straight.

Oscar Piastri is also dispatched by the Red Bull driver. He's tearing it up on the new rubber - but his engineer has pleaded for him to "take things steady."

Daniel Ricciardo has been clinging on to Hamilton's Mercedes - but not for much longer. The Briton pits for new tyres, and Verstappen is hot on the Alpha Tauri's heels.

Hamilton comes out of the pits in clear air.