3 Talking Points | Mexican GP: Mercedes eye victory as Verstappen faces history of hard luck

The 2022 Mexican Grand Prix is just a few hours away, but the excitement is palpable as we await one of the most exciting races of the year.

And it's not just any race: Red Bull's rivals, Mercedes-AMG, are within a shot of victory and will be pushing Max Verstappen to the end. Well, that's what we're hoping for.

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton qualified a surprising second and third behind Verstappen, but the qualifying result was almost a shock and unexpected. And it's left everyone asking: Where was this Mercedes team all season?

The Grand Prix in Mexico City takes place 2 200m above sea level, and it favours the Silver Arrows' 2022 car, the W13. So good is the car around the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit that Russell topped the second and third practice sessions, and Hamilton Q1 and Q2.

Their pace is no fluke, and it would seem that Red Bull could be in for a long race. So the questions remain: Will Russell or Hamilton gift Mercedes its first win of the year, or will Verstappen break the record and win his 14th race in a single season?

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Ride with @Max33Verstappen as he collects his sixth @pirellisport pole position of 2022 ??#MexicoGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/5W0JMlasUA

Verstappen will battle poor luck

The Mexican GP returned to the F1 calendar in 2015 after last featuring in 1992. But in 2016, it was the last time that the pole sitter finished on the podium: Hamilton for Mercedes-AMG. This uncomfortable piece of history will follow Verstappen as he makes his way around the 71-lap race.

Of course, with Red Bull's reliability and Verstappen's cool head throughout 2022, he could become the first driver in six years to start