Mexico City offered a weekend of contrasts under its thin air and golden light. The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, alive with colour and chaos, gave us rookies chasing dreams, veterans wrestling the limits, and a title fight tilting on every lap.
In the end, it was Lando Norris who rose above the dust and the noise, leaving Mexico with more than just a victory.
The Chronicle Headlines
- Practice sessions showed a three-way fight, with Leclerc, Verstappen, and Norris each topping one session.
- Rookies made headlines in FP1, as Arvid Lindblad impressed with sixth and Pato O’Ward thrilled home fans in thirteenth.
- Norris produced a clutch qualifying lap, beating Leclerc to pole and setting up McLaren for a strong Sunday.
- Oscar Piastri struggled to match his teammate, scraping into Q3 and starting only seventh after Sainz’s penalty.
- Norris dominated the race from start to finish, crossing the line with a commanding 30-second margin.
- The win elevated Norris into the championship lead, edging ahead of Piastri by just one point.
- Ollie Bearman capped the weekend with a career-best fourth, marking Haas’s strongest showing of the season.
Mexico GP Practice: Leclerc, Verstappen and Norris Trade Blows
The three Mexico City practice sessions produced three different leaders. Charles Leclerc opened with the fastest time in FP1 on a dusty track, while rookie Arvid Lindblad impressed with sixth. Max Verstappen responded in FP2, edging Leclerc despite grip complaints on his Red Bull’s revised floor. Lando Norris then delivered in FP3, topping the charts with a commanding 1m16.633s, three tenths clear of Lewis Hamilton. With each title contender showing flashes, qualifying promised a dramatic showdown at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
FP1: Leclerc Leads, Lindblad Impresses
Charles Leclerc set the pace in Mexico City, his Ferrari posting a 1m18.380s on a dusty Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. The track surface proved tricky, with early laps slowed by dirt and drivers using harder tyres. Andrea Kimi Antonelli briefly led for Mercedes before Leclerc and others switched to softs.
Nico Hülkenberg put Sauber in third, while points leader Oscar Piastri managed fourth. The Swiss team also showcased Gabriel Bortoleto, who ended fifth.
Among the rookies, Arvid Lindblad impressed with sixth place on his debut, just a tenth ahead of Yuki Tsunoda. Pato O’Ward delighted local fans with thirteenth, while Antonio Fuoco focused on mileage in Ferrari.
There were several off-track excursions, including one for Piastri, but no major incidents. Teams completed their rookie programmes successfully, leaving cars ready for the evening’s second practice.
Leclerc and Fuoco, Ferrari drivers who took part at Free Practice 1, Photo Credit: Scuderia Ferrari
FP2: Verstappen Leads, with Leclerc Behind, and Norris P4
Max Verstappen set the pace in second practice at the Mexico City Grand Prix. His Red Bull, running with a revised floor, delivered a 1m17.392s to edge Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by 0.153s. The Dutchman’s benchmark came despite complaints of “no grip” during his long-run simulation.
Unlike FP1, the session featured the full grid, offering a more accurate read on performance. Track conditions improved as the rubber built up, and teams switched to soft compounds for qualifying runs. Leclerc again impressed, keeping Ferrari within striking distance across both single-lap and long-run pace.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli continued his strong form, placing third for Mercedes despite a brief technical problem. Lando Norris returned after Pato O’Ward’s FP1 outing, finishing fourth but reporting engine misfires.
Behind them, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell slotted into fifth and sixth, while Yuki Tsunoda and Fernando Alonso showed midfield strength. The top ten was rounded out by Carlos Sainz and Lance Stroll, all within four tenths.
Further back, championship leader Oscar Piastri had a muted session in twelfth as McLaren focused on higher-fuel data. Meanwhile, Alpine struggled badly, with Colapinto and Gasly stuck in the bottom three. Alex Albon brushed the final corner wall, but escaped without damage.
FP3: Norris Leads Hamilton, Verstappen Struggles
Lando Norris delivered a statement in final practice at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. The McLaren driver produced a 1m16.633s in the closing minutes to finish three tenths clear of Lewis Hamilton. George Russell placed third, confirming Mercedes as Ferrari’s closest challenger.
The session began slowly. Dust and thin air kept lap times high before the track gradually evolved. Max Verstappen logged the first meaningful effort on mediums, yet Hamilton soon threatened to eclipse him before a wide moment in Sector 2. Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz briefly topped the order for Williams before Norris and Russell joined the fight.
As the final 15 minutes arrived, qualifying simulations reshaped the timesheets. Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, and Hamilton all briefly led, but Norris’s tidy lap proved untouchable.
Hamilton settled for second, while Russell maintained third with a strong medium-tyre run. Leclerc edged Piastri for fourth, leaving the McLaren championship leader frustrated.
For Verstappen it was another subdued outing. The Red Bull driver complained of poor grip and ran a conservative engine mode, which left him only sixth. Norris looked the favourite heading into qualifying.
Mexico GP Qualifying: Norris Seizes Pole as Rivals Falter
Lando Norris mastered the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez to claim a vital pole, his 1m15.586s lap beating Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. The McLaren driver struck late in Q3, overturning Leclerc’s provisional lead and boosting his title bid.
Max Verstappen could manage only fifth after grip struggles, while points leader Oscar Piastri ended eighth, promoted to seventh by Carlos Sainz’s penalty. Rookies Isack Hadjar and Oliver Bearman impressed by reaching Q3, adding fresh intrigue to the grid.
With Norris on top, his rivals now face an uphill battle in Sunday’s race, where the championship picture looks more open than ever.
Q1: Hadjar Shocks Field with Hamilton Close Behind
Qualifying in Mexico began with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll setting early laps on scrubbed softs. Grip was still low, and track evolution promised late drama.
Lando Norris set the first serious benchmark at 1m17.147s, comfortably ahead of team-mate Oscar Piastri, who reported DRS issues. George Russell and Charles Leclerc soon slotted into the mix, with Max Verstappen only a tenth behind. At that stage, Gasly, Stroll, Colapinto, Bortoleto, and Hülkenberg sat in danger.
The order shifted constantly. Oliver Bearman briefly stunned the paddock by going fastest, before being edged by Norris and Leclerc. Yet the late stages brought the biggest surprise. Isack Hadjar unleashed a superb 1m16.733s to top Q1 by just 0.003s over Lewis Hamilton.
Alonso rescued P12, but Bortoleto, Albon, Gasly, Stroll, and Colapinto were eliminated. With the track improving every lap, even established names had to sweat through a tense finale.
Q2: Norris Dominates, Piastri Survives Scare
Lando Norris undrlined his pace in Q2, storming to a 1m16.252s. His lap put him four tenths clear of Charles Leclerc, with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell close behind.
The session began with Isack Hadjar setting the early mark, but the order quickly changed as times tumbled. Max Verstappen and Nico Hülkenberg briefly featured near the front before being shuffled back once Norris and Ferrari joined the battle.
Further down, Oscar Piastri endured a nervous few minutes. The McLaren driver reported a strange power unit issue and initially sat outside the top ten. However, a late push lifted him to seventh and ensured both McLarens advanced.
The closing laps saw Antonelli climb to eighth and Bearman sneak into the top ten. Eliminated were Yuki Tsunoda, Esteban Ocon, Nico Hülkenberg, Fernando Alonso, and Liam Lawson, the latter unable to log a clean lap.
Q3: Norris Beats Leclerc to Pole
Lando Norris delivered a stunning pole in Mexico City with a 1m15.586s. He edged Charles Leclerc by 0.262s, confirming McLaren’s pace when it mattered most.
After early banker laps, Max Verstappen briefly led before Norris and Leclerc lowered the mark again. The decisive runs settled it as Norris found time in the final sector, while Leclerc improved but fell short. Lewis Hamilton took third with George Russell fourth. Verstappen ended fifth after struggling to extract grip.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli qualified sixth ahead of Carlos Sainz in seventh. Oscar Piastri could manage only eighth and reported lingering pace questions. Isack Hadjar impressed with ninth, and Oliver Bearman completed the top ten.
There is one notable grid change. Sainz carries a five place penalty from Austin, so he will start twelfth and promote rivals behind him. That lifts Piastri to seventh for the start. Norris ends McLaren’s Mexico pole drought and keeps title pressure high.
2025 F1 Mexico Grand Prix
Blistering Launch, Early Chaos, Norris in Control
Lando Norris converted pole with a clean launch and owned Turn 1 amid a chaotic four-wide squeeze. Charles Leclerc briefly slipped ahead after cutting the corner, then ceded the place as order reset. Norris led from Leclerc, with Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton tangling in the early exchanges.
The Ferrari driver later received a 10-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage in a separate incident, which wrecked his podium bid. Meanwhile, Ollie Bearman surged into contention, passing Verstappen to sit in a shock fourth. By Lap 11, Norris had carved nearly three seconds at the front and looked serene on tyre life.
The field split strategies. Many started on softs, but Verstappen and several midfielders chose mediums to extend the first stint. The stewards noted multiple moments yet avoided heavy intervention beyond Hamilton’s sanction. As the race settled, Norris, measured and relentless, stretched clear while Leclerc stabilised in second and Verstappen regrouped. The championship picture already felt different.
Strategy Chess and Bearman’s reakout Drive
The middle phase turned into strategy warfare. Mercedes managed an internal swap to free George Russell in pursuit of Bearman, while Kimi Antonelli defended stoutly from Oscar Piastri. McLaren weighed a two-stop for Piastri. He pitted for fresh softs, undercutting Antonelli and briefly threatening Bearman. The Haas rookie remained composed, responding with his own stop and keeping track position.
Up front, Norris controlled the pace and rejoined still leading after his lone stop, the gap rebuilt within laps. Verstappen extended his first stint, then emerged in a clear third, targeting Leclerc with stronger late-race pace. Further back, Hamilton’s penalty forced recovery mode. Esteban Ocon and Gabriel Bortoleto crept toward the points with tidy execution and clean pit work.
Mechanical trouble struck Nico Hülkenberg, while Fernando Alonso also retired, trimming the midfield fight. As stints matured, Norris’s advantage grew past fifteen seconds. Leclerc defended second with precise management of the softs. Verstappen closed, but traffic and tyre conditioning delayed the final push. Bearman, still fourth, became the story of the pack. The rookie mixed aggression with restraint, and the top six crystallised for the run-in. Control up front, jeopardy behind.
VSC Twist, Emphatic Finish, New Championship Leader
The finale delivered tension. Carlos Sainz stopped late in the stadium, triggering a Virtual Safety Car that briefly froze two critical duels: Verstappen versus Leclerc for second and Piastri versus Bearman for fourth. Once green, laps were too few to change the podium.
Norris won by 30.324s, a crushing margin that captured McLaren’s tyre edge and his composure at altitude. Leclerc held off Verstappen by 0.725s for second. Bearman sealed a career-best fourth, just ahead of Piastri, with Antonelli and Russell next. Hamilton took eighth after serving his penalty, while Ocon and Bortoleto completed the points.
Crucially, Norris moves into the Drivers’ Championship lead by one point over Piastri, with Verstappen third. The victory felt systemic rather than situational. Clean start. Immaculate stint lengths. Perfect rejoin. Even the late VSC could not dent the rhythm. Mexico confirmed the momentum shift. Norris leaves as the hunted, not the hunter.
Lawson Slams “unacceptable” Marshal Incident in Mexico
Liam Lawson voiced anger after a dangerous near-miss during the Mexico City Grand Prix. In the opening laps, two marshals were seen crossing the live track at Turn 1 as he headed for the pits.
Lawson later called the incident “so dangerous” and “unacceptable”, admitting he “nearly had one of them.” The rookie insisted that safety margins must never be compromised at racing speeds close to 300 km/h.
The moment has prompted Racing Bulls to demand answers from the FIA, with questions over marshal deployment under yellow flags. While Formula 1 prides itself on advanced technology and strict protocols, the episode showed how human error can still create serious risks.
For Lawson, it was an unwelcome distraction in a crucial race weekend. Yet for the sport, it may serve as a sharp reminder that track safety remains paramount.
What Next?
With the 2025 F1 Mexico City Grand Prix complete, four rounds remain, including two Sprint weekends, as the title race hits its final stretch. The next stop is São Paulo on November 7–9, a Sprint event at Interlagos that often shuffles form. Then come Las Vegas on November 20–22, Qatar on November 28–30 (Sprint), and Abu Dhabi on December 5–7, where the season will close under the Yas Marina lights.
Norris holds the momentum, but the margins are thin at altitude and sea level alike. Watch how teams juggle tyre choices, Sprint risk, and engine life as they make their final push.
Feature Image Credit: Mclaren