The 20th race of the 2025 Formula 1 season, the Mexican Grand Prix, marked a significant turning point in the championship battle, with McLaren’s Lando Norris taking the lead in the Drivers’ standings for the first time in 189 days. Norris secured a dominant pole-to-win at the Circuito Hermanos Rodríguez, while teammate Oscar Piastri recovered two places to finish fifth.
As a result, Norris now leads the championship by a single point over Piastri, with four races remaining. Despite losing the top spot, Piastri made it clear that his focus in Mexico was not on defending his lead but on learning from the challenges he faced throughout the weekend.
“I was behind someone the whole time and had some dirty air. It was a very difficult race,”
Piastri said.
“But the most important thing for me was learning what I wanted to learn.”
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Qualifying exposes driving limitations
Piastri had a difficult qualifying session on Saturday, finishing eighth—later promoted to seventh on the grid—0.588 seconds behind pole-sitter Norris. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella described the gap as “unusual” and pointed to driving-related issues as a key factor.
“After yesterday’s session it was clear that I needed to make some pretty big changes to my driving,”
Piastri admitted.
The Australian revealed that his struggles, which first appeared at the United States Grand Prix, continued into Mexico.
“The last two races have forced me to drive in a completely different way, or perhaps I should say I couldn’t change it when I should have,”
he explained.
“I’ve been driving the same way all year, so my mind is a little bit caught up in this situation. Whether it’s the car, the tyres or some other factor, it’s just that I’m being asked to approach things differently than I’ve done in the past.”
Adapting to low-grip conditions
The Mexican track surface, combined with the high altitude and wind, created low-grip conditions that challenged several drivers. Piastri said he made a conscious effort to adapt during the race.
“I’m going to analyze whether it paid off. If it works, it will help me in the next race,”
he said.
“If I can make even a little progress in that regard, I’ll be happy.”
He emphasized that the car was not to blame for the result.
“The car hasn’t changed for a while, so the problem isn’t the car. The difference in pace means that Lando is clearly able to handle it more easily and I’m not.”
Team principal Andrea Stella agreed, explaining that Piastri’s aggressive driving style, which depends heavily on grip, becomes less effective when tyre wear increases or the surface offers limited traction.
Finding new tools for the title fight
Despite the setback, Piastri remains optimistic. He acknowledged that his usual driving approach has worked well for most of the season and sees the current challenges as part of his development process.
“I think the important thing is to remember that the way I’ve been riding has worked well for the other 19 races,”
he said.
“It’s not about reinventing yourself, it’s about adding new tools to your toolbox.”
Piastri’s pragmatic approach contrasts with the pressure of the title fight. While Norris celebrated victory and the championship lead, Piastri used the weekend to focus on growth and adaptation—a mindset that could serve him well in the final stretch of the season.
With four rounds left, the championship picture remains wide open. If Piastri can apply the lessons from Austin and Mexico, the balance could once again shift in his favor when Formula 1 heads to São Paulo.
