2025 Mexico City Grand Prix Recap

By Ryan Wu

A New Championship Leader Emerges

For the first time since the Bahrain Grand Prix, Lando Norris leads the Drivers’ Championship after winning the Mexico City Grand Prix by just over 30 seconds. He has 357 points, just ahead of his teammate Piastri with 356, as the 2025 season enters its final four races and two sprints. Max Verstappen has also closed the gap to Piastri and now sits at 321 points, only 36 behind. The title race remains wide open, but the momentum is now with the Briton and the Dutchman as Piastri looks to rebound from an uncharacteristically poor run in Mexico.

Race Recap

Knowing he needed another strong weekend to build on his progress from Austin, Norris put himself in a great position by taking pole position, while Verstappen started fifth and Piastri eighth.

Norris was joined at the front by the two Ferraris, with Leclerc qualifying second and Hamilton third. He made an excellent start, fending off an early challenge from Leclerc, while Verstappen went wide as the field went four abreast into the first corner. Leclerc briefly cut the corner at Turn 2 to take the lead, but Norris quickly reclaimed the position.

Verstappen soon found himself in a close battle with Hamilton for third, with both drivers pushing track limits. Hamilton was eventually given a 10-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. This decision was controversial as he was the sole recipient of a penalty. Meanwhile Verstappen and Leclerc had both left the track, with the former doing so on the first lap and gained an advantage.

Verstappen also had to defend against bold overtakes from Oliver Bearman, who challenged the defending World Champion in the opening stages.

Midway through the race, Mercedes made a notable strategic call. On lap 41, with Antonelli running fourth and Russell directly behind, the team instructed the drivers to swap positions to allow Russell to chase down Bearman. However, Antonelli soon came under pressure from Piastri, who was closing rapidly on both Mercedes. When both drivers pitted on lap 48, Piastri emerged ahead of Antonelli and later overtook Russell on lap 60 to move into fifth place. Russell then returned the position to his teammate.

In the closing laps, Leclerc and Verstappen fought intensely for second place, but a virtual safety car in the final two laps neutralized the battle, preventing Verstappen from attempting a final overtake.

Rookie Report

What a race it was for Oliver Bearman, who spent much of the afternoon running in podium contention. Entering the weekend, he was carrying 10 penalty points that were set to expire at the end of this race—leaving him perilously close to a one-race ban.

Bearman charged through the field, climbing to fourth by lap six. His team later opted for a two-stop strategy to give him a chance to challenge Verstappen for third, but the Dutchman’s tire management proved superior. Even so, this was the best result of Bearman’s young career and a performance that deserves recognition.

He was joined in the points by fellow rookies Kimi Antonelli, who finished sixth, and Gabriel Bortoleto, who claimed the final point in tenth.

Racing Refresh Driver of the Day

Lando Norris, McLaren

Final Points Finishing Positions

1st: Lando Norris

2nd: Charles Leclerc

3rd: Max Verstappen

4th: Oliver Bearman

5th: Oscar Piastri

6th: Kimi Antonelli

7th: George Russell

8th: Lewis Hamilton

9th: Esteban Ocon

10th: Gabriel Bortoleto

Next on the F1 Schedule:

Brazilian Grand Prix: November 7th-9th