The 2025 Mexican Grand Prix delivered a commanding performance from McLaren’s Lando Norris, who took a dominant win at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez to seize control of the Formula 1 championship battle. The British driver led every lap from pole position, crossing the line 30.374 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen claimed the final podium spot.
Norris’s drive was a statement of intent. The McLaren driver managed his tires flawlessly on a soft-to-medium one-stop strategy, maintaining consistent pace in the high-altitude heat of Mexico City. His victory marked McLaren’s tenth win of the season and placed him firmly at the top of the championship standings with just four races remaining.
Leclerc, who mirrored Norris’s strategy, kept the gap manageable in the opening stages but eventually fell back as tire wear took its toll. Verstappen, starting from fifth, made steady progress through the field and took advantage of a late-race Virtual Safety Car (VSC) to secure third place.
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VSC Halts Late Battle
The race took a dramatic turn in the closing laps when Williams’ Carlos Sainz clipped the wall in the stadium section and came to a stop, triggering a Virtual Safety Car with just two laps remaining. With the VSC lifted on the final lap, hopes of a late charge from Verstappen and others were dashed, locking the top three in position.
Haas enjoyed one of its best results in years, with rookie Oliver Bearman finishing fourth — his highest-ever F1 finish — while Oscar Piastri brought home the second McLaren in fifth.
Mixed Tire Strategies Across the Grid
Strategy played a central role in the outcome of the race. Twelve drivers, including the top four, opted to start on soft tires, while others took a gamble on mediums or hards. Both Red Bulls took the unconventional approach of starting on medium compounds before switching to softs for their second stint.
The tire wear was surprisingly manageable, with minimal graining on the soft compounds allowing most one-stoppers to maintain strong pace until the end. Teams running two-stop strategies, such as Mercedes and Haas, used the extra grip of fresh softs to close gaps in the middle stint.
Turn 1 Drama and Early Contact
The start saw typical chaos into Turn 1. Norris, Leclerc, Hamilton, and Verstappen all went side-by-side into the opening corner. Verstappen was forced wide and briefly cut across Turn 2, while Leclerc also went off but surrendered the position shortly after. Norris retained the lead and never looked back.
Verstappen’s early attempt to overtake Hamilton on lap seven ended in light contact, allowing Bearman to sneak through into fourth. Hamilton later received a 10-second penalty for gaining an advantage off-track at Turn 4 and eventually finished eighth.
Tsunoda’s Pit Stop Woes
Yuki Tsunoda endured a frustrating race after a costly pit stop dropped him out of the points. The Japanese driver, who had been running strongly in the top ten, lost nearly nine seconds during his stop on lap 36. Despite a determined comeback on soft tires, he fell short of reclaiming tenth place, finishing 11th — just 2.1 seconds behind Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto.
Esteban Ocon added to Haas’s strong day by finishing ninth, earning the team a valuable double-points result.
Mercedes Team Orders and Radio Frustration
Mercedes’ afternoon was defined by team orders and radio tension. George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli swapped places mid-race after Russell’s sarcastic radio comments questioning whether he should “let the McLaren go first.” Antonelli ultimately finished sixth, ahead of Russell in seventh, after the positions were returned in the final laps.
Retirements and Reliability Issues
The race saw a total of four retirements. Liam Lawson’s day ended early after first-lap contact damaged his front wing beyond repair. Nico Hülkenberg retired on lap 27 with power unit failure, while Fernando Alonso suffered brake problems and pulled into the garage on lap 35. Sainz’s late crash capped off a frustrating weekend for Williams.
Final Classification
- Lando Norris (McLaren Mercedes) – 1:37:58.574
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – +30.324s
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull Honda RBPT) – +31.049s
- Oliver Bearman (Haas Ferrari) – +40.955s
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren Mercedes) – +42.065s
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – +47.837s
- George Russell (Mercedes) – +50.287s
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – +56.446s
- Esteban Ocon (Haas Ferrari) – +75.464s
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber Ferrari) – +76.863s
Norris’s victory now places him at the forefront of the championship fight, with McLaren holding the upper hand heading into the next round. The title race remains alive, but Norris’s dominance in Mexico has made him the man to beat.
