A Scrappy Melee at Mexico City Brings Big Changes to the Title Fight
In a race where the first turn is so crucial, the Mexico City Grand Prix started and ended in chaos and excitement. For one driver in particular, the race marks a turning point in the World Drivers’ Championship. After an astonishing lap in Qualifying on Saturday, Lando Norris started the race in pole position and maintained a dominant lead, winning by 30 seconds and bringing an end to his best weekend in the entire season. His sixth win this year and first victory in Mexico City, Norris’ achievement today means more than just a Grand Prix takedown. With his teammate finishing fifth, Norris has taken the lead in the WDC title fight by a single point.
The fun began where everyone expected it to: turn one. Battling in a tight formation, Max Verstappen was the first to shake up the order as he passed George Russell before quickly attempting to overtake Lewis Hamilton at the first corner, but the wide maneuver sent him into the grass and behind the two Ferraris. Especially with Verstappen on the slower medium tires for the majority of the race, that two-car buffer provided Norris with plenty of time to pull ahead. While the Ferraris were left fending off Verstappen, Norris managed to put more than 20 seconds between himself and Charles LeClerc in second place.
It seemed there was no end to the chaotic start as the fight for third heated up. Hamilton and Verstappen battled for the position, but in the turmoil, Hamilton locked up and was sent off the road. Hamilton reclaimed the position and Verstappen fell to fifth, but the FIA intervened in Verstappen’s favor. For failing to follow the escape road and gaining an advantage when he went off the track, Hamilton was handed a 10-second penalty, which he later served from the pit lane. With one Ferrari out of the way, Verstappen would eventually overtake Oliver Bearman and reclaim third place, which he held through the end of the race.
For the former WDC leader, this weekend wasn’t quite as exciting. Oscar Piastri was out in front of the Driver’s Standings by 14 points going into the weekend, a lead he had held since April. With a lackluster Qualifying result starting him off in seventh position, he was poised to lose the lead to his teammate from the moment the lights turned green. It didn’t help that, amidst the chaos of the first turn, Piastri fell back two positions into ninth. While the Aussie executed an excellent race with many skillful overtakes, he was unable to reach fourth place, which he would have needed to maintain his hold on the title fight. Claiming 10 points for fifth place was not enough compared to the 25 points his teammate scored for winning, and Norris overtook him in the standings.
There are four races left in the season, and the title fight is now as close as it ever gets. Verstappen still has a 35-point gap he needs to close to take second and 36 points to take first, but it’s exactly the kind of challenge that the Dutch racer has shown himself capable of taking on. For Norris and Piastri, every race and every position will matter more than ever going forward, as even a difference of one position could now decide the 2025 world champion. Mexico City will go down as one of the most pivotal races of the 2025 season as the fight for first heats up in the final moments.
