Norris seizes championship lead with flawless Mexico GP win as Piastri falters in title fight
Lando Norris produced the drive of his career to seize control of the Formula 1 world championship battle, delivering a flawless lights-to-flag victory at the Mexico City Grand Prix that propelled him into the top spot by a single point.
Starting from pole, the McLaren driver controlled the race with surgical precision, fending off Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who finished second, and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who took third. Norris’s teammate Oscar Piastri could manage only fifth, while Britain’s Oliver Bearman claimed an outstanding fourth for Haas — the best result of his young career.
The win, Norris’s fourth of the season, marks a dramatic swing in momentum as Formula 1 enters its final four races. After months of chasing Piastri, the 25-year-old Briton has hit peak form at the perfect time, recapturing the championship lead for the first time since the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in April.
“For me, this is my best performance yet,” Norris said afterward. “There’s still a long way to go, but I just have to stay consistent against these incredibly quick guys around me.”
It was a statement victory — clean, controlled, and utterly dominant. Norris kept his cool as the field surged toward Turn One, holding position in a tense three-wide dash before building a seven-second lead within a handful of laps. From there, he never looked back, managing his tyres with perfection as McLaren’s superior balance and pace shone through in the high-altitude Mexican air.
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Behind him, Piastri’s title challenge faltered. A sluggish start from seventh saw him drop to tenth before clawing back positions in a gritty recovery drive. His decisive move on George Russell for fifth on lap 61 salvaged valuable points but failed to prevent Norris from erasing his long-held lead in the standings.
The Australian, who had been on the podium in nearly every race up to Monza, has struggled to regain that form in recent weeks — crashing out in Baku, finishing off the podium in Singapore and Austin, and now falling short again in Mexico. The championship momentum has clearly shifted.
Verstappen, too, maximised what he could from a difficult weekend. Starting fifth, the defending champion climbed to third through a smart alternate tyre strategy and came close to snatching second before a Virtual Safety Car neutralised the closing laps. “We did everything we could,” Verstappen said. “The car wasn’t perfect here, but it was still a solid result.”
The result leaves Norris on 312 points, Piastri on 311, and Verstappen still lurking in third, 36 points behind — close enough to mount a late surge if McLaren stumble.
It’s been a remarkable turnaround for Norris, who just two months ago looked out of the title picture after a mechanical failure at the Dutch Grand Prix left him 34 points adrift of his teammate. Since then, he’s responded with relentless consistency, racking up podiums and avoiding costly mistakes.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has hinted that the team may soon have to back one driver if the title fight tightens further. “We will do what is necessary to ensure we bring the championship home,” he said, suggesting that whoever holds the upper hand — as Norris now does — will receive the team’s full support.
The race also brought heartache for Lewis Hamilton, who crossed the line seventh but dropped to eighth after a 10-second penalty for leaving the track while battling Verstappen.
As the chequered flag fell, Norris’s team erupted in celebration — a clear sign that McLaren’s long wait for championship glory could soon end. Not since Lewis Hamilton’s 2008 title has the team been this close to the ultimate prize.
With 116 points still available across the final four rounds, the battle between Norris, Piastri, and Verstappen is finely poised — a three-way fight that now promises a thrilling run to the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
For Norris, though, Mexico was more than just a win — it was a declaration. He’s back on top, with the championship now firmly in his hands.