Formula 1 News: Lando Norris waltzes to easy win in Mexico City

Lando Norris made the most of his superb pole position, navigated the familiar first-corner chaos that has defined so many Mexico City Grand Prix starts, and emerged unscathed to claim a dominant victory at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriquez. From there, it was smooth sailing for the McLaren driver, who romped to his sixth win of the season with a commanding 30-second margin over Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in second.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

Norris leapfrogged teammate Oscar Piastri to take a one-point lead, capitalizing on a flawless performance that left no room for error in their intra-team title tussle.

It was the Englishman’s tenth career win, his sixth this season, the first since Hungary and his first in Mexico. It is McLaren’s 13th win of the season, its 202nd overall and its fourth in Mexico City.

“What a race,” Norris beamed post-race. “I could just keep my eyes forward and concentrate. A straightforward one for me—good start, good launch, good first lap, and then I could build from there. Man, this is awesome here; a big thanks to all the fans.”

The drama, however, extended beyond the podium. Race officials deployed a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) on the final lap—deemed unnecessary by many—thwarting Red Bull’s Max Verstappen from snatching second from Leclerc.

As Verstappen hunted down Leclerc, and Piastri was bearing down on Ollie Bearman’s Haas, race officials decided a Virtual Safety Car was needed to clear Carlos Sainz’s stricken Williams. Second place would have moved Verstappen three points closer to Norris in the title fight, while fourth would have kept Piastri in the lead.

Running a bold reverse one-stop strategy on softer tires, the Dutchman had closed in rapidly and was poised to overtake Leclerc for 2nd, but the VSC erased his momentum and cost him three crucial points.

Those points loom large in Verstappen’s bid for a fifth consecutive title. “The beginning was very hectic for me,” he reflected. “On the outside in Turn 1, I hit the curb and nearly crashed onto the grass. It was all about surviving the first stint on those slower mediums. A tough weekend overall, so fighting for P2 after that opening madness feels like a strong result. The VSC cost me second—you win some, you lose some.”

Entering the weekend 40 points adrift of Piastri, Verstappen clawed back to trail Norris by 36 and Piastri by 35. Yet with McLaren’s superior pace showing no signs of slowing, it may not be enough to mount a serious challenge.

Leclerc, meanwhile, was candid about his good fortune. “Very happy with this weekend,” the Monegasque said. “Ending up on the podium again is a great surprise—love being up here with this amazing crowd. And honestly, I was thrilled about the [VSC] at the end; my tires were completely gone. It saved me from getting passed by the faster car behind.”

Further down the order, Haas enjoyed a standout afternoon. Rookie Oliver Bearman fended off Piastri to secure fourth—his career-best finish—while teammate Esteban Ocon rounded out the points in ninth. Piastri, 42 seconds adrift of Norris, settled for fifth after a late charge, having dived inside George Russell for the position on lap 60 at Turn 1. That move prompted Mercedes to reverse an earlier team orders swap, promoting Kimi Antonelli to a strong sixth ahead of the more seasoned Russell in seventh.

Russell spent a lot of time on the radio asking to be allowed past his youthful teammate Kimi Antonelli, which the team finally agreed to on lap 40 – too late, as Russell could make no impression on the flying Bearman. He eventually gave the place back to his teammate as they finished sixth and seventh.

Lewis Hamilton, hampered by a pre-race penalty, limped to a distant eighth. Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto capped the top 10 with the final point, marking a gritty recovery for the Swiss squad.

There were two main talking points out there today. The first was the opening lap. There was a slew of incidents, banging wheels, cars running wide, some giving up positions, some not.

Then a few laps later there was a fight between Hamilton and Verstappen, that also ended up involving Russell, Antonelli and Bearman.

The stewards looked at that one, and in the end it was Hamilton who picked up the only penalty—10 seconds for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. That cost him a chance of a podium today.

Piastri could not have hoped for much more after a poor Qualifying performance left him seventh on the grid. His race was compromised by two long periods spent trying to pass two cars: the Red Bull of Yuki Tsunoda at the start, the Mercedes of George Russell near the end. “The whole race I was right behind someone,” the 24-year-old Australian said, “and just struggling in dirty air.

“Yesterday it became obvious there were a few things I needed to change about how I was driving. I’ve had to drive very differently or not driven differently when I should have. That has been strange to get my head around.”

Winless in five races, Piastri needs a strong result in Brazil next time out to keep his title campaign on track.

Part of the Pirelli crew here in Mexico City this week, will be back at the circuit on Tuesday and Wednesday for development testing of the softer compounds in the 2026 range of tires. A mule car will be provided by Sauber on the first day and Mercedes on the second.

2025 Mexico City GP Results – 71 Laps