Formula 1 in Mexico
Norris stroke of genius: McLaren driver takes the championship lead
Updated 10/27/2025Reading time: 2 minutes
At the race in Mexico City, there were wild scenes right at the start. In the end, the Brit took first place in the title race from his teammate. A driver surprises – and Nico Hülkenberg experiences disappointment.
The title race in Formula 1 continues to gain momentum: with a convincing start-to-finish victory at the Mexican Grand Prix, Lando Norris has taken the lead in the world championship standings from his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri.
The Brit drove confidently to success at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez – and is now one point ahead of Piastri (356), who finished the race in fifth place, in the World Championship standings with 357 points.
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) came second ahead of defending champion Max Verstappen (321), who was able to further close the gap on the leading duo Norris/Piasti. Completely surprisingly, Haas driver Oliver Bearman landed in fourth place.
Meanwhile, Nico Hülkenberg experienced a bitter race: the only German in the field had to park his Sauber in the pits on the 28th lap.
Norris got off to a top start and defended first place quite confidently. Behind it it became narrow, hard and dusty. Hamilton got close to Leclerc and both were on the same level. And then Verstappen also slipped next to it. Three abreast – Verstappen had to go through the grass with the left side of the car to avoid a collision.
“I was squeezed like crazy,” Verstappen complained over the radio. He had to shorten the following chicane and ultimately ended up in fourth place again – which angered George Russell in the Mercedes. The Brit, who likes to verbally duel Verstappen again and again, immediately demanded a penalty. But Verstappen didn’t get this.
But he was overtaken a few laps later by Oliver Bearman in the Haas. After the second training session, which Verstappen finished with the best time of the day, he had already expressed concerns about his performance over longer distances. The race then turned into somewhat torturous hard work for Verstappen, while Norris dominated the race at the front.
Leclerc was well behind in second, followed by Hamilton. However, the seven-time champion had to serve a ten-second penalty when changing tires. The race management punished a maneuver against Verstappen when Hamilton took a shortcut. Hamilton, who had had the best chance of his first podium finish in the Ferrari, lined up again in 14th place.
When Verstappen returned to the track after changing his tires, he initially fell behind Piastri: eighth place for the Dutchman, who had won five of the nine races in Mexico City since his return in 2015. If Norris hadn’t had to keep his hands on the wheel, he could have rubbed them with pleasure.
However, Verstappen showed tactically and drivingly why he is considered one of the best in the history of Formula 1. On the softest tires, he managed to get to the podium in a race that was difficult from the start with a car that wasn’t fast enough. A virtual safety car phase on the penultimate lap prevented an attack on Leclerc and thus second place.