Bottas taken for precautionary checks after red-flag crash in Mexico

Valtteri Bottas has been taken for precautionary medical checks after a left-front suspension failure sent his Cadillac into the barriers and red-flagged the Mexican Grand Prix on lap 45. He was responsive on team radio, according to Cadillac, and walked away unaided after a lengthy conversation with medical staff in the cockpit.

Why it matters:

The crash stopped a 71-lap race at a critical phase and put fresh focus on suspension reliability and driver safety. The red flag also froze the order, preserving Lewis Hamilton's third place after he had pitted under the initial safety car.

The details:

• Bottas's left-front suspension failed as he approached Turn 1, spinning him backwards into the barriers. The race was stopped so barriers could be repaired.
• Cadillac said Bottas was taken to the medical centre for "further medical assessments as a precaution".
• Max Verstappen leads from Charles Leclerc at the restart. Leclerc had taken pole but lost the lead after a contentious first-lap incident with Ferrari team-mate Hamilton and a penalty.
• Hamilton initially lost third to likely world champion Kimi Antonelli when he pitted as the safety car came out, but the restart order was counted from the previous lap, so Hamilton keeps third.

What's next:

The race will resume once barrier repairs are complete, with Verstappen in control and Leclerc needing to recover from his penalty. Bottas's condition will be updated after his checks, while Cadillac faces questions over the suspension failure.