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Lando Norris Obliterates the Field in Mexico, Becomes the New F1 Points Leader

Lando Norris didn’t just win the Mexico City Grand Prix — he absolutely obliterated it. The McLaren driver strolled across the line over half a minute ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, which in Formula 1 terms is roughly the time it takes to heat up a burrito.

That 30-second demolition, combined with teammate Oscar Piastri’s tidy fifth-place finish, puts Norris on top of the Drivers’ Championship — by a single point. Yes, one. The kind of lead that keeps you smiling until you remember Max Verstappen still exists.

The race began like a proper Mexican fiesta — loud, chaotic, and on the verge of going completely sideways. Norris launched cleanly from pole, but into Turn 1 all hell broke loose. The Ferraris of Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton (yes, Ferrari Lewis still sounds weird to say) lunged forward, and Verstappen tried to muscle through on the inside. Four cars barreling into Turn 1 side by side — it looked less like a Formula 1 start and more like a rental kart race at a bachelor party.

Leclerc swerved left to avoid Hamilton, Verstappen found himself mowing the grass, and everyone emerged from the first chicane wondering how they were all still in one piece. Somehow, Leclerc popped out in front, but Norris soon reclaimed the lead with all the drama of a man changing lanes on the highway.

Behind them, Verstappen and Hamilton reignited their rivalry — clanging wheels, swapping paint, and giving the stewards an early headache. Hamilton picked up a 10-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, while Verstappen escaped with a shrug and what must have been a raised middle finger inside his helmet.

Once the chaos settled, Norris simply disappeared. By lap 23, he’d built a 10-second cushion and looked like he was running a different race entirely — one where the others were still reading the instructions.

Pit stops came and went. The Red Bulls tried strategy. The Ferraris tried hope. Nothing worked. Norris made his stop, came back out, and promptly resumed his one-man parade at the front. Verstappen threw on a set of softs late in the race and tried to hunt down Leclerc, closing the gap from twelve seconds to five, but just as the Dutchman was ready to pounce — bam — Carlos Sainz parked his Williams in the stadium section, bringing out the Virtual Safety Car.

Game over. Leclerc hung on for second, Verstappen had to settle for third, and Norris cruised home to his sixth win of the season — a victory so commanding it should’ve come with its own mariachi band.

Behind them, Haas’ Ollie Bearman stunned everyone with a career-best fourth, followed by Piastri in fifth. Kimi Antonelli was sixth, George Russell seventh, and Hamilton, still probably muttering about his penalty, finished eighth. Esteban Ocon and Gabriel Bortoleto rounded out the top ten.

Norris, ever the understated Brit, called it a “straightforward” race — which is one way of describing a 30-second beatdown.
“What a race,” he said. “Good start, good launch, good first lap — I could just keep my eyes forward and focus on what I was doing.”

He even managed to soak in the moment. “My first win here in Mexico, a beautiful one to win, especially here in the stadium. A big thanks to all the fans.”

With four races left, Norris leads the title fight by a whisker — and looks like a man who’s found his rhythm. He’s taking it “one weekend at a time,” he said. Sensible words, sure. But after a drive like that, you can’t help thinking Lando Norris didn’t just win a race in Mexico — he announced himself as the man to beat.

First-placed McLaren’s British driver Lando Norris 2nd R, second-placed Ferrari’s Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc 1st L and third-placed Red Bull’s Dutch driver Max Verstappen 1st R pose with McLaren’s British engineer Will Joseph during the awarding ceremony for the Formula One Mexico Grand Prix at the Hermanos Rodriguez Circuit in Mexico City, Mexico, Oct. 26, 2025. (Photo by Li Mengxin/Xinhua via Getty Images)

 

FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO 2025 – RACE RESULT

Pos. No. Driver Team Laps Time / Retired Pts.
1 4 Lando Norris McLaren 71 1:37:58.574 25
2 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 71 +30.324s 18
3 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 71 +31.049s 15
4 87 Oliver Bearman Haas F1 Team 71 +40.955s 12
5 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 71 +42.065s 10
6 12 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 71 +47.837s 8
7 63 George Russell Mercedes 71 +50.287s 6
8 44 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 71 +56.446s 4
9 31 Esteban Ocon Haas F1 Team 71 +75.464s 2
10 5 Gabriel Bortoleto Kick Sauber 71 +76.863s 1
11 22 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull Racing 71 +79.048s 0
12 23 Alexander Albon Williams 70 +1 lap 0
13 6 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls 70 +1 lap 0
14 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 70 +1 lap 0
15 10 Pierre Gasly Alpine 70 +1 lap 0
16 43 Franco Colapinto Alpine 70 +1 lap 0
17 55 Carlos Sainz Williams 67 DNF 0
NC 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 34 DNF 0
NC 27 Nico Hulkenberg Kick Sauber 25 DNF 0
NC 30 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls 5 DNF 0
Greg Engle
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