Alex Bowman faced significant physical challenges entering the race in Mexico City, suffering from pain in his lower back and right leg due to a high-speed crash in Michigan the previous week. Despite the discomfort he felt even sitting in a regular chair during the drivers’ meeting, Bowman prepared to tackle 100 laps around the demanding 2.42-mile, 15-turn Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit starting from 29th position.
His perseverance paid off after 3 hours and 14 minutes on the track, when Bowman crossed the finish line in an impressive fourth place. This remarkable performance came amid intense physical pain and limited preparation.
Overcoming Challenges Throughout the Race Weekend
Bowman revealed the difficulties he endured during the week leading up to the race, including being unable to walk on Wednesday and missing simulator sessions and team meetings. He acknowledged the vital support he received to manage his condition and acknowledged that driving helped ease his pain.
“Running well probably made it easier than it could have been,” Bowman said after the race. Just proud of the whole team. I put us behind this week. In full transparency, I couldn’t walk on Wednesday, so I missed all my sim stuff, all my meetings. Just trying to get back going.
“I had a lot of help from a lot of people to fix whatever the hell was going on, and thankfully enough, I was able to run all the laps this weekend.” —Alex Bowman, Driver
Crew chief Blake Harris expressed amazement at Bowman’s determination to compete despite his injury. Harris admitted that until the night before departure, they were uncertain if Bowman could make the trip.
“To be honest, we didn’t know … Wednesday night for sure that he was going to be on the plane with us Thursday,” Harris said. I thought his recovery was going well and Wednesday me and another guy had to basically carry him because he got to a point where he almost couldn’t walk. —Blake Harris, Crew Chief
Reflecting on the Michigan Crash and Its Impact
Bowman continues to carry a sense of responsibility for the Michigan incident that led to his injury, feeling that better car conditions could have prevented the crash and the team’s subsequent troubles.
“It’s tough for me because I look at Michigan, it doesn’t matter what happens with our team, I feel responsible for it. In my opinion … if the car is more comfortable at Michigan, we’re not in the 20s (in the running order) and we don’t get crashed.” —Alex Bowman, Driver
Race Strategy and Key Moments During the Mexican Grand Prix
Bowman spent much of the race weekend recovering in his hotel room, with teammate Anthony Alfredo ready to substitute if necessary. Alfredo was ultimately not called upon as Bowman endured the pain and completed the race for only his third top-10 finish in the last 10 events.
A pivotal moment in the race came on Lap 62 when the crew chief Blake Harris decided to pit Bowman from sixth place during a green-flag cycle. This move followed an earlier pit stop on Lap 17, where the team switched from wet-weather tires to slicks, despite admitting the change might have been premature.
Harris explained that the early tire switch granted them an advantage in track position, as many other drivers opted to pit later anticipating rain. This strategy paid off when sprinkles began falling just as Bowman neared running out of fuel.
“That gave us the first jump to track position,” Harris noted. Then at that point, we knew a lot of guys thought a bunch of rain was coming, so we knew a lot of guys would pit and we stayed out. They pitted before (the end of) stage two, thinking they could go to the rain. We thought the rain was going to be like right at the time we were out of fuel.
“We started to get some of those sprinkles right as we were starting to run out of fuel.” —Blake Harris, Crew Chief
When a caution flag was triggered on Lap 66 due to Carson Hocevar’s stalled car, only a portion of the field had completed pit stops. Those who had pitted, like Bowman, regained favorable positions near the front, while others such as race leader Ty Gibbs restarted further back.
Bowman restarted in third place and maintained a competitive pace to finish inside the top five.
Bowman’s Performance Represents a Turning Point for the Ally Chevrolet Team
Expressing pride in the result, Bowman credited his team for their efforts amid a difficult stretch of races. This strong performance bolstered the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet team, showcasing their potential when circumstances align.
“It feels good to get this No. 48 Ally Chevrolet team a run that they deserve,” Bowman said. We’ve had a lot of fast race cars and just had days that haven’t gone our way. We’ve had issues and there’s been times that I’ve crashed the car, so to get them a good run after everything this week and how hard they’ve had to work is great. —Alex Bowman, Driver
Bowman’s fourth place finish in Mexico highlights both his resilience and the team’s strategic execution under trying conditions. As they recover from recent setbacks, this result provides momentum for upcoming races and reinforces Bowman’s role as a vital competitor despite injury challenges.
