Lando Norris makes the big move in Mexico

The 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix delivered both spectacle and significance in Formula One’s late-season title fight. Under the hazy altitude of Mexico’s Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Lando Norris commanded the race from start to finish, taking a lights-to-flag victory that also pushed him to the top of the Drivers’ Championship standings.​

From the moment the lights went out, Norris’s composure shone. Having sealed pole with a blistering 1:15.586 qualifying lap, the McLaren driver launched perfectly on race day, fending off early charges from both Ferraris and Max Verstappen into the notorious Turn 1. As chaos erupted behind, with cars darting across the grass and minor collisions through the opening complex, Norris kept firm control. From there, his rhythm was relentless — maintaining pace over 71 laps to cross the line in 1:37:58.574, more than 30 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.​

His seventh victory of the 2025 season marked McLaren’s first win in Mexico since 1989, and — perhaps more crucially — placed Norris one point ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri in the driver standings.​

While Norris built an unassailable lead, the real drama unfolded behind him. Charles Leclerc recovered from a wild start to secure P2, resisting repeated late-race attacks from Max Verstappen, who ultimately settled for third in his Red Bull, just 0.7 seconds adrift. Ferrari’s pace on the straights kept Verstappen at bay, despite Red Bull’s stronger mid-sector traction.​

Rookie sensation Oliver Bearman delivered a standout performance for Haas, finishing fourth — the team’s joint-best ever result. Starting ninth on the grid, he deftly avoided early turmoil and executed a clean two-stop strategy to finish ahead of Oscar Piastri, who came home fifth. Bearman’s mature control earned him the Driver of the Day honors.​

Further down the order, it was a mixed afternoon for the men in the middle. Lewis Hamilton received a 10-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage during a close-quarters battle with Verstappen. He ultimately finished eighth behind the Mercedes duo of Kimi Antonelli (6th) and George Russell (7th). Russell, however, capped his race by securing the DHL Fastest Lap Award, his third of the season, clocking a blistering pace in clear air late in the race.​

Four drivers failed to finish. Among them, Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls retired early after damaging his car in Lap 2 contact. Fernando Alonso, Nico Hülkenberg, and Carlos Sainz also saw their races end prematurely — the latter stopping dramatically in the stadium section with only two laps remaining.​

Norris’s dominant win wasn’t just a personal triumph; it reset the dynamics of the 2025 title chase. Heading into Mexico, Oscar Piastri held the championship lead, but his fifth-place finish saw him slip behind Norris by a single point. Verstappen’s third-place left him 36 points back and now he is depending on mistakes from the McLaren pair to regain ground.​

McLaren’s performance in Mexico — steady, strategic, and fast — reflected a team operating at peak confidence. With just a handful of races left, the Constructors’ Championship remains tightly poised between McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull, yet in the individual standings, it’s now Norris’s title to lose.​

As the sun set over the Foro Sol stadium, fans witnessed the race that might define the 2025 season — not just for its spectacle, but for how it vaulted Lando Norris into championship contention with only four races to go.

Lando Norris - Photo by Li Mengxin/Xinhua via Getty Images