2018 Mexican GP: 5 Talking Points

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have grabbed the headlines after the Mexican Grand Prix, but who else has produced talking points from this weekend's action? Sportskeeda brings you all the Formula 1 news post-Mexico.

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#1 Hamilton matches Fangio

It could've happened in Austin, but Mexico City has again proved to be the championship decider and it's Lewis Hamilton that is the 2018 F1 champion. Hamilton has driven faultlessly all season, reminiscent of the great Argentine himself, and he's further cemented himself amongst not only Grand Prix racing's finest, but sport itself.

50 years from now, people will still be talking about Hamilton, his sporting legacy is bulletproof and will only continue to grow until he hangs his helmet up. Only Michael Schumacher has more world titles than the Brit, whose time at Mercedes has been an incredible success story.

The combination of driver and team is the best since Schumacher and Ferrari, the Brackley outfit have been unstoppable in the hybrid era and you'd be a brave man to bet against them continuing their success in 2019.

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#2 Will Vettel ever win a Championship with Ferrari?

Sebastian Vettel drove a faultless race on Sunday, but it wasn't enough for the German to take the title race into the penultimate round in Brazil. In truth, there was a very slim chance of Vettel dragging it out that long, as Lewis Hamilton only required a seventh-placed finish to win the title, regardless of where Seb finished.

This subject could warrant an article of its own, but the question of whether Vettel is able to emulate his hero is a very poignant one. The four-time world champion had a fifth driver's title in his crosshairs when he joined Ferrari in 2015, with the aim of matching Michael Schumacher's success at the team.

2017 was the first time that he could realistically challenge for the title for the Scuderia, but poor reliability in the second half of the season, and an upturn in pace from Mercedes cost his the opportunity to challenge Lewis. In 2018, though, he's only got himself to blame.

Mistakes in Azerbaijan, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US have cost him over 100 points, which if he had converted, would've meant he matched Fangio's tally and not Hamilton. Even though Ferrari have produced the fastest car this year, Vettel has failed to win the world championship, questions have to be asked of Seb.

#3 Can Hamilton Equal Schumacher's record?

While we're on the subject of Schumacher's records, one man that's very much in contention to re-write the record books in the next few years is that man Lewis Hamilton. He already surpassed Michael's pole tally last year, but some of the great German's records are also under threat.

Hamilton is just 2 behind Schumacher's 7 driver's titles and 20 off his wins record. It might still sound like a stretch, but Lewis will be 34 at the start of next season, getting on, but still a lot younger than the likes of Kimi Raikkonen.

If Mercedes produce another world-beater in 2019 and 2020, we could see a new man top the record charts in the near future.

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#4 Red Bull Resurgence

Christian Horner had stated earlier in the season, that Mexico would provide his team with the best chance for victory in the remainder of the year.

Those words appeared to be vindicated when Red Bull achieved their first front row lock-out since 2013 on Saturday. Daniel Ricciardo set a new track record and achieved pole position, but it was his teammate Max Verstappen who led into Turn 1 on the opening lap.

From there, Verstappen strolled away with the race, at times lapping over a second faster than anyone else and having a lead of over 15 seconds, much like his victory in 2017. Winning the race means that Mad Max has become the first ever driver to win the Mexican GP in consecutive years, quite amazing when you think about it.

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#5 Alonso's Unlucky Run

Fernando Alonso has been struggling immensely in recent races.

Saying that Fernando Alonso has had a mixed bag of results in 2018 would be a huge understatement. The double world champion began the year with five points finishes in a row, but he's now suffered six pointless races in the last seven grand prixs.

A combination of McLaren failing to keep up in the development race and mechanical unreliability has denied the Spaniard chances to challenge for the top ten. In Mexico, it was extremely poor luck that prevented him going much further than the opening laps.

The first corner melee was predicted by many, and it happened to Esteban Ocon, who lost part of his front wing in a collision. Alonso described the incident as "one in a million" and he wasn't far wrong, as part of the Force India's end plate ricocheted into the McLaren's suspension and was wedged in there.

A few laps later, and thanks to Mexico City's thin air, Fernando's Renault engine has failed, another miserable end to a grand prix. Alonso probably can't wait to leave the sport at this rate.