Lando Norris reclaimed the Formula 1 world championship lead with a flawless performance at the Mexico City Grand Prix, cruising to victory ahead of Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen. The McLaren driver was untouchable from pole to flag, securing his sixth win of the season and moving one point clear of teammate Oscar Piastri in the standings.
It was a statement drive from Norris, who had not led the championship since April. His dominance came amid chaos behind, where Verstappen, Leclerc, and others were embroiled in a series of dramatic battles and penalties.
Norris in Command from the Start
Concerns that Norris might lose his lead on the long run to Turn One were quickly dispelled. The Briton made a clean getaway and held his line as Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton fended off Verstappen’s aggressive charge around the outside. From there, Norris simply drove away.
Behind him, the race quickly descended into disorder. Verstappen ran wide onto the grass after going three-wide into Turn One, rejoining ahead of George Russell and sparking complaints from the Mercedes camp. Stewards reviewed the incident but took no action.
With chaos behind, Norris disappeared into the distance. He managed his tyres perfectly, built a commanding gap, and was never seriously challenged. By the chequered flag, he had stretched his lead to a dominant 30 seconds — the largest winning margin of the season.
It marked a stunning reversal of fortunes. Piastri had led the standings by 34 points after his victory at the Dutch Grand Prix in August, when Norris retired with a fuel-line issue. But five races later, that gap has evaporated.
“It was a perfect race,” Norris said afterward. “The car felt amazing all weekend, and the team executed everything flawlessly. This is what we’ve been building towards.”
Verstappen in the Thick of It
As has often been the case this season, Max Verstappen found himself at the centre of the action. Starting fourth, the Red Bull driver gambled on medium tyres while his rivals chose softs. The strategy paid off later, but not before a series of skirmishes left him playing catch-up.
His first encounter came with Hamilton, who was defending third. Verstappen forced Hamilton wide at Turn One, but both drivers cut subsequent corners in their fight. Hamilton was later penalised 10 seconds for gaining an advantage, though Verstappen also lost ground in the melee.
British rookie Oliver Bearman seized the moment, passing both to claim fourth — and soon after, third — in what became the performance of his young career.
Verstappen’s pace came alive in the second stint, and after his pit stop he charged through the field, overtaking Hamilton, Russell, Piastri, and Bearman. With 22 laps to go, he was closing on Leclerc at nearly a second per lap, seemingly destined for second place.
But a late virtual safety car, triggered by Carlos Sainz’s stranded Williams, froze the order with two laps to go. Verstappen had to settle for third, 36 points adrift of Norris in the championship.
“It’s frustrating,” Verstappen admitted. “I think we had the pace for P2, maybe more, but the timing of the VSC killed any chance.”
Bearman Shines as Piastri Limits Damage
Oliver Bearman was arguably the star of the race. The Haas rookie delivered his best-ever F1 result, finishing fourth after a composed and confident drive. He held off both Mercedes drivers for much of the race and made no mistakes under pressure.
Piastri, meanwhile, recovered from a poor qualifying to finish fifth — limiting the damage in his title fight despite starting seventh. His late move on Russell into Turn One was one of the highlights of the race.
Hamilton, frustrated by his penalty, finished eighth behind teammate Kimi Antonelli in seventh. Esteban Ocon and Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto rounded out the top 10.
With four races remaining, the championship battle is delicately poised. Just one point separates McLaren’s dynamic duo at the top, while Verstappen’s late surge keeps him mathematically in contention.
But for now, it’s Norris — calm, composed, and back on top — who holds the upper hand as Formula 1 heads toward its season-defining finale.
