Photo Credit: AP
As has been a repeat theme throughout the 2023 Formula 1 season, one half of the Red Bull garage was enjoying the sweet taste of victory in Mexico, whilst the other side of the team were contemplating another afternoon without any points.
Christian Horner spoke pre-race of the importance of trying to secure a Red Bull one-two in the drivers' standings for this season, something the team has never been able to do, yet Perez tried to pull of an audacious move within the first few seconds of the race and it proved a costly mistake.
Charles Leclerc started the race on pole, yet he was left stunned by the pace of both Red Bull cars as soon as the lights went out in Mexico City.
Leclerc was almost caught in the middle of a Red Bull sandwich as three cars approached the first corner on a straight that simply didn't have the room for that many vehicles.
Perez, as it turned out, was the sacrificial lamb as he struggled to make the right hand turn and clipped into the front wing of Leclerc's Ferrari, sending him briefly up into the air and off the track.
Max Verstappen took the lead and had an easy afternoon
In that melee, Max Verstappen was the fastest of the three involved cars, notably because he didn't take any contact, and he took the lead and never relinquished it.
He controlled the pace of the race for the next 30 laps, keeping Leclerc at bay and building a comfortable lead, although there was yet more chaos to come.
Kevin Magnussen veered into the barrier wall after his driveshaft appeared to break, leaving him with no control over his Haas car.
It was an almighty impact which forced a red flag suspension of the Grand Prix, such was the extent of the damage to the barrier wall.
Max Verstappen took a cheap pit-stop before the suspension of the race, which was a waste of a stop, and he was furious that he would have to engage in a standing start upon the resumption of hostilities.
Verstappen, though, negotiated the second start with ease and cruised to the end of the race, taking his 16th victory of the current Formula 1 season, making him one of the most dominant champions in the sport's history.
Interest in the race waned as fans headed for the exits in their thousands after Sergio Perez went out, although there was some brief excitement when Lewis Hamilton overtook Charles Leclerc to move into second place.
It was a gloriously smooth move, but once his medium tires started to age, he simply couldn't compete with Verstappen and ended up finishing 15 seconds behind the Dutchman.
Lando Norris earned fifth with a late overtaking move on George Russell, who got into a mess understeering into a corner and he didn't have the recovery pace when the track straightened out.
Hamilton finished second and took the extra point for fastest lap, whilst the podium positions were rounded out with Leclerc, who once again failed to win a race from a pole start.
